schwarz086 ate my plastic - Q for paint people

[tim eh?]

i'm painting my front grill again.

i am wondering what i can use as thinner for this paint- varsol ain't working.
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5927&stc=1&d=1221177107

it's toxic! look what it did to the plastic plate i used as a palette... i guess some of that plate is on my grill now, dang it. live and learn...
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5926&stc=1&d=1221177107

(story...) so i had this sent to a store closer to me... i go there to pick it up...

[me]: hi, do you have a 1/2 litre of black paint for me to pick up?

[guy]: yeah it's right here...

(guy checks label on tin and starts punching the code into the register)

(guy looks at screen... does a doubletake and stares... looks at the label on the tin and stares again)

[guy]: you painting a beemer with a brush?

[me]: uh... yes sir

[guy]: (shrug... smile...) never saw that...


they say practise makes pergect - i'll let you know how it turns out...

what's the difference anyway? i would have thought they'd mix the same hardener and stuff for spray.

[attack eagle]

difference is that isn't a plastic plate.

that is STYROFOAM
styrofoam gets eat by lots of safe solvents... including wd40. model cement will eat it, acetone will eat it, pretty sure thinner will eat it...
find something else to use as a container?

[632 Regal]

HAhahahaha... +1


that is STYROFOAM

[tim eh?]

that is STYROFOAM


it's not styrofoam, it is (was) cheap hard plastic party plates from the $store.
it doesn't really matter, i'll just hope too much of it didn't get mixed in with the paint and as you suggest use something different next time.

so this is where i am 4 coats later. it was a bit too cold for painting but the photo exaggerates the flaws a bit. (honest...)

the plan is to use 2000 wet/dry and a lot of elbow grease, then a rubbing compound and more elbow grease... if anyone wants to suggest a rubbing compound or (hand) applicator or any more or alternative procedures i'd appreciate it. the last time i did this i got it really smooth but couldn't get the sanded paint back to its original shine, but it wasn't car paint so i'm wondering how it will go this time, maybe i need to use more elbow....

maybe i am crazy for thinking this might work... i know it would be way easier to spray but i am doing this (again... this time with proper paint) to practise painting with a brush so i won't arse up my touch-up jobs. and i kind of want to do it all by hand ... i am used to wood and varnish jobs tho not this kind of thing. not looking for a showroom job, just clean and tidy.

i have put the old rusty grill on in the meantime... looks hilarious with the new bumper ( altho it kind of matches the hood :( ).
a guy told me today "you should paint that grill it's really [] ugly!"

[attack eagle]

I would strip it and spray it this time.
you could spend hours sanding, repainting resanding until you got the pain thick enough to wind up with a smooth finish... but but seems the hard and wasteful way to go.

checked with any local body shops to see how much they 'd charge just to spray it, bake it, and wet sand it since you have the part removed, (stripped), and have the paint?

[Sam-Son]

difference is that isn't a plastic plate.

that is STYROFOAM
styrofoam gets eat by lots of safe solvents... including wd40. model cement will eat it, acetone will eat it, pretty sure thinner will eat it...
find something else to use as a container?

really? I never knew that ima run out right now and try that:D

[attack eagle]

model airplanes brother...
All I needed to know in life (about adhesives and aerosol paints) I learned from model airplanes...

I bought a lot of dope, and sometimes I did accidentally get high.
But I'm not referring to an illegal drug. :)

[Ross]

I'd sand or strip it and start over. rattle cans do a fine job on something this small.
I think good old Rust Oleum gloss black will be close enough for government work.

[tim eh?]

I would strip it and spray it this time.
you could spend hours sanding, repainting resanding until you got the pain thick enough to wind up with a smooth finish... but but seems the hard and wasteful way to go.

checked with any local body shops to see how much they 'd charge just to spray it, bake it, and wet sand it since you have the part removed, (stripped), and have the paint?


I'd sand or strip it and start over. rattle cans do a fine job on something this small.



jeez... well, i admit that would be easier and it is the current 'plan b' , bodyshop is 'plan c'. ease is not the priority for me here...

plan a is to do something like this '66 corvair job (http://www.rickwrench.com/index79master.htm?http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html) to my hood and a couple minor spots. you know i'll let you know...


model airplanes brother...
All I needed to know in life (about adhesives and aerosol paints) I learned from model airplanes...

I bought a lot of dope, and sometimes I did accidentally get high.
But I'm not referring to an illegal drug. :)
you just sold me on my next hobby... if i ever get any time off this one...

[tim eh?]

i am taking a break because my fingers are sore but this time it is quite encouraging... driver side left as is, passenger side is sanded and rubbed with compound... couple of minor flaws but the black matches my car now... and i'm so psyched to get my kidneys on for the first time...

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5929&stc=1&d=1221324687
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5930&stc=1&d=1221324687

[tim eh?]

all done, and overall i'm pretty pleased.
it's not perfect but it's clean and tidy and the paint matches now.

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5931&stc=1&d=1221331609

i'm confident enough to tackle the rust on the hood now i think although it might wait for next summer.

in the end i used less than 1/4 of a litre of paint, almost a pack of 2000 grit wet/dry, 2 artists brushes, and a pile of shop towels.

using the artists brushes was important for a (relatively) smooth paint job.
other than that, all it took was a bit of patience, some sore fingers and some attention to detail.

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5932&stc=1&d=1221331682

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5933&stc=1&d=1221331682

[Dave M]

Ya know, from that angle, it looks fine, even nice and glossy. As long as you're happy with it..............

Dave

[Sam-Son]

in those pics it looks factory

either way nice job huge improvement over the rust

[tim eh?]

had a handy little rainshower, but it's still hard to photograph the black outdoors.
a better comparison is with the fenders rather than the hood as they were painted last year. looks too new wtf? you can't see any flaws unless you're about 3 inches from it... it would fool me if i didn't know better... now the hood looks faded and ugly, maybe i'll have to try it with a roller!

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5948&stc=1&d=1221431675

edit- before photo...

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5949&stc=1&d=1221442688

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5950&stc=1&d=1221448475

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5947&stc=1&d=1221431675