Ive got some shoddy fibreglass stuff that I want to paint/have painted

shall i pay someone else or have a go myself

I have a big garage and can do whatever setup is necessary?
Ive never had a go before

as long as it looks a nice gloss black ill be happy?

mate, trust me, you cant get a better finnish than a pro job. Thats why mine will be painted at work

Be a hero & have a go yourself. I'm interested in home spraying myself & I found a lot of good info on this Citroen restoration page.
{link}

ok ill have a read ta chris

sounds like dedicated work

I thought painting gloss was easy

I'm having a go myself. So i'll be letting you all know how I get on / swearing / ranting etc

Just be sure to do lots of sanding to make the surface perfect. Remember, the darker the colour, and the glossier it is, the more that even the slightest imperfections show. Gloss black is the hardest of all....

Having had mixed success in the past I had a go with 2k and surprised myself with my outstanding natural talent.....sort of!

I thought it was worth a shot so bought a cheap compressor and gun and the results are fine - Its not as good as my tin tops paintwork but its better thatn some allegedly 'professional' repairs Ive had done to cars in the past.

I think you just have to be patient - thats why Im a bit crap at it - I just cant resist fitting half dried panels to see what they'll look like!

2k is definately the way forward I reckon - think I paid £20 a litre for colour then about the same for clearcoat.

Factor in a little bit extra for activator and thinners and stuff

Give it a goI did, used celulose cost £54 for everything that i needed ie litre of paint, litre of high build primer,5 litres of thinners, p600 wet'n'dry,p1500 wet'n'dry,mixing cups ..etc
I wasn't happywith the results the first time round,so flatted back and done it again,didn't have to buy anything else so thought why not?
polishes up lovely

Painted mine in my gararge myself

Just bear in mind that 2K is isocyanate based. In short, it ills you if you breath in enough of it.
It is also very bad for your eyes.

Cellulose is not as bad for you but have a look where the overspray lands and think what it is doing to your lungs.

I was a painter for many years and learned the hard way. I now run a facility with a large paintshop and ensure my guys take H&S very seriously.

Paint spraying is not hard, the preparation is more important to get a good job. If you want to have a go then make sure you have a well ventilated area and at least an activated charcoal mask. Overlap each gun stroke by half with nice steady strokes. Do not arc and make sure you get enough paint on to flow without running.

If all else fails you can buy a polishing mop and some wet,n dry for less than you will pay to get it done properly.

Also remember that cellulose paint is going to become rather difficult to get hold off soon..... ("classic car" restoration only). So if you're going to go that way rather than 2 pack you might want to buy it sooner rather than later!!!!

2K with built in gloss, got 5 litres from Ebay for £50, must have got at least 4litres left, sprayed outside and got a decent finish.

Much easier stuff than Cellulose as you can load the area without it running so it made my efforts look good.

As above high build primer, flat back then shoot on the top coat.

Regards Mark

[Edited on 17/3/07 by mark chandler]

If you sprayed it outside, you had better tell all your neigbours not to eat any home grown vegetables this year. Folk don't realise how lethal this stuff is.

zxrlocost
where about r u in the west mids im in coventry and got a spray booth where i spray my kitchen doors.....

How often do you decorate?
If you just want it black and shiny use cellulose and get some high flash thinners. Give it a few coats and leave it a couple of weeks then cut it and polish it or you could lacquer it and cut the lacquer to get it shiny.

lol Peteff
i make kitchens in coventry