I have read previous posts on here and other sites of which paints to use and the ease of finish and health risks of 2k v cellulose etc. But I'm still confused, so is there a definitive answer or even a third choice of paint to consider. I firstly want to paint my Renault Master van which am converting into a camper followed by my 1980 bare shell Mini project. I have only a basic workshop with an extractor fan, compressor and gravity feed gun, no sophisticated spray booth etc.

Get on the mig welding forum, lots of painting advice there.

But there are alternatives.
Basecoat and lacquer, "Truckcoat" synthetic (cheap and easy, but many disadvantages, ideal for old trucks/vans/plant etc) and of course, 2k isocyanate free.
Best do your research and get all confused.....

think about primers first though, there are some good 1k primers out there which are way better then celly. 2k even better if you get isocyanate free.

2K paints are dangerous, there's no confusion around them. If you want to risk it, then there are people that have used them no problem. There's also people who have suffered major respiratory issues with the smallest of sprays.

I was under the impression that cellulose paints are almost impossible to get hold of now, the last thing I saw was that you have to show that you'll be using them for a restoration or repair project. That might be complete rubbish though.

Water based paints seem to be the safest option. The finish isn't as good as 2K although it's better than it was. They also take an age to dry. That's what I would go for.

I have done spraying in a 'unsuitable place' before using 2k. Prep' is the most important part and I've used both celly and 2k primers(pref 2k). With a big van I have done it in stages, roof, 1 side, then the other, front, back. Time consuming, but does work.
You need to cover up, wear a mask etc. I even stuffed tissue paper up my nose, covered my face with tissue and wore a mask. Some wear goggles(I didn't). If you do it bit by bit make sure you get all your paint in one go as shades can vary.

As with most things you won't know till you try, the most important thing is to protect yourself.

And theres also wrapping ?
heaps safer, and cleaner

steve

I've sprayed two-part high-build primer before - the only safe way is with an air-fed mask, and then with a clean air path. Mine takes a T straight from the compressor before it goes through the oiler and regulator. Then the mask itself has a regulator and so does the gun. It's quite a faff. Also, I've got a pretty beefy compressor, and it's capable of powering the gun and mask, but not a lot more. The mask is at a higher pressure than atmosphereic, so nothing gets in, only clean air gets out.

Wrapping is a good solution as well, but prep is everything. A good friend of mine has a wrapping company and to get a good finish, you need to have the bodywork prepped almost to the same standards as a spray. However, there's very little that's dangerous about the prep, unless you're shoving the filler where the sun doesn't shine.

If you're on a budget, it's a good idea. All you need is time to prep, and a heat gun. My mask was over £200 just to be able to spray high-build. The other good thing is you can change colour, but don't need to inform the DVLA - it's not permanent.

I sprayed my Haynes in my garage with cellulose paint and it turned out pretty well! I got the paint from Jawel including the etch primer required to etch the aluminium and GRP:

http://www.jawel.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=122_125

I used a turbine sprayer instead of a compressor as I didn't have a compressor or the space to get one so I am sure you would get a better finish with a proper spray setup.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/earlex-hv5500-650w-hvlp-professional-paint-sprayer-220-240v/50944?kpid=50944&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-S ales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=Cj0KEQiA8orFBRCEpODivaOft_EBEiQAy3mlfWGZJB-aaqJDgGx3TSLPYSwexAowVLAsavGFZH04ydYaAp0V8P8HAQ

I tried vinyl wrapping prior to painting and this proved to be quite a pain to do so I gave up and taught myself to spray. The finish out of the gun left a little to be desired but with some sanding and polishing it looked very impressive.

[img]https://1drv.ms/i/s!Aq7gtcubEYMuh8xZ08m9BuyWFL8zMA[/img]

The process for me was as follows:

Prep the panels, sand them, fill them, sand them fill them sand them etc.
Use panel wipe to wipe the panels to clean any residue off
Use a tac cloth to remove any lint or dust
Spray 1 coat of etch primer
Spray 2 coats of high build primer
Spray 2 coats of colour paint
Sand, sand and sand to remove any orange peel
Polish

The major mistake I made initially was not mixing the etch primer properly, there was a lot of gunk at the bottom of the tin which requires about 10 minutes of mixing. Once this has been mixed it then gets mixed with the acid element to etch into the aluminium/GRP. As I hadn't mixed it properly I was effectively spraying acid onto my panels with a bit of colour added, this then ran off and then dried which required me to re-prep all of the panels I had sprayed!

I would recommend a well fitting mask and acid/vapour filter, this is the one I use:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/3m-6000-series-half-mask/8952G?kpid=8952G&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking% 20url&gclid=Cj0KEQiA8orFBRCEpODivaOft_EBEiQAy3mlfQj704WcR96Ty3seVd0BGP6F488q4QPXV400vTcGzyMaArRv8P8HAQ

https://www.cromwell.co.uk/shop/personal-protection-and-clothing/cartridge-filters/6057-abe1-gas-and-vapour-filters-(pk-2)/p/MMN9596057A?utm_campaign= pla+-+&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping-pla&utm_keyword=MMN9596057A&istCompanyId=6aa6787b-063e-4414-802d-129f235df603&istItem Id=aqrxqipmx&istBid=tztx

I would recommend buying antibloom thinner for mixing with paint if spraying in a cold humid garage otherwise the paint finish will be awful as condensation forms on the drying paint and buy cheap thinners for cleaning your gun.

Interesting thread this. Spraying is something I want to have a go at but have yet to summon up the courage.

Thanks for all the tips guys

I've done cellulose, 1K and 2K.

As said some have done 2K and been OK and some have not....even if you've done 2K once the second time may trigger a reaction....

Have a look here: http://www.autopaintsbrighton.com for some vintage car paints.....

On aside I watched a Boeing Stearman being painted last year with cellulose following a full restoration. Here is one of the planes: http://spiritinthesky.co.uk/aircraft/stearman-for-sale/

Cheers

Ian

[Edited on 14/2/17 by mackei23b]

[Edited on 14/2/17 by mackei23b]

Rollering is another option

http://wiki.club8090.co.uk/index.php/Bodywork_and_Glass_Roller_painting.h tml



[Edited on 14-2-2017 by Benzine]

Thanks everyone one for your very comprehensive replies, as Cliftyhanger says, I have done the research now I'm confused. But I think for the Mini I will construct a temporary plastic sheet booth close to the extractor and paint in cellulose to keep it original. With regards to the van and it's size it's more difficult, but as it's only a van, the suggestion by Benzine about roller paint looks exciting and I going to look in to doing by that method. Thanks for that Benzine and thanks again to everyone for their suggestions, as usual the members of the locostbuilders are the best.