Spray painting metal...hang or lay flat?

[BeckerFab]

Hey everyone,

How do you all spray your items? I always lay them down on cardboard and do 2 light coats, with a thicker 3rd with time in between to dry.

I paint in my garage and will run the exhaust fan for a while to help get all the crap in the air out. However, there are times that no matter how good I prep the steel (take blue painters tape and drag it along the top to capture all the dust, dirt, etc) I will still get some specs at times. The paint I use is Dupli Color metal cast, so its a translucent paint that SHOWS EVERYTHING.

Maybe I need to hang the metal and try painting it that way???

Any suggestions??

[SegoMan DeSigns]

If the paint booth is dusty its going to get on the paint either way it's positioned. Both ways has +/- 's. Try cleaning the floor and hanging plastic from the ceiling to make a mini paint booth or if the budget allows buy an inflatable pant booth.

[Scratch]

Hanging the work will help with dust, but you may have problems with runs then. You can section off an area with poly like SegoMan said. I used to do that when painting cars. I would also wet the floor to not kick up any dust. I use a lotof the Rustoleum Hammered line of spray paints, they have a little texture to them and hide a lot of imperfections and dust. I spray them laying flat. I'm looking forward to more paint dust tips in this thread.

[djreiswig]

I hang most of what I paint. I'm somewhat impatient and like to paint both sides at the same time. I just fog a tack coat on and let it dry for a few minutes and then put on a couple of heavier coats.
If you lay them down it will help with runs, but I think it makes a larger surface for dust and overspray to settle.

[BeckerFab]

Love all the feedback everyone. I have been laying them flat on the table and spraying them. The Duplicolor MetalCast paint seems real watery so when I hung and painted, I would always get a small run here and there.

I try and cut everything and grind them the day before painting. If I can't, I have an exhaust fan on the garage wall and I will let that suck out all of the dust/particles/crap in the air before I paint. I have had GREAT luck with this.

I wish I had the room to build a paint/clean room I also think I am way to critical of my work...been trying to not let it get to me as much. I'm trying to get 100% pro HVLP paint job quality out of my garage and with a spray can lol.

I will say that the Green Frog tape sucks! Always get bleed through and it leaves a nasty gooey edge line (Paint blocker). I have the best luck with regular blue painters tape.

[adbuch]

Hey everyone,

How do you all spray your items? I always lay them down on cardboard and do 2 light coats, with a thicker 3rd with time in between to dry.

I paint in my garage and will run the exhaust fan for a while to help get all the crap in the air out. However, there are times that no matter how good I prep the steel (take blue painters tape and drag it along the top to capture all the dust, dirt, etc) I will still get some specs at times. The paint I use is Dupli Color metal cast, so its a translucent paint that SHOWS EVERYTHING.

Maybe I need to hang the metal and try painting it that way???

Any suggestions??

I would recommend wiping off your parts with lacquer thinner/clean paper towels, then blowing off with air gun right before you paint. Go ahead and lay your parts flat on the cardboard with a few strips of thin wood (paint stir sticks) between the parts and the cardboard. Wear a spray paint respirator, and do not turn on your exhaust fan while you are spraying the paint - as that will pull dust/contaminates from your clothes as well as surrounding air onto the parts. You could also consider using a catalyzed paint sprayed from automotive detail spray gun - then you can sand off any dust nibs with super fine color sand paper (wet sand) and polish to remove any of the fine scratches. I would recommend 3M #2000 or finer color sand paper.
David

[PWCNC70]

i started using oil based rustoleum you find in your box stores, a cheap hvlp from HF.
mixed in proper ratio of reducer and a catalyst hardner for oil based paints (find mine on amazon) and also JAPAN DRIER if its hot and really humid.
of course clean everything properly first and I apply the rustoleum sanding fill primer first. sand to a 220 or 320 then spray.
1 quart can last forever almost with this method and the results the next day is a smooth pro sheen paint job. absolutly gorgeous..
i am also using a inflatable spray booth with the bulit in filters you find for sale on EBAY.
fairly cost effective set up with pro result

[TJS]

I use the same rustoleum with transtar superwet look harnder and gloss enhancer. I mix 8:2:1. Paint:Reducer:Hardner. Comes out great even with the cheapo HVLP guns.