U.P. Z

Looks good, I like the color!

Glass beads are different than silica sand and are typically used in blast cabinets. They will last much longer but also cost much more. Not something you would spray out of a portable blaster. http://www.kramerindustriesonline.com/blasting-media/glass-beads.htm

Yeah, that's pretty sweet. I wonder if he has a hood with scoop for it. I think it would look better with it on.

I've got a trailer I need to paint. I might give it a try for that and see how it works.

Now that is a sweet idea!!

Off Topic! http://www.irfanview.com/ This is a great little free program for picture editing. Download and then go to image, resize and then enter a new picture size. Say Your picture is 1280 by 960, you can just enter 640 and the next # will automatically adjust keeping the aspect ratio correct. Make them any size you want. Sorry if this post is out of place.

I used silica sand to do the underside, inside, engine bay, basically everything except the outer body panels. It's cheap and cuts well but you wouldn't want to use it on the body panels or you will warp them if. I've never used walnut shells or soda so I can't speak about that. I just DA'd the paint off the exterior and blasted some parts like the rear hatch(except for the lower flat section), cowl, headlight buckets and lower corners. I use slag(blackjack) in my blast cabinet and it works very well too. Whatever you use, if you're doing the whole car expect to go through alot of media. And I would size the tip and material according to the air that you have available. The tips are going to wear and get bigger as you go so it doesn't hurt to start with like a 1/8" tip. You'll use alot less air, the only problem is they will plug up more often as a larger chunk come through the line.

Didn't see the shipping price. Maybe try some local industrial supply shops. I've seen them under $100 and no shipping. I think there's a pic of mine on the front page of my site. I can't even remember what I paid it's been so long but for $200 you might get something like it. the nice thing is the top is inverted so you just dump the sand into it without a funnel and then there's a plug that pulls up and seals with air pressure.

That should work just fine. You definately want a pressurized blaster, just make sure you have enough air to run it. A smaller tip helps reduce air usage and then use the finer grade sand. And moister is an enemy to sandblasting so be sure to have a good moisture trap. You might find you can only do so much at one time before your compressor gets hot and starts pumping out alot of moisture. Once water gets in the blaster tank it clogs up the sand. And make sure you wear a respirator, you don't want silicosis!

I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with the results. Great way to go for the guy on a budget that wants to paint his car in his own garage.

When I saw the title "boat Paint", I was expecting a huge metal flake job! Hope you post some pics.

How about a hot spark in the ear when welding upside down under a car?! Ouch!!!! I started wearing earplugs whenever I'm welding in a strange position. Last week I got a hot chunk in my nose, can't figure out how that happened but damn, it was painful!

So are you going to stain and varnish it? LOL. Seriously, it looks cool, also like the custom plate.

I went back and read their site. You're right that it can be applied over bare metal and even directly over rust, as long as it's not loose. I think part of their claim is that it's alot safer to use than epoxy primers. Old habits die hard for me I guess. I would have a hard time covering rust with any type of topcoat on a car I intend to keep. So for me it's taken to bare metal, treated, epoxy primed and then topcoated with the material of choice depending on which part of the car. Just a proven method but of course more labor and materials and the danger of spraying more caustic chemicals. To freshen up the underside of a driver I think it's a good way to go as long as you're applying it over a solid surface.

Looks good! What's that in the bay next to it with the cragars?

That's a great site with very many knowledgeable and helpful people. I've been a member for many years and have learned alot there as well as bought alot of equipment from their store. They just recently upgraded their forum so it looks new and I'm not sure if the old forum is archived. Good guys there!

Zero Rust is a good product, I've used it many times. It takes awhile for it to fully cure as it is not a catalized product, but it is lightyears better than the ashpalt based spray products. One other option is the bedliner products but I have little experience with them. I still like to prepare to bare metal, treat with Pickle-X, epoxy prime and then Zero Rust. My current project is all painted underneath with no undercoating but it takes alot of prep to go that route and make it last. I think you're doing just fine. Thanks for the compliments, btw.

VERY COOL! Happy Grinding

Alot of good suggestions here. One thing that I would mention is to treat the bare metal with a rust converter. I like Pickle-X, it will kill any rust and prevent it from returning. Maybe the ZR powder does that, they didn't have that last time I used ZR. Here's a link where I get ZR and other body work stuff from http://autobodystore.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=6RCC

The nice thing about base/clear coat is first, the base is real easy to spray. The clear is a little trickier and can run and sag but the good thing is you can block and buff it out and make it look good even if you goober it up. If you mess up a single stage metallic you're screwed and will end up sanding and respraying. Either way, you're paint job is only as good as the prep beneath it.

Like this. just put the bumper mounts inside the car, they will bolt in from the top if you swap sides.

Sounds like you like red.

I would agree with you about single stage as long as it's a solid color. If it's a metallic then I think you're better off with bc/cc. Base coat is so easy to spray and touch up, if you get something in it you can usually pick it off and shoot the panel or even the spot. Plus it dries so quick nothing seems to get in the basecoat, at least for me but I'm no pro. But for solid colors, you gotta love a blocked and buffed single stage. Nothing looks better.

Same thing happened to me yesterday and I did the same as you. Drilled it out and tapped it. Easy out would not take it out. Finished cleaning the head only to find 2 cracks. Damn!

Winning bid $1.00, somebody got a deal!!