A Question of Paint.

I am spraying some components and forks a lurid purpleish pink colour using rattle tins. I remember the basics about preparation (that took ages) and to use multiple thin coats and I used 1200 grade to flat back after each primer. I have now put on some top coat which has had over night to go off.
What now? Do I flat again and then put on another layer of colour and then lacqure? Can you flat and lacqure or does the lacqure have to go on to an unflatted surface?

So far it looks OK and if I can do it today I will be able to turn the kitchen into a spray booth as long as I can clear it before the wife gets home!

Not an expert, but I would flatten lightly, give it another top coat and then lacquer on top of shiny finish, tidy up, order a nice chinese, open a bottle of wine, light some candles (to get rid of the paint smell) and you will have had a good day

South Bound":3mgt0yio said:

Not an expert, but I would flatten lightly, give it another top coat and then lacquer on top of shiny finish, tidy up, order a nice chinese, open a bottle of wine, light some candles (to get rid of the paint smell) and you will have had a good day

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Cheers, sounds like I thought. I think tonight, we will mainly be eating something with aromatic spices!

Leaving half a raw onion in the room also gets the smell away. My father in law was a painter and always does it. You don't even smell the onion.

Please don't ask me why it works...just does!

Your best bet is to give it a few coats about 30 min apart to get them solid and leave overnight. Next day lightly flat out any imperfections (paint will still be soft enough for the next coat to bind to so don't worry about adhesion) and give then two more dryish coats of colour 5 mins apart then straight on with the laquer, first coat dryish to get the grip followed by 2 good coats. the second coat is the important one- be brave, really work it and watch how it goes on- it needs to look glossy and smooth but don't get it running! Leave them for twenty minutes and have a look- looking good? then leave them. Looking dry? give them more laquer. Leave another 20 mins and have another look. they should be touch dry now so set the oven to 80 def and let it get up to temp then switch it off and pop your parts in for an hour ( helps if the missis is out at this point*)
Bobs yer uncle- they should look the mutts nuts!

* last year I did this and spent so long covering up my activities and the smell of paint that I forgot to take the Alfa Romeo sump and timing chain cover out of the dish washer . Boy they came up clean!

Si