How do you keep all dust and dirt out of the clear coat when you spray. You can clean and clean but when you start spraying clear coat dust and dirt show up in the clear when it dry. I did not have any problem spraying the car with the paint, but the clear coat always picks up dirt. Why does the paint do so good but not the clear coat. The car was "tacked" down twice before spraying any coats of paint or clear coat.
How to keep the clear coat spraying CLEAR?
Keith Cooper
cam1@iag.net

most of the time dirt in paint is coming from the car, so one thing I do is to go over the car with compressed air to make sure there is no hidden dirt before spraying. What are the conditions around the car you are painting?

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Dave (NY)
70 chevelle ss396 conv
66 chevelle ss396 hdp/conv
72 chevelle
55 chevy prostreet
69/71 camaros
61 impala bubbletop
TC member #493

If theres dirt in your clear then theres dirt in your base as well. your just not seeing it. Are your straining the paint? Could also be your shop conditions. If it's not clean it'll end up in the paint. Are you completely tearing your gun down between each paint? Is the body clean inside the crevices? Are you blowing too much air in a dusty shop. Salamander heaters are bad about this. Especially since there right down there on the floor.. Just some things to think about. RandyB I'm in the process of painting a 70 blue pearl with white stripes for a buddy.

have you tried wetting the floor down under and all around the car before you spray. when i paint i wet down everything including the walls, floor and anything else that wont be damaged be wetting down. be careful not to get the car wet while doing this.

Something to check for could be (Static Electicity).Is the car grounded well? When you tack the car off could be causing it. Check your local auto paint supply for anti-static additive, you add to thinner and dust a light coat on the car,let dry, before you clear. Works great!

Also, wash the car REAL GOOD under the wheel wells and undercarrage. Get a spray suit, they have cheap throw aways. If your environment is clean, it has to be coming off the car.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

Another cool trick I use is taking a chain and strapping it to the body and laying the other end on the floor for static build up.

Here's a trick I learned from an OLD timer. Only he was using enamel and laquer. And wiped the cars down with GASOLINE! He was the premier painter in a 50 mile radius too! I've altered his methods a little. Here it is: When you spray your 1st coat of base, spray all of the cracks, seams, masking edges and anywhere dirt can hide, with about 60 PSI and alot of reducer (over-reduce 100%) Be carefull not to load up the outer surface with base. If you do get a few spots, wipe it down with base reducer right away. In fact, carry a saturated rag with you. This traps the dirt. Of course this is done after washing and blowing down THOROUGHLY! 90% of dirt comes from the car. Do you have filtered air supply? You should. Also, when you wipe down the car with a tack rag, do the whole car, masking and all.

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Triple Black 69 SS 396

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, you are playing "junior chemist". DON'T EVER USE GAS!!! that out of the way. When you over reduce the base you are starting your paint job with a solvent soaked problem. First of all the reducer in most base coat systems like DuPont, PPG, Martin-Senour has resin in it, it is not just a reducer. So adding the extra resin (and wax I might add) is setting you up for failure.
There are many "field modifications" that work, but when you mess with the chemistry too much, things can blow up in your face.

The idea of painting all the edges and cracks is a good one, in fact that usually seperates the good painters from the bad. Start all paint jobs by goint around the edges on each panel as you come to it.
Don't change the chemistry that the manufaturer spent millions of dollars developing. Mix exactly acording to the manufacturers instructions and you will have a better end product.

There are products that you can spray on the car before you paint that will stop static, there are products that you spray on the floor "Dust free" M-S #387, there is "booth gaurd" # 385 that you spray on the walls of the booth to attract and cling dust. But use the product in a way it was not intended.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

MARTIN, MARTIN, MARTIN! If you read my post again, please notice that I said I altered HIS methods and to use base reducer for the wipedown. I don't use Gasoline! Well, not since 1978 anyway.

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Triple Black 69 SS 396

[This message has been edited by Jimmy P (edited 01-16-2001).]

Jimmy LOL http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif I under stand, I just wanted it to be made REAL CLEAR don't use gas..EVER. But you shouldn't be using the base reducer either. Depending on the brand, it most likly contains resin and wax. Like Dupont basemaker for instance it's a urethane reducer with 150 mixing clear in it.

There are many products on the market that do the job you are refering to. They go by many names like "wax and grease remover" or "Surface cleaner" there are Four in the Martin Senour line alown that flash off at different rates and have different "strengths" for different subsrates. See your paint dealer for what they have.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

if your painting in your garage,i assume your not using a spray booth,a fast dry clear helps too.A lot more dust will settle on your paint is six hours than it will in one or two.

Your always going to get some dust or small pieces of dirt, sometime hardly any sometimes a lot. Its very easy to fix though. Fist try doing all of the things the other posts say. After your done there will still be some dirt in your clear. What you do is take a razor blade mask off the edges. Then with the razor blade straight up (edge pointing at the paint)It's scary at first but,So be carefull. Scrape the dirt, keep doing it till it's just about flat. Then use 1200 to 1500 sandpaper and sand the area till the razor marks are gone. Then sand it the spot with 2000 and polish. This is best for big dirt, the tiny ones you can just skip the razor blade stuff and sand with 1500 and 2000. This is the way I do it at work. It take a little practice, but makes the cars look perfect when done.

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SS 327 65 malibu
SF CA
1965 SS
There is Nothing like An SS Made your way
65 SS Chevelle (http://www.quake3hut.com/ruin/car.jpg)

If you do a lot of driveway jobs i would reccomend getting a finishing DA sander,I have a Dynabrade that was about $200.Get 1500 grit paper for it and the special interface pad and you can buzz down the top surfaces or the whole car if you need to!I usually go back over it with 2000 and water by hand,then buff it and it will look like glass.And its a lot quicker than doing it all by hand.

Try wearing a paint suit.Believe it or not, sometimes the clothes you wear will cause dirt in the paint.
The static caused by air blowing through the gun will attract fibers from your clothes and land in the paint.
I found this out one day in the shop where I work. The uniform company changed our uniforms to cotton.
Right after that we noticed we were having a dirt problem with alot of our paint work.
Then one day when i was spraying the side of a car I could actualy see stuff landing on the car, It looked like it was comming from the gun, but it was actualy comming from me.
Some one told us to try paint suits, so we did. It cured the problem.
A paint suit won't totally solve your dirt problems,and you will always get some kind of dirt in a paint job, but they do make a difference.
Also make sure all air fittings are tight and not leaking around the gun.
Try lowering the air pressure at the gun, and always keep the gun clean.
These little things will help for a cleaner paint job.

Jeff Litka
72 chevelle SS
72 Montecarlo