Day 95

Today was the big painting day!

I went to bed last night with a lot on my mind, having never painted before and trying to get it done before the hot Vegas summer heat made it more difficult.

One thing that was really bothering me was the plastic side walls were peeling up their tape because of so much suction from the fans.  I went to bed not knowing how to fix the problem and woke up in the middle of the night with a eureka moment!

The reason the sides were being sucked in, pulling up the tape which held them in place on the floor was because there wasn't enough air getting into the booth.  Solution: more filters on the back side to let more air in.

I also switched from a more thorough, less porous filter to a (cheaper) filter that allows more air flow.  By adding 4 more filters and changing the type, the plastic side walls were no longer peeling up their tape.

After that, I proceeded to clean off the car with wax and grease remover.  I went around twice using two rolls of paper shop towels (lower lint) to get all the remaining grime off the car.  As expected, most areas were pretty clean while others required a bit of attention.

I then organized all my materials, put on my paint suit and protective gear and then started mixing paint.

All went smoothly, although I decided to use a smaller cup which meant I had to stop 3 times to refill.  In all I used about 64oz of paint which gives me another two coats available.  I plan to use the rest when I do my primer surfacer which will fill in the semi-low spots and prepare the surface for final paint.

The end result was pretty good.  I still need to work on proper technique.  Had some dry spots in some places and some runs in others.  Overall not bad for a first try.

I still need to get all the odds and ends blasted and primed.  I am going to partially take down my paint booth so I can roll the bug pan in there.  Waiting on positive cash flow to continue...at a standstill for now!