Has anybody got any tips for trying two pac for the first time? I want to give it a try and maybe save some bux,I have the compressor and spray gun and can lay a decent coat of acrylic but wanna try the good stuff?cheers thanks in advance Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Very quick run down, I think I will put this in more detail in a tech article as its a really good idea Firstly what size tip do you have on your gun? optimum for 2 pac is 1.3 - 1.6mm. There is two types of paint that go into the grouping of 2pack, First is 2k solid, these are your solid colours ie no pearls, dyes, metallics etc, these include whites, blacks reds etc.This paint has instant gloss off the gun and doesn't require cutting and buffing to get a gloss like acryllic. Ive found the greater majority of brands of paint have a mixing ratio of 2:1, that is 2 parts paint one part hardner.These also require approximately 5-10% 2 pack universal thinner. You can use multi or general purpose thinner as well but gloss retention is lost (not as shiney) 2nd is clear over base. This is metallics, pearls, candies (dies) harliquin etc as well as solid colours. It is commonly called basecoat.Base coat is really a glorified acrylic. It generally has a mixing ration of about 1:1 (1 part paint to 1 part thinner)(again 2k uni thinner)A clear coat is required to give it gloss. Base coat mixing ratio is generaly 1:1 or 1:1.5 (1 part paint to 1 or 1.5 parts thiiner (2 k uni) With clears there are many to chose from. These can vary in mixig ratios from 2:1,3:1 and even 4:1. (ratio of 2 parts clear to 1 part hardner + 5-10% thinner etc). There are 2 types of clears MS (medium solid) and HS (high solid) the difference is thickness of the coats (HS requires less coats to get the same build up of product) MS is by far the most commonly used clear, particularly by novices. There are several types of hardners 1.slow 2 standard 3.fast 4.extra fast these dictate how quickly the paint will dry.the faster the hardner the less gloss you will have. Hotter days require slower hardners as you will find the paint will leave dry spots etc from drying to fast (loss in workability of the paint) there is plenty Ive missed and i will try to do a proper write up some time this week not a quick effort like this at 1 am. If you have painting experience as you have said it is very easy to pick up painting 2 pack, don't be afraid of it have a bit of a play on some old panels first and you'll be surprised how easy it is dave

Thanks dude,appreciated.

thats a good little write up dave. i wouldn't mind starting to play around with 2 pac as well so anymore info would be greatly appreciated. you guys sell left over 2pac stuff dont you? cause that would be great for beginners just to play around with Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

It's all in the prep. seriously. If your prep feels/looks bad the final spray will be worse with the shine off the gun. So spend the extra time getting the car straight. If you have any mates in the panel trade flog their brain for tips/ideas. 2k is not good for your health, so consider a respirator. Good spray gun, correct air pressure, and mixing paint to manufactures specification will help get a desired result. Good luck.

No paint is good for your health darl First and foremost, if you cant block bog and primer, dont bother attempting a paint job. As Brendon said, the most important part is the preparation and you should spend 90% of your time doing it. Anyone can "paint" a car. Just remember to overlap your passes 50%/50% and you should be right. Dont make yr passes too quick. There's a fine line between a good coverage and a run imo and getting this point in every job is the challenge. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Quote: Originally Posted by aerovl It's all in the prep. seriously. If your prep feels/looks bad the final spray will be worse with the shine off the gun. So spend the extra time getting the car straight. If you have any mates in the panel trade flog their brain for tips/ideas. 2k is not good for your health, so consider a respirator. Good spray gun, correct air pressure, and mixing paint to manufactures specification will help get a desired result. Good luck. whats the correct air pressure??

Hey Jarred! Long time no hear mate. We should catch up one day. Anyway the correct air pressure will be on the tin of paint. Using a HVLP gravity fed gun, the pressure will be fairly low around ~450kpa. Every manufacturer might be slightly different. Like Above said, if you can't bog/sand and feel a straight panel don't attempt a spray job or it can come out looking worse.

I can imagine repairs on a 2pac paint job would involve a s**t load of drama as well. 450kpa ? what is that in psi?

yeah prep work is everything

good info here guys boyracer, what colour are you going, a metallic or a solid? if its a lsolid and you dont need to clear coat it then i dont think 2k is a bad option. the clear that is the most dangerous part of a 2k paint system. 1 bar is about 15 psi and 100 kpa is about a bar, so 450 kpa is about 65psi

I am going to do a calais mould set and a couple of spoilers in alpine white.

moulds are easy to paint, go 2k, just use a respirator. i have painted a few things before, mostly acrilyc, and i did some wheels in 2k, easier to use, just thinner so i got a few runs , though i had a 2mm tip so not the best, just practice a bit on something else and you will be fine. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Go buy urself some nice and nasty enamel. Find some old car panels like a bonnet and a Guard and paint them in enamel. And try to paint it to get a flat and not peely finish. WITHOUT running it. Enamel is an excelent way to practice spraying 2pak cause altho it sprays different it sprays alot closer to 2pak then acrylic does. And enamel is cheap so its a very very cheap lesson.

lol steve, ill try stop posting in paint threads ill let you give the right info straight up Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

^^^ This info should be made up into a proper format then made into a sticky, i'm sick of everytime I need to know something about paint it's another trip down to the paint shop. so what do you say FATPSI? you up for making it a proper sticky? It does seam like you know your stuff....

Quote: Originally Posted by vlthunter lol steve, ill try stop posting in paint threads ill let you give the right info straight up Who me ??? Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

the only problem with that is that there are so many diffrent, paints, ways to do things and diffrent problems that arise it would be almost inposable to cover it all, and thats just basics without pearls, candys and flakes, marbles ect, would be like a full size VL manuel....... then somone would try painting pearls would look like SH#T and then it would be FATPSI,s fault lol you know its your falt dave!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by rununxt the only problem with that is that there are so many diffrent, paints, ways to do things and diffrent problems that arise it would be almost inposable to cover it all, and thats just basics without pearls, candys and flakes, marbles ect, would be like a full size VL manuel....... then somone would try painting pearls would look like SH#T and then it would be FATPSI,s fault lol you know its your falt dave!!! did you just nominate yourself to give a basic rundown on hints and tips dave it would be greatly appreciated if you did Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

lol nice one lowbst, like you said man you are more than welcome to come over my place oneday when ive got a job on, a picture is worth 1000 words, hey did i just have an idea! UMMM YEAH i think i did