Painting...

[zeeprogrammer]

Seeing as I've not correctly made a single part yet...much less an engine...this may be premature...but I got interested while reading several postings...

Painting...

Would any of you care to give pointers on...

1) Any references, books, etc. that describes the process of painting...from preparation to...ah what's the term...finishing (wax, etc.).
2) What your process is (as above...preparation to finishing).
3) What materials you like (I've seen Testors, Floquil etc.) but not a lot about why.
4) Very important...the order of steps...machine then paint? paint then machine? (probably both).

I remember as a kid the need to wash plastic models before painting and using floorwax to protect the paint...I suspect (no, I'm sure) there are similar things to learn here.

Thanks.

Lastly...while I have yet to make a good part (according to my requirements)...I'm getting there. I spent the last few days tearing my machines down and putting them back together. This was in response to several very good suggestions and ideas from several of you. I think they are working better now. Tonight I made a part that I would be pretty happy about had I had better eyesight and grabbed the correct drill bit. I think it's recoverable though...and I don't mind the lessons I'm learning.

 

[Mainer]

I'm pretty much incompetent when it comes to painting, so I can't offer much.

One suggestion I've read about (but never done) is to prime the castings before machining, to seal them and keep oil from getting into the pores. This with an eye to making it easier to get all the oil off the castings when the time comes to do the actual finish painting.

Another thing is to use a few coats of sandable primer to build up and smooth the roughness of the castings before applying the final paint. The casting roughness is typically WAY over any "scale-size" roughness that the castings ought to have.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Ah but you have offered much...just not enough for the more impaired person (me).

Priming...of course...I'd forgotten...
I need to find out what 'priming' is.

Oil off? I'm thinking soap (Dawn) and water. No?

Sandable primer to build up and smooth castings...that sounds very interesting...but I'm kind of back to the original questions...what, how, why?

I hate to say this...as I'm guilty of it at work...I need more details...I know less than you might think.

Thanks.

 

[Tin Falcon]

ZP:
Painting is a large subject. Probly the easiest way is to got to the auto part store buy the spay cans.
basics of painting
sound part free of rust crust and scale.
degrease/clean simple green and water works pretty well Isoprople alcohol also works well.
Filler like bondo for large imperfections or a spay on for small holes this fills voids and smooths things out.
primerimer is a paint that adheres well to the material and the topcoat but does not necessary look good or withstand weather abrasion or do any of the good things a top coat does.
Paint generally applied in thin layers to prevent runs drips and errors.
I see here where some folks paint first then machine. I can see where here are advantages for fly wheels you paint before you get oil on the casting .it also avoids having to mask the part. Disadvantage you need to protect the paint from damage while machining.

At the risk of throwing the book at you try reading this. The air force painting manual probably more than you want to know.
As far as eye sight get in the habit of measuring drill bits do not asume the bit is in the correct hole of the index.
tin

 

[stevehuckss396]

Oil off? I'm thinking soap (Dawn) and water. No?

I just wash the castings off as good as i can with dish soap and then toss the castings in the dishwasher with a load of dishes. After the wash cycle, get them dry and primed asap.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Tin,
Thanks very much. Many times it's just getting confirmation on what one is thinking.

The drill bits were in the right location. But you're right...I'm trying to develop the habit of checking everything...all the time...everytime. I misread the bit...had I used the calipers I would have 'seen' it...well maybe...eyesight's getting bad...I can just as well misread the calipers. Maybe someone needs to come with a project with 'large print'.

Steve,
Thanks. It surprised me that I forgot about the dishwasher (she cooks, I clean...and it's worth it)...I've used it to clean the filter from the spa

But I'm lucky (sort of)...she's currently assigned to Belgium...I get to do what I want with the dishwasher. (Gads I miss her. But next week she's home for week. The only downside...no machining...but if you knew her....it's not that much of a downside!!! Woo woo. I can't do much nowadays...but the dreaming is fine.)

Thanks all. Pardon if I went too far. I haven't seen her since Feb and I want to show her what I've learned (amongst other things). 33+ plus years and I won't apologize to anyone for it.

 

[shred]

I used some of the Brownells gun finishes for my loco on the recommendation of a live steam friend that uses GunKote for his spectacular live steam geared locomotives, figuring that the abuse a pistol goes through is somewhat akin to a live steamer being played with I went with the Baking Lacquer which is ok, but a little more prone to chipping than I'd like. Supposedly the Kote is more resistant to such things.

Brownells provides a handy video guide to applying their finishes as well. Unfortunately the color selection is very limited and outside the US may be difficult to obtain.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/NewsletterArchive.aspx?x=v&p=0&t=1&i=731 Keep clicking the Next -> to get to the next segment

 

[pete]

If you don't mind spending about $40.00 U.S. Then buy Cris Vines book. "How(Not) to paint a locomotive", I'm not joking that's the title. It's avalible from Tee publishing in England. The very best book I've read on painting useing terms and explanations that anyone can understand. The problems Cris had while painting a locomotive were unreal but he persevered and won a gold medal for that locomotive in a model engineering show in England.
The book would be woth it at twice the price

 

[tel]

Chris hangs out here ...
http://modeleng.proboards.com/index.cgi

And you can order the book direct here...
http://modeleng.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=trade&action=display&thread=2023

It's well worth the read (and I"m the world's worst painter)

 

[Kermit]

I have some experience with priming and painting. Brushed and sprayed. Latex and oil. Wood and metal.

There is only one basic FACT that covers all painting jobs large and small. The job will NEVER be better than the prep work. To get a glassy smooth surface on wood takes days and days of priming and sanding. To get a glassy smooth surface on metal is almost the same but there is surface temperature and paint thickness to consider as well. These aren't quite as important with wood paints.

If you don't get it primed correctly, it may still look good but will be a very weak finish liable to chip or peel away.



Priming, prep, and MORE prep,
Kermit(who needs to finish painting his lathe bench as well)

 

[Tin Falcon]

I second Kermits comet on pep. the most important step. One trick I have learned though some colors do not look good or cover well on there own. Yellow and orange come to mind. a layer of white paint on top of the primer under the color helps the paint to cover and looks brighter.
Tin

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Yeah...I can see how an undercoat can help.

Do some people go so far as to apply washes too?
I used to do this with plastic models to make them appear more realistic.
But maybe that's more for static displays or mechanical art.

A clear coat might help protect paint but I have no experience when it comes to the effect of temperature (or very much else for that matter). Again, probably more meaningful (if at all) to static displays.

But first things first...I need something to paint...

 

[Kermit]

It all sounds like black magic but is mostly just based on physics.

the temperature part I mention is for things like motors/engines/barBQ's vs. things like fences and buildings. Due to expansion and contraction among other things a different paint is used in each case.

I too, must work more on building things, that I might also have something to paint besides a wooden bench. ;D

 

[fdew]

Thanks all. Pardon if I went too far. I haven't seen her since Feb and I want to show her what I've learned (amongst other things). 33+ plus years and I won't apologize to anyone for it.

Frank

That's great, Congratulations. 40 years here.
Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.