UV clear “dry spray”

[EDP]

Hi all !

95 F350 super cab that had at one point a crappy cab visor on it, all that was left when I got it was roof holes that leaked into the cab. Long story short , welded , epoxy primed, filled, epoxyed again , base and clear.
All came out really pretty good considering hillbilly spray booth. Minor Problem area is mid roof which is hardest to reach and where I tilted my gun hand vs. spraying straight down, hence “dry spray” , slight surface roughness.

Wet sand 1000 and go up to 2500-3000 (have some trizac discs) then polish??

Also managed mid spray to blast a bee accidentally w/clear who was hovering around & his legs ended up in the UV, picked em out w/exacto knife then sprayed UV over it again think it’d melt out the mark in the clear - didnt work.

Sprayed w/medium activator 3 coats, temp was high 70’s - if I’d of used slow would it of melted together better?

Also, can you blend activators, slow w/Med, etc...?

Thanks!

 

[crashtech]

Take it easy on the polishing, even though there are 3 coats on there, if it was dry 3 times, that's not a lot. If you try to sand it flat, there won't be anything left.

Slow would have been good for that, imo. Takes time to get around a roof, and high 70's is fine for slow. Whether it would have made a difference, well, maybe?

Yes you can mix activators. Half normal and half slow would have worked fine, for example.

 

[AAE]

Adjusting your grip position on the gun helps a lot on hard to reach areas. It's hard to explain. Maybe someone can do a better job than me.

 

[crashtech]

I do let my palm slide off to the side a bit when out on the middle of something like that. It's a bit fatiguing on the thumb but you can get a bit more tilt that way.

 

['68 Coronet R/T]

All I use is slow activator and reducer.
In the cold weather I just give it longer to flash.

Having a good ladder helps when spraying the roof of a large vehicle. And like Crash said, sometimes you have to be a contortion artist to keep the tip perpendicular to the surface.

 

[Dean Jenkins]

All I use is slow activator and reducer.
In the cold weather I just give it longer to flash.

Having a good ladder helps when spraying the roof of a large vehicle. And like Crash said, sometimes you have to be a contortion artist to keep the tip perpendicular to the surface.

I only use slow as well. I like slow.
There was a video that @Chris_Hamilton posted a few weeks back of a top notch painter. He used a ladder with a hoop that you could lean your thighs against. I really liked that.
Also, for potentially difficult areas, I always do a "dry run" with the gun and hose and practice how I'm going to get good position, before I actually spray. Trying to figure it out with a loaded spray gun and all suited up is too stressful.

 

[AAE]

Long reach grip

 

[AAE]

Low area grip (rockers and such)

 

[RenewAP]

Hi all !

95 F350 super cab that had at one point a crappy cab visor on it, all that was left when I got it was roof holes that leaked into the cab. Long story short , welded , epoxy primed, filled, epoxyed again , base and clear.
All came out really pretty good considering hillbilly spray booth. Minor Problem area is mid roof which is hardest to reach and where I tilted my gun hand vs. spraying straight down, hence “dry spray” , slight surface roughness.

Wet sand 1000 and go up to 2500-3000 (have some trizac discs) then polish??

Also managed mid spray to blast a bee accidentally w/clear who was hovering around & his legs ended up in the UV, picked em out w/exacto knife then sprayed UV over it again think it’d melt out the mark in the clear - didnt work.

Sprayed w/medium activator 3 coats, temp was high 70’s - if I’d of used slow would it of melted together better?

Also, can you blend activators, slow w/Med, etc...?

Thanks!

My "trick" is to load about half the cup and start in the middle and come back to the outside. I seem to start slower as my arm is less fatigued, and as I get near the outside edge I am able to keep the speed and overlap consistent. Also I make a platform so I can safely get as high as possible. 2 55 G. barrels and some planks work well. Then quickly refill and do the other side. Also, run the hose over your shoulder so it can't touch anywhere being painted. I have no advice for Bees other then leaving them in the paint whole for the custom 3D effect.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

As a short SOB I struggle with this often. Having a good platform that will allow you to reach the center is key Truck like the OP 's I will pull the valve stems on the tires or sometimes pull the wheels altogether if I can do it without causing any damage to the vehicle.
If someone my size (5'6") can do it anyone else should be able to as well. Just requires planning before you start.
Technique I've settled on over the years is to start on one side work to the center, run around to the other side and pick up at the center working back to the edge.

 

[chevman]

Getting the right grip on the gun helps a lot with gun angle, but IMO that truck was too high to spray the roof from the ground, even for a guy 6' tall. When stretching that much its not possible to see how the paint is laying down.

 

[chevman]

This may help someone, just keep in mind he is using water.

 

[crashtech]

Getting the right grip on the gun helps a lot with gun angle, but IMO that truck was too high to spray the roof from the ground, even for a guy 6' tall. When stretching that much its not possible to see how the paint is laying down.

OP didn't say if he painted the roof standing on the ground, you'd have to be pretty tall to pull that off! I'm 5'9" and I can't see the roofs of most trucks even standing on my toes...

We have stepladders and 2x12s for these occasions.

 

[chevman]

You are so right crash. With the tent as it is, Chris' idea of pulling the wheels would have been a good thing.

 

['68 Coronet R/T]

Also, for potentially difficult areas, I always do a "dry run" with the gun and hose and practice how I'm going to get good position, before I actually spray. Trying to figure it out with a loaded spray gun and all suited up is too stressful.

Same here. This stuff costs too much to be dragging a hose through it, usually on the last coat.

 

[EDP]

All good advise, I realized if this wasnt a supercab it wouldn't be an issue, the truck had running boards & a bed box. I used 1- two step household ladder & 3 a step painters ladder & the running boards. I could lean in pretty good but it was just getting into the middle from the sides, I kneeled on the bed box & hooked my toes on the edge for a lean in.
Overall it came out pretty well cept for the bee's knee's & I can sand/buff out the rest, if I have to I'll spray another coat of clear.

I sprayed w/a LPH 400 and the large cup, I maybe shoulda switched the cup for a smaller one & I wondered if I'd of use the slow activator it'd of blended the "bee" spot easier...

Thanks for the feedback !

 

[Brad J.]

5% retarder in my UV does wonders in making me look like I know what I'm doing.

 

[EDP]

what is "retarder", is that a common product ?

 

[Brad J.]

SPI polyurethane retarder. I use it year round at 5%.

 

[EDP]

sounds like a good idea, does it have a shelf life? thats the problem with being a hobbiest, your products age before using them all up sometimes...

All the thoughts about gun angle, etc...are appreciated. When I was spraying it I realized its so much easier to get a slick coat on a side of something vs. from the top down especially being high up & having to reach to the middle. taking the air out of the tires would of been a good idea...

when I painted my old F250 it was a std cab so the roof was a breeze, hood was more of a stretch....