Paint and body newb

[SILV]

Im getting ready to start body working my truck (82 c10). I need to strip all the paint. Its in pretty rough shape.

I know i need to get it in primer asap after its down to bare metal and i know i can use an epoxy primer or etching primer.

But what i dont know is the steps after that. There is a few dents (mainly bed) and a couple of rust holes(on bed behind tires, and pass door seal area). Do i work those out before or can i do it after applying the epoxy/etching primer?

I do aluminum wheel repairs so i have some experience in this sort of thing. I just have never dealt with working with 34 year old paint much less on a vehicle.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Blazin]

I always do my body work first, dents, replacing rusted metal. While doing this I strip paint a ways away from the repair. Then strip the paint if need be.

[1967KaiserM715]

I agree, do the body work, then strip the paint. If you need to remove paint(for rust repair) just remove enough to to fix the area, then a coat of cheap paint to keep it from flash rusting.


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[Blazin]

Cover your repairs with primer.

[winky]

how quickly do you plan on doing repairs to the truck? are you going for a pretty decent job? or just a first time i got most of the dents fixed job.
reason i ask is because if your serious enough to strip all the paint to bare metal sounds like your diving all in.
 i like etching primer for spot repairs. If using etching primer you are suppose to do your mud work direct to metal and prime over etc...
epoxy you can do mud work on top of, this is why i chose epoxy when doing an entire vehicle,bed, or large panel. This allows you to prime it, put some guide coat on, and then block it with 400 grit do find all your little dents and dings you would never notice until that nice fresh paint showed them off. YOu can then go back and do mud work on those spots and re prime if needed. Also 75% of the time there will be shady or hidden damage/body work under the paint. stripping it all to begin with allows you to do one panel at a time, starting from one end and working to the other. This helps prevent missed dents.

[Macaroni_Sackaroni]

Im getting ready to start body working my truck (82 c10). I need to strip all the paint. Its in pretty rough shape.

if you're looking for a quick way to get paint off down to the bare metal, id suggest using air craft paint remover
and a paint brush. then wash off the paint then use a small orbital sander to sand off the small left overs.
you can get that stuff at oriellys or autozone. as for the dents if your planning on using bondo/fillers, MANY professionals say your always suppose to put bondo/filler on bare metal.

aircraft paint remover ->  http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/140980899714?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

Im getting ready to start body working my truck (82 c10). I need to strip all the paint. Its in pretty rough shape.

I know i need to get it in primer asap after its down to bare metal and i know i can use an epoxy primer or etching primer.
Thanks

if your worried about bare metal being exposed then do this in sections (for example, the front half of the car and then the back half) also if you got rust just sand that off and spray it with some rustoleum

as for primer if you dont have a air gun id recommend using dupont 2k primer. it looks like this stuff right here and comes in different types
spray can primer ->   http://www.ebay.com/itm/Spray-Max-2K-Epoxy-Rust-cure-primer-3680032-/140896649393
i bought a few cans from my local autobody supply store and used about 3-4 cans to spray a whole car with this stuff and it turned out great.

[AZ4X4SQBDY]

It's real easy to over spend when trying to do your own body and paint work. By the time you buy all the products you need in the quantities they sell them in you often have 30-40% of the expense sitting under the work bench once your finished. It's sometime only a little more expensive to pay somebody to do it once you factor in the materials and your time.

With that said, typically etching primer is for bare metal adhesion properties, the new paint is really going to stick to the metal. It has an acid in it that etches the metal. Epoxy primer is a coating when you want to seal the metal or old paint or previous body work from your top coats. They have two totally different purposes. Make sure you use proper personal protective equipment when using either of these products, they are nasty.

A way to save money on the paint job and get a nicer job is to do the disassembly yourself and then take it to the body shop. When there are numerous layers of paint or it's just bad, stripping the paint is necessary. I've used chemical strippers in the past but between the fumes, mess and expense, anymore I just use a electric variable speed DA connected to a vacuum cleaner. 95% of the mess is vacuumed away so it isn't everywhere in my garage and house. Also my electric bill isn't through the roof from running the compressor for hours on end. You really don't have to remove every last bit of paint, the best primer is the one the factory played down first. Harbor Freight sells an inexpensive stud welding gun that makes quick work of dents and shrinking metal. I purchase etching primer in spray cans, dust my bare metal spots and take the truck to the body shop and let them to the rest.

[haroldwca]

What it comes down to is the question of why you are doing your own paint?  Do you really want to learn how to paint, or it is just a financial consideration ? 

If you want to save money, you can do that by doing the body work yourself, and then handing it off to a body shop to shoot the paint and finish it.  It will help if you can do the wet-sanding and buffing yourself.  If so, then all you need is someone to spray the paint on the vehicle.  Many of the budget oriented shops can do this.  Remember: once the paint is sprayed, the work is only about 2/3 done.  Stop there, and you will have the paint job that these places are known for.  If you will take some time to wet-sand and buff, you can turn a 5/10 paint job into an 8/10.  And a good buffer can be had for about $125.  Don't bother with a $45 buffer from a discount place.  This is one tool that you want to buy for the long term.

If you are really interested to learn how to paint (as I was about three years ago), then learn all you can first.  Search online to learn where step one is (that would be "What materials go into a good paint job?").  Go to a body shop supply store and ask a few questions about primer and color.  If they don't seem to want to talk, find a shop that does.  Then, be loyal and buy your material from them.  Collect all of the equipment you will need:  good size compressor, a couple of spray guns, sufficient hose, etc.  Figure out where you can do this type of work without contamination in your paint or ruining the inside of your garage.  Then invest in some basic products: primer sealer & activator, paint, catalyst, and reducer, Tyvek suit, respirator, and disposable gloves.  Don't forget good cleaning solution to clean your equipment.  Download the material sheets from the manufacturer, if the paint store did not provide it.  These will give you the mix ratios.  (If you are no good at math, call a friend who is.  You can ruin a lot of money's worth of material if you don't mix paint, activator, and reducer correctly.)  At this point you will be into the project for about $1500 - $3000, if you didn't already own a good compressor.  However, once you buy everything to get started, you never will have to buy it all again at the same time.