Unless you have no neighbors for miles and live by yourself you will need a booth.

Hopefully, no one here is trying to be critical, just watching out for others in our community.

Your research should have found something like this but here is an extract from a safety bulletin at the following URL. Also check the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for the brand of paint you are planning to use.

http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/assets/mines-safety-health/safety_bulletin74.pdf

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Cheers
Alec
1275LS - July 78 - XNFAD18Y/102918

I've used quite a bit of two pack and never had any problems at all. I've not had problems putting it over acrylic either. Sealing anything under it is the secret I think.

Al

Ok, in the nicest way gotta love how you can ask a question on this place some days and get 50 different conficting answers..


What Mr Frail and I have both said, (and what the doc said too) is correct. What 66S and other have said is true also.... so, if you've got a sec I'll elaborate...


Mr Frail and I, are both qualified spray painters (though I'm almost certain that by now he's probably done more time in the trade than I did)... When you go through the apprentice course at tafe you learn the correct, strick, hardline, anal way of doing things... We're taught to do things this way, because we will leave as professionals and experts, and as such, if we perform a job and it is less than perfect or doesn't out last the car, we've got explaining to do. So when we say "This is the correct way", we mean, "this is how you do it if its anything more than a bog 'n' flog or something you're going to sell in a year or two".

As Adamstuart correctly deduced from previous posts, the correct way, would be to strip the car back to bear metal and start from there using the 2k system every step of the way.

YES you can apply it over acrylic. 2k will stick to acrylic and will look fine,.,. BUT the day will come where it will crack up... how long that takes depends on..

-prep work
-where the car is stored
-average temps
-paint application

but unless you do it the correct way, it will not last as it was intended to.

The reason isn't to do with "thermal coefficient expansion" (though it does play a part) as much as it has to do with the fact that acrylic paint starts to become malleable at much lower tempretures (hence why you can paint a car in acrylic, polish it down to 2500 grit, compound it, hit it with swirl remover, wax the fanny out of it AND THEN 6month later after a few hot days, your once mirror like finish is starting to look a little orange pealy again).. The reason 2k cracks off the top over time is because it's harder, it doesn't suffer like acrylic does in heat and won't up to nearly 200 degrees.... (Mr Frail ) So on a hot day, you have a 50 mircon thick shell, thats hard, sitting on something soft.... the 2k needs a hard substrate or it will start cracking off with time.

Also, chemically the two paint systems aren't 100% compatible either.



So guys saying "I painted my car with 2k over acrylic 2 years ago and it looks fine", probably did and it probably does. But the correct time tested method that will last as designed is to start from bear metal

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So far none of this discussion has come close to answering the OP.... the poor guy stuck his hand up and said "Hey, I've given this some time and thought and I've bought safety equipment that I think is appropriate, can i get some pointers on spraying 2k"...

I do not approve of anyone spraying 2k outside of a spray booth. Which is why I just ignored this thread when I saw it pop up (and I think you PM'd me a while ago asking about 2k and I told you the same thing)... but, since you're probably going to do it regardless of anyone elses advice.....

-1.4mm fluid tip is a good size

-It's sags and runs a shite load faster than acrylic, so lighter coats are required and faster gun movement (practice on something else first and you'll see what I mean)

- I wouldn't have used spray putty if I was going to use primer filler as well,,,,, you're just applying two filler products... I don't use (and I don't think many shops do) spray putty because with primer filler, it does the same thing and you can spray straight over it (which you can't with spray putty)..... so thats epoxy primer, primer filler, DG (or metallic if you're using that then clear)

- The amount of hardener changes between brands, so call them for advice or see if its available on their website

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Body flex,

Yes mini's have a little but none compared to mokes and other bigger cars. I don't use a rotissrie for painting, I have a system of stands which keeps the car lower so you can reach more of it,,, and because of how these stands work, if there is any body flex, you will see it straight away once you start flipping it on its side....

Mini's are one of the stiffest cars I've had on these frames.

They don't flex enough for paint to crack off. Mokes on the other hand they flop around like a dick in a shirt sleeve when you start moving them around (hence why the welds on the rear of them often crack and why the bodies are never straight). I know we all like to talk about how flimsy our mini's are like its one of those "Yeah they're that pathetic but they're still that awesome" things,,, but trust me they're a lot stiffer than they seem... yeah you can make them stiffer again with rollcages etc.... but for a standard car, they don't flex that much. Torana's move around more.

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Ok, enough out of me I'm hungry and my dinner is going cold.. and I have an 1100 to build and scotch to drink and heavy machining to do... (yeees, in that order, scotch first.. machine later... in my gum boots... but make sure you use correct PPE when you paint yeah?

phat kat you are a star!!
As i stated before i am definetly not painting over acrylic.
Thanks for the advise re the spray putty. It seems to go on quite thick and be quite easy to sand - but i've only ever used acrylic primer filler, maybe the 2k stuff is a lot thicker?
Anyway i guess it didnt hurt to use it.

Unfortunately i have probably upset some people but at this stage i do intend to spray the 2k in my garage. I am aware of the risks, and that is is probably illegal (hell, so are a lot of things). I have spoken to many people who have done it, including spraypainters , and it has been fine and without incident.

Its very rare i paint a car, once per year max.

I must say from what i have read in other car forums, i never heard anyone discourage painting this stuff at home like the people here - i guess the mini community are a very responsible bunch!

responsible? I wasn't joking when I said I'm 3 scotches down and about to go do soem machining in my gum boots

Yeah look, if its just a a day out of each weekend over a few weeks yu'll be fine. It doesn't take long to build up enough of that crap in your system to start nocitcing it though. Micowen (spraypainter friend of mine who posts here sometimes) was saying when he started, he was just using normal respirator and after a few days he was feeling like crap. I've had it too. It feels like a bad hangover, your brains just not working and you can't think... after that you start getting flu like problems... not fun

Anyway... I don't like what you doing... but eh... you're going to do it anyway, so do a good job yeah? the painting I mean..,. not the poisoning yourself your family and neighbours

not trying to change the topic is epoxy primer bad to spray at home as well or just the 2k that goes on top of it? and can you spray acrylics over epoxy primer?

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77 mini sunshine: the slow build continues
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=70699

Epoxy not so bad, and yes you can (and I have) spray acrylic over it fine

Now a better question, would you recommend it for an at home paint job?

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77 mini sunshine: the slow build continues
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=70699

Are there any isocyanate free 2k systems that are any good for cars (as opposed to farm machinery or bridges)?

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

Just getting back to the off-track part of this thread....

I owned a leyland with 2 Pak paint for over 10 years it was my daily and I abused the hell out of it, it lived outside copping tasmanias frosts each winter and direct sun all summer I rarely washed it and flogged its guts out in dirt motorkhanas and track days, occasionally I would give it a wash and it always came up looking great it never cracked, shrunk, or peeled and as soon as I gave it a hand polish it looked as good as when it was first painted. I still see the car occasionally and it looks much the same as when I sold it nearly 10 years ago.
The point that I am making is that 2 Pak is incredibly durable and in the case of my car still looks good after nearly 20 years. If your 2 Pak has failed it will be a preparation or application issue and not the fault of the product.
I think that people often make the mistake of filling the gaps between the front guards and the scuttle if you do this any paint will crack, they were not filled when new so don't fill them now.
You could spend a few hours trawling YouTube, if you search custom spray mods they have some good clips.
Good luck with your respray.

123grosso, it is safer, but I still wouldn't recomend using it without proper gear and a booth.

Timbo, you can probably buy them now, but just as I was getting out of painting they were talking about introducing a waterbourne 2k system that was isocyanate free, but if I remember correctly (and it may have changed, they hadn't even released it yet the last time I was paying attention) it was only the colour that used the waterbourne system, you still had to use the normal 2k primer and clear coat

Yea, I'm pretty sure in AUS that is still the case. From memory they are having trouble getting the clears to hold up in our high UV climate. I think they have some in use in Europe. Where water base paint is Mandatory.
I retired from painting almost 1 year ago now because I was not happy to be around these chemicals on a daily basis anymore. The law says to paint 2pak u need a sealed booth ( that needs to flow enough to clear fumes) , full paint suit, gloves, and full fresh air fed mask. But the crazy thing is that many paint shops don't even comply with this.

The air fed mask is one of the biggest things IMO. The reason is, that your EYES absorb the stuff too, and alot of it.
I worked at a shop that painted the inside of some big baffled tanks. They needed to be epoxy primed inside to a certain film thickness to ensure the longevity of the tank. The painter that got the job went in thru the small manhole with all the gear. Paint suit ,gloves, air hood. But the normal type air hoods aren't designed for such a sealed confined space. When he came out after finishing, he was close to hallucinating from the fumes.. it wasn't pretty.

This is a very long winded answer, but i think it is important for people to understand what they are dealing with.

I am not a saint, i have done some shed jobs in my time. It is your choice, just make sure you are aware of the dangers and the risks before you start.

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Tim
Dusk Blue
1964 850

Gotta agree 100% this is the best thing to use when spraying 2K and im so glad i bought one as i found after spraying for prolonged periods using a filtered mask you will end up with a bit sneak through no matter how well you think that mask is sealed against your face.
I even bought an air fed face shield for doing my welding and i can weld all day and not get a sore throat from those rotten fumes.

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"Investing my Super in a Cooper" &
"Re-living my Surfing Past in a Woody"

Remember to put the air compressor feeding your mask some place where it won't just suck in all the nastys and feed them straight to your face

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You're so square
Baby I don't care

Im a painter, I paint all day every day 5 days a week.

What Phat kat and Mr Fail is totally correct, 2k is never compatible or recommended over acrylic. This and this alone is the cause of finish issues.

An air fed mask is beneficial (and enjoyable too I might add , like a/c for your head) but only if the air supply is correctly filtered which is big bucks, if it is not then you may as well wear nothing as straight compressor air will probably kill you quicker than the paint fumes.

I'm spraying waterborne base coat and it is an improvement health wise, but all base coats either water or solvent still require a solvent clear to cover it. There is premium low solvent clears but a home compressor won't support them.

A quality face mask with proper filters should be a minimum even for acrylic. Even then you should be aware you are risking yours and the health of others by painting outside an EPA approved setup, even with plain old acrylic.

Good luck with your project!