Want to start doing my own paint. Questions.

[hellamopeds]

Looking to start doing my own simple paint. I have a compressor but that's it. Any recommendations for stuff I'll need? What's a decent beginner gun? How's necessary is a booth? Does it just keep bugs off? What's a good web store for paint? I have a lot more questions but a quick crash course of suggestions would be killer. Thanks yall.

[DeadSeaGulls]

Supplies:
Moisture trap if you don't have one on the compressor.
A good beginners gun is an HVLP from the Devilbiss starting line. think i picked up one for under 100 bucks on sale.
Primer
clearcoat (i recommend Custom Shop 2k speed clear if you're in a state that allows urethane, it's cheap and just as good as higher priced alternatives)
sanding blocks
sand paper of various grits (I usually keep everything from 120 to 2000 on hand)
Body filler (evercoat finishing putty. bondo sucks dick)
Paints (I go to a local shop for quarts of base coat. for finishing work I use mostly House of Kolor and 1 Shot)
respirator
latex gloves
mixing cups
box of Popsicle sticks for stirring (pick up at local craft store for a few bucks)
an apron or shitty clothes you don't mind ruining is recommended. you will spill shit.

if you're wanting to do anything more complex than basic colors or simple panel paint jobs you may want to look at getting an airbrush.
I think my workhorse is an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS it does 90% of what I could want an airbrush to do.
you'll also need a smaller diameter hose and regulator if you're just going to use your current compressor with an airbrush
there are starter kits for around 600 bucks if you want to go that route, one I got came with a smal super quiet compressor with moisture trap, a hose, and a variety of acrylic colors (but I only use urethane based for automotive applications).
You could also look into 1 Shot lettering enamels. I use these for way more than lettering. Dilute to run through airbrush or use with Kafka brushes for various lettering/art/striping applications

Booth:
If you're not doing professional work you can just use your garage.
Remove as much as you can. drop cloth over the rest.
Sweep it thoroughly, air blow, sweep again. then soak the garage with a hose and shut the door. the water keeps stuff from kicking up.
Do not clear coat in the sun. You'll get solvent pop probably. little bubbles in the clear that are almost impossible to correct.
Most tiny particles that land on the clear can be wet sanded out.

Source:
Good web store is TCPglobal for most things I buy online
National Coatings & Supply (NCS) is for most things I buy locally

[hellamopeds]

That's fantastic. Thank you so much for the reply.

[armand]

Safety safety safety. The stuff in urethanes (isocynonates) is very poisonous. You will need a good mask.

[hellamopeds]

Safety safety safety. The stuff in urethanes (isocynonates) is very poisonous. You will need a good mask.

Thanks for the tip.

[Tattooo]

And don't paint in your garage paint in a friends garage.....

[DeadSeaGulls]

Safety safety safety. The stuff in urethanes (isocynonates) is very poisonous. You will need a good mask.

Yes. Be sure to stay on top of changing the filters too. It's cheap and will add years to your life. (rather, keep them from being subtracted)

[DeadSeaGulls]

That's fantastic. Thank you so much for the reply.

No problem. I wish there was more info around when I got into it. I bought a LOT of shit I didn't end up needing etc...
the above is really the bare minimum to get a decent paint job.
I neglected to mention you'll want buffing compound and something to cut and buff with. A dual action sander/buffer is best. You can use the same compound, but cutting is done with a coarser cloth bonnet over the buffing disc and buffing is done with a finer microfiber bonnet.
Plenty of tutorials on youtube for correct wetsanding/cutting/buffing techniques.

[AlexHershey]

Get some tack cloth. Wipe everything down with some sort of solvent. I use a SEM product called SEM-solve. Works well. Preparation is key. Don't rush and make sure everything you are painting is clean and tacked off and you will do fine. Try different fillers out until you find some you like. I use evercoat for deeper stuff and a product called EZ sand for skim coats/glaze. I can't for the life of me remember who makes the EZ sand. I'll double check. Use a decent primer. I normally wet sand the primer with 500 grit of I am doing black or darker color helps to keep it nice and flat. The reality is that you can make anything look half way decent with a good cut and buff job. Like DeadSeaGulls said a heavy cutting compound and a wool pad works wonders. I use mothers heavy duty cutting compound with the wool and then a 3M polishing compound with a foam pad. Hope that helps. Like I said...prep time goes a long way in the quality of the final product.

[DrFxr]

Knowing what to do when things go wrong will help you big time. Don't try to fix something while the paint is wet. If you get a bug, or a major hunk of dust in your base, let it dry, then sand it out with 1000 wet, clean it, and continue spraying. Same goes with runs in the clear. Use a hard block with 800/1000 wet to smooth out the sag/run. *If you are clearing again, 800 is fine, If you are only going to buff next, start with 1000 and leave enough clear to sand with 2000, 3000 to buff* You can also put a piece of tape just beyond the sag to prevent from cutting through, then remove the tape once most of it is gone and finish knocking it down. Be extra careful not to cut through the clear when doing this, or while color sanding as it will show even when more clear is applied.
As you paint more, you will find there are some things you can fix while it is wet, if you are super cautious, but as a beginner it's best to take it slow. Like the other guys said, take your time, prep work is extremely important!