| Author |
Message |
demo four
Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2011
Posts: 46
Location: the garage
|
 Posted: Fri May 19, 2023 11:38 am Post subject: Advice on prepping bus for paint |
 |
|
I am reading through as much information as possible, but would like some advice.
The bus has currently just had primer blown over after all the metal work was done at a shop to stop it rusting after it was blasted and welded up.
I have to strip back to bear metal and start the prep before primer and paint.
What is the best way to approach this, as I will be working evenings and weekends on the bus when I can.
What grit should I use to get back to bear metal, as there is minimal paint.
Filler, then goes on bare metal, before primer. What is the best primer to use in this case?
Thanks guys, I will continue reading up, but want to get this process started and get some stuff ordered the weekend so I can get started. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
VintageVulture
Samba Member
Joined: May 25, 2003
Posts: 789
Location: Pacific Northwest- USA
|
| Posted: Sat May 20, 2023 7:28 pm Post subject: Re: Advice on prepping bus for paint |
|
|
Can you tell us what kind of primer it is? Brand, type, etc
_________________
The best things in life aren't Things
(they're Buses) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Pottsalot
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2020
Posts: 18
Location: North Myrtle beach
|
| Posted: Mon May 22, 2023 7:13 pm Post subject: Re: Advice on prepping bus for paint |
|
|
Since it is already primered, hopefully they used epoxy primer if it was a decent body shop. Next stage, make sure the primer is smooth, DA sand with 220 grit, careful on the edges and corners. Now is the time to bondo/hammer dolly high/low spots. The bus looks pretty straight from the picture.wipe down with wax and grease remover, wipe down with a tack cloth, spray 3 coats of top quality 2k primer, buy a block sanding kit and block sand 220/240 grit until your shoulders can’t move. Spray another round of 2k primer if needed. Powder guide coat the whole bus, block sand more. Fix low spots. Sand whole bus with 320 grit. Then you are onto sealer. Spray 2 coats of sealer primer then wet sand with 400 grit. Quick summary of the process. Do 1 panel at a time. Have fun…. If you are working weekends, it should be ready for the paint shop by the winter.
Www.Eastwood.com is a good source |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
esde
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2007
Posts: 5969
Location: central rust belt
|
| Posted: Mon May 22, 2023 7:35 pm Post subject: Re: Advice on prepping bus for paint |
|
|
| VintageVulture wrote: |
| Can you tell us what kind of primer it is? Brand, type, etc |
Thats the million dollar question.
Epoxy is usually grey or black. Green is often self etch, which some paints won't like as a base coat. Something about the amount of residual acid.
I would call the people that sprayed it, and get the manufacturers name of the primer. Maybe it can be topcoated with something, but you need to find out what. Otherwise, yeah, take it off. But damned that's a lot of extra work.
_________________
modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
94touring
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2020
Posts: 313
Location: Oklahoma - OK
|
| Posted: Tue May 23, 2023 5:18 am Post subject: Re: Advice on prepping bus for paint |
|
|
| The best way to have that removed is taking it to the blasters. This is assuming it must be removed. If the adhesive qualities are good, scuff, epoxy primer followed immediately with filler primer and block. A couple ways to test adhesion on that green stuff is get something strong like black gorilla tape, let it set up, and see if it pulls any off. Or if you have a high PSI power washer handy, try seeing if it lifts being sprayed close up. Buy yourself a quality inline sander for all the flat panels on a bus to save time and your arms when it's time to block sand. I block body filler with 80 grit usually to save time, filler primer typically start with a 120-240, then when things are straight go 320 on a urethane primer and lastly a 600 grit before paint is sprayed. Clearcoat I'll color sand, assuming you layed it out good with minimal orange peel, 2000 grit and then 3000 grit before buffing with a variety of compounds. If it's got excessive orange peel start with 1500 grit. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
demo four
Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2011
Posts: 46
Location: the garage
|
| Posted: Tue May 23, 2023 11:18 am Post subject: Re: Advice on prepping bus for paint |
|
|
| esde wrote: |
| VintageVulture wrote: |
| Can you tell us what kind of primer it is? Brand, type, etc |
Thats the million dollar question.
Epoxy is usually grey or black. Green is often self etch, which some paints won't like as a base coat. Something about the amount of residual acid.
I would call the people that sprayed it, and get the manufacturers name of the primer. Maybe it can be topcoated with something, but you need to find out what. Otherwise, yeah, take it off. But damned that's a lot of extra work. |
This is what is on the bus currently, this was used for the underneath before Raptor coating up, hence why it is green.
There was some left over, so the bus was given a light coat to stop surface rust on the bare metal.
The bodywork guy said to take it to bare metal and that it would not be a big job as it is a quick once over on the outside. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
demo four
Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2011
Posts: 46
Location: the garage
|
| Posted: Tue May 23, 2023 11:24 am Post subject: Re: Advice on prepping bus for paint |
|
|
| Pottsalot wrote: |
Since it is already primered, hopefully they used epoxy primer if it was a decent body shop.
Next stage, make sure the primer is smooth, DA sand with 220 grit, careful on the edges and corners.
Now is the time to bondo/hammer dolly high/low spots.
The bus looks pretty straight from the picture. Wipe down with wax and grease remover, wipe down with a tack cloth, spray 3 coats of top quality 2k primer
buy a block sanding kit and block sand 220/240 grit until your shoulders can’t move.
Spray another round of 2k primer if needed. Powder guide coat the whole bus, block sand more. Fix low spots. Sand whole bus with 320 grit.
Then you are onto sealer. Spray 2 coats of sealer primer then wet sand with 400 grit. Quick summary of the process.
Do 1 panel at a time. Have fun…. If you are working weekends, it should be ready for the paint shop by the winter.
Www.Eastwood.com is a good source |
Thanks for the reply, the outside is quite rough in places as it was just sprayed over in the workshop and I guess that there is dust and crud kicked up, also sand from when it was blasted, I spent a whole morning getting rid of that stuff, from inside the bus!
I have a compressor and DA so will follow your advice as that is pretty much what I have collected on the forum and on google for the process.
Last edited by demo four on Tue May 23, 2023 11:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
demo four
Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2011
Posts: 46
Location: the garage
|
| Posted: Tue May 23, 2023 11:28 am Post subject: Re: Advice on prepping bus for paint |
|
|
| 94touring wrote: |
The best way to have that removed is taking it to the blasters. This is assuming it must be removed.
If the adhesive qualities are good, scuff, epoxy primer followed immediately with filler primer and block. A couple ways to test adhesion on that green stuff is get something strong like black gorilla tape, let it set up, and see if it pulls any off. Or if you have a high PSI power washer handy, try seeing if it lifts being sprayed close up.
Buy yourself a quality inline sander for all the flat panels on a bus to save time and your arms when it's time to block sand. I block body filler with 80 grit usually to save time, filler primer typically start with a 120-240, then when things are straight go 320 on a urethane primer and lastly a 600 grit before paint is sprayed.
Clearcoat I'll color sand, assuming you layed it out good with minimal orange peel, 2000 grit and then 3000 grit before buffing with a variety of compounds. If it's got excessive orange peel start with 1500 grit. |
Thanks for the info, there are some rust spots in places coming though where surface rust was not covered, and the roof had sunburnt and rust still on so I was advised to take that back to bare metal first then do the rest.
Whilst I want to crack on, I think it is better to put the hard work in now and take it all off, then regret it down the line and have loads more to take off and to start again! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
