Did someone say Purple!?!?!? Honestly looks really good! So far you are doing it like I would have done it. You going to use an etching primer, followed by high build primer?

 

I normally use epoxy, and should not need surfacer - its pretty smooth and flat. Took a while to get the filler to go my way, but I have it ready to prime... will have to wait for the weekend to get back to it. Unfortunate to be that close and have to let it sit for days... :-/

 

Never used epoxy filler, what brand do you use?

 

Epoxy primer, PPG DP, or equivalent - not sure which brand I have left in the cabinet. I'm using polyester filler, evercoat brand. Haven't touched it all week, try to hit it this weekend.

 

As usual, I found a few imperfections that needed more poly.... got that done, and hit it with really old DP40 (gotta buy some new stuff and just throw that stuff out). It went on a little rough, so put more on thinking I'll just wet sand it smooth and go to color. This is going to get the same single stage urethane the other side did, and I'll blend it in right at the first body crease in the rear. Front won't matter, door and fender cover it.
If the weather holds out, I should have it white tomorrow.

 

What's your process out of curiosity? I do butt weld grind it flat, sealer, etching primer, high build primer sand smooth then base coat clear coat

 

For this rocker type job... similar, but grind the weld only with a cheap Harbor Freight doubled up cut off wheel, then roloc the weld area with a rough polish disc. Hand sand whole area with a 120 grit on a block, then poly filler over the imperfections. I can put the filler exactly where its needed, so I'm not sanding everything as I would have to with surfacer. Epoxy primer to seal the metal and filler, and to give it consistent base so my topcoat covers well. Then usually PPG Omni MTK or Shop Line single stage urethane, 3 coats because I'll want to color sand. Single stage because I'm outside, and less coats means less trash/bugs.

This process uses less products, I'm spraying less product so the overall time is faster, so its cheaper in the end. I usually do end up color sanding the single stage and you really cannot tell its not clear. And since that old can of epoxy went on with orange peel, I'll use some dish soap water and 320 to flatten it before spraying the topcoat.

I didn't color sand the rocker on the other side, it looked good enough to me. But the doors I painted got 1500 DA sanded.

 

example of color sanding single stage urethane...

 

Not bad at all. A little tip I learned when I sorted outside was hose down the ground. All the dust an everything will stick to the wet ground. Not bad on the process either! Keep up the good work

 

Hosing down the ground works well in the spray booth too. I wet 320 sanded (with dish soap water), followed with wax and grease remover. Its white now, I don't think I got any bugs struck in the finish - which is pretty strange, I always have bugs. I have to pull the tape in a few minutes, and get my gun cleaned out. Used a pretty old Sharpe Platinum 1.3 gun with 50 psi inlet - which supposedly results in 10 at the aircap. I have three of those guns, with different configs (1.3, 1.5, 1.7). There was some over spray in the air, but the paint atomized and flowed out very well. Hard to see orange peel right now, I'll give it a few hours and see what I have.