A few questions for anyone that knows please

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the following?

Base coat and clear.

Or solid colour followed by clear coat wet on wet?

I'm going to spray the underside and engine bay of my car and want to do the best job I can.

My local paint supplier sells 2k breathing masks and I'll make sure I use one!

Any favorite brands of paint or ones to avoid?

Was thinking about using ICI stuff, not too worried about cost of the paint as I've spent a year doing the prep work and don't want to screw it up at the last second

Car is going to be frozen white if that makes a difference?

Cheers

Mark

 

It all depends on where your doing the job, if you have a booth to use then it time doesn't matter, but using base/clear you obviously do more layers than using 2pac/k so you need more time Inbetween cleaning/prepping/tack clothing, where as 2pac uses less work as the coats go on heavier

Either way I'd recommend 2pac primer/hardener as that goes on really tough, and protects the top coats from reacting to anything a panel wipe don't remove

 

I've used a lot of MIPA 2k paints which go on nice with a good finish, but we normally use base/clear at work due to being a multi purpose garage

I'm not sure if you can get frozen white in 2k? I could be wrong

 

I'm spraying it in a single garage with fan heaters and halogen spot lights to help the paint go off



At the moment it has epoxy 2 part primer that I'm wet sanding with 600 grit wet and dry.

Was going to go straight over that with colour...

 

I'd stay away from base an clear if your going white. It's a proper pain in the arse trying to see where you've laquered. I did my saph in standox 2K.

 

Good primer that

 

Didn't think of that!

I suppose if I did wet on wet with 2K and clear it would not notice too much if I missed a bit !

 

I'd do it just 2k direct gloss if doing frozen white as Niel says above is hard to see and keep clean and gloss will be more thicker and durable for the floor

And my best bit of advise would be if you've put all that effort in to prep is get a painter to paint it for you , no offence intended but no point in mucking it up at the final bit as am sure a painter in your area would put the paint on it for some beer tokens if all ready to go

 

don't wet sand always try dry sand, an base an clear is best finish, but I have done cars with 2k applie 2/3 coats of 2k let it go tacky then nice wet coat clear coat, I would use base an clear my self, am in middle painting car at the min paint cost me over 2k

 

I really want to try the underside myself, the top I will leave to a pro!

Did try dry sanding but with 600 grit it just clogged the paper instantly

Now I sand a bit and when finished fire up the fan heater and leave the halogens on to try and make sure all the water has gone from the seams.

The epoxy primer is non porous so there's no worries with micro blisters through absorbed moisture.

 

If your doing it yourself and you trying to learn as you go I would go for base/clear as you can inspect clean and tack off the first 2 coats till the wet coat, you will always have the problem with seeing what you have done with white as it just glares at you but if you take your time and do the 50% overlap from top to bottom you shouldn't need to worry about coverage

 

Dry flat with 320 or 400 use red scotch in the hard to get areas
Then 2k ici perfect for the job don't mess about with base and clear I hate painting white in base n clear but we do on most modern stuff due to blending in to next panel

 

Thanks for all the replies chaps.

Would the scratch marks from 400 grit not show through the top coat?

Last car I painted I did in cellulose and I don't have any experience with 2K stuff!

 

You'll be ok putting gloss on top of 400 grit

 

i find wet is a better finish than dry andy, if a old van i finish of with 600 dry and a straight gloss. but if its a clear coat i would finish of with 800 wet.

what you painting if paint cost 2k

thanks steven