Hey everyone,
How do you all spray your items? I always lay them down on cardboard and do 2 light coats, with a thicker 3rd with time in between to dry.
I paint in my garage and will run the exhaust fan for a while to help get all the crap in the air out. However, there are times that no matter how good I prep the steel (take blue painters tape and drag it along the top to capture all the dust, dirt, etc) I will still get some specs at times. The paint I use is Dupli Color metal cast, so its a translucent paint that SHOWS EVERYTHING.
Maybe I need to hang the metal and try painting it that way???
Any suggestions??
Spray painting metal...hang or lay flat?
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- SegoMan DeSigns
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Re: Spray painting metal...hang or lay flat?
If the paint booth is dusty its going to get on the paint either way it's positioned. Both ways has +/- 's. Try cleaning the floor and hanging plastic from the ceiling to make a mini paint booth or if the budget allows buy an inflatable pant booth.
- Scratch
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Re: Spray painting metal...hang or lay flat?
Hanging the work will help with dust, but you may have problems with runs then. You can section off an area with poly like SegoMan said. I used to do that when painting cars. I would also wet the floor to not kick up any dust. I use a lotof the Rustoleum Hammered line of spray paints, they have a little texture to them and hide a lot of imperfections and dust. I spray them laying flat. I'm looking forward to more paint dust tips in this thread.
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- djreiswig
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Re: Spray painting metal...hang or lay flat?
I hang most of what I paint. I'm somewhat impatient and like to paint both sides at the same time. I just fog a tack coat on and let it dry for a few minutes and then put on a couple of heavier coats.
If you lay them down it will help with runs, but I think it makes a larger surface for dust and overspray to settle.
If you lay them down it will help with runs, but I think it makes a larger surface for dust and overspray to settle.
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Re: Spray painting metal...hang or lay flat?
Love all the feedback everyone. I have been laying them flat on the table and spraying them. The Duplicolor MetalCast paint seems real watery so when I hung and painted, I would always get a small run here and there.
I try and cut everything and grind them the day before painting. If I can't, I have an exhaust fan on the garage wall and I will let that suck out all of the dust/particles/crap in the air before I paint. I have had GREAT luck with this.
I wish I had the room to build a paint/clean room
I also think I am way to critical of my work...been trying to not let it get to me as much. I'm trying to get 100% pro HVLP paint job quality out of my garage and with a spray can lol.
I will say that the Green Frog tape sucks! Always get bleed through and it leaves a nasty gooey edge line (Paint blocker). I have the best luck with regular blue painters tape.
I try and cut everything and grind them the day before painting. If I can't, I have an exhaust fan on the garage wall and I will let that suck out all of the dust/particles/crap in the air before I paint. I have had GREAT luck with this.
I wish I had the room to build a paint/clean room
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif)
I will say that the Green Frog tape sucks! Always get bleed through and it leaves a nasty gooey edge line (Paint blocker). I have the best luck with regular blue painters tape.
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Re: Spray painting metal...hang or lay flat?
I would recommend wiping off your parts with lacquer thinner/clean paper towels, then blowing off with air gun right before you paint. Go ahead and lay your parts flat on the cardboard with a few strips of thin wood (paint stir sticks) between the parts and the cardboard. Wear a spray paint respirator, and do not turn on your exhaust fan while you are spraying the paint - as that will pull dust/contaminates from your clothes as well as surrounding air onto the parts. You could also consider using a catalyzed paint sprayed from automotive detail spray gun - then you can sand off any dust nibs with super fine color sand paper (wet sand) and polish to remove any of the fine scratches. I would recommend 3M #2000 or finer color sand paper.BeckerFab wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2020 11:46 am Hey everyone,
How do you all spray your items? I always lay them down on cardboard and do 2 light coats, with a thicker 3rd with time in between to dry.
I paint in my garage and will run the exhaust fan for a while to help get all the crap in the air out. However, there are times that no matter how good I prep the steel (take blue painters tape and drag it along the top to capture all the dust, dirt, etc) I will still get some specs at times. The paint I use is Dupli Color metal cast, so its a translucent paint that SHOWS EVERYTHING.
Maybe I need to hang the metal and try painting it that way???
Any suggestions??
David
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Re: Spray painting metal...hang or lay flat?
i started using oil based rustoleum you find in your box stores, a cheap hvlp from HF.
mixed in proper ratio of reducer and a catalyst hardner for oil based paints (find mine on amazon) and also JAPAN DRIER if its hot and really humid.
of course clean everything properly first and I apply the rustoleum sanding fill primer first. sand to a 220 or 320 then spray.
1 quart can last forever almost with this method and the results the next day is a smooth pro sheen paint job. absolutly gorgeous..
i am also using a inflatable spray booth with the bulit in filters you find for sale on EBAY.
fairly cost effective set up with pro result
mixed in proper ratio of reducer and a catalyst hardner for oil based paints (find mine on amazon) and also JAPAN DRIER if its hot and really humid.
of course clean everything properly first and I apply the rustoleum sanding fill primer first. sand to a 220 or 320 then spray.
1 quart can last forever almost with this method and the results the next day is a smooth pro sheen paint job. absolutly gorgeous..
i am also using a inflatable spray booth with the bulit in filters you find for sale on EBAY.
fairly cost effective set up with pro result
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Re: Spray painting metal...hang or lay flat?
I use the same rustoleum with transtar superwet look harnder and gloss enhancer. I mix 8:2:1. Paint:Reducer:Hardner. Comes out great even with the cheapo HVLP guns.