DIY Body Work - Keeping the Shop Clean

[tigeraid]

So I've done DIY body work in the past. Mixed results but now I actually have a few bucks to spend so I'll be approaching it more carefully.

I can't paint the ol' Monte until I get the shop compressor, probably next Spring. Until then, I'm gonna do as much body prep/sanding as I can, and seal it until later.

My first thought is drop-sheets over everything, and wet the floor under the car, and start sanding. I can't really afford to buy any expensive dust-collecting machinery.

Anyone have any other tips for keeping the shop clean during the process?

 

[Abeo]

Dry sanding is going to be messy. If you have a cheaper way of filtering the air, it'll make a difference (box fan with a furnace filter taped on, bathroom fan out the roof).

Once I was past the filler/epoxy primer stage, I found wet sanding to be my savior for keeping dust down. It seemed to go faster than dry sanding too.

 

[Browneye]

Without a dust collection system it will go everywhere. Just part of the process.
You can build a tarp wall around your car for the work - works for a make-shift paint booth as well. Or cover important items you want to keep dust off of.

Make sure you etch bare metal and seal, or it will rust in the open air and show up under your paint. A self-etching primer is another option. It has a phosphoric acid additive that etches the metal, the sealer seals it from air. You can fill and primer over this. Expensive stuff but well worth it. Some recommend an epoxy sealer, but I have never used that kind of product. The biggest issues is keeping rust from coming back up through your finish.

You really need your compressor for a DA and block sander. I can't imagine doing any body resto without one.

If there are rusty panels to replace you'll need a stitch-welder too. I got pretty good at hammer-welding on a 35 Chevy pickup.

Filler should only be used for fairing - all dents and irregularities should be hammered out of the sheetmetal. Otherwise it will show up under your paint.

Oh, and you never want to wetsand primer unless it is also a sealer - it's porous and the water will get down to the metal and rust it under the primer.

 

[tigeraid]

Yeah I'm familiar with the priming process, I'm going to use an etch primer to start off with, then after I'm done with body filler and cleaning up the scratches I'll use epoxy.

I've done proper body work in a proper shop, I'm just trying to make do with what I have right now. I have an electric orbital I'm going to try instead, to knock the rust off. I have no problem with the job taking longer than normal.

Hanging tarp might be a better solution than drop cloths, good idea. Maybe vapour barrier, I have a roll sitting there....

 

[Abeo]

Oh, and you never want to wetsand primer unless it is also a sealer - it's porous and the water will get down to the metal and rust it under the primer.

That's why you epoxy prime over bare metal and filler, then use urethane surfacing primer over that. The epoxy primer is a barrier to water, while the urethane primer is what you work to get the panels smooth. Use a reduced epoxy primer as a sealer over the urethane primer, and then you have a very solid foundation for base/clear.

Another item that will bring a mess is spraying on the primers, especially if you get your compressor set up. You may consider getting the car sand blasted and primed... that way you know the rust is taken care of, and you have clean metal to start from.

I've had terrible results with 1K products, and will only use 2K primers if I want it to last and look good.

 

[tigeraid]

Like I said, I'm not afraid of time involved in knocking the rust off. I can't afford sandblasting at the moment.

It's basically all surface rust--the previous owner had it at a body shop, where the restoration had begun, but then the place went under suddenly, and they left it outside for a winter with bare metal. So there's no real rot, just a lot of **** to take off.

 

[Abeo]

Yup, understood. I just prefer sandblasting, as the sand is able to reach the bottom of the rust pits and clean out any possibility of corrosion. Sanding and chemical treating can work, but I spent years at a shop that had a 40x60 sandblast bay, so I'm partial to that.

Sandblasting is the messiest, dusty, awful way to clean things... but it does work great. I don't recommend doing that in your garage.

I was able to use my electric DA with satisfactory results on my last few projects. If you can make use of the dust collection function on the tool + dust deputy + shop vac, you would cut down on the airborne dust a fair bit too.

One more thing: I'd rather deal with dust and a dry shop than risk introducing humidity to the shop by wetting the floor, especially in your area that gets humid often.

 

[tigeraid]

Yeah it's a Ryobi, with a little dust cup at the bottom. I'm hoping that that, combined with a shop vac, will keep it down.

I'm not sure it's super humid here? But you may have a point. Maybe I can just leave a door half-up and use a big box fan to blow it outward.

 

[Abeo]

When I lived in Ottawa, we'd have bare metal flash rust overnight in the summer after sandblasting, so we always primed right after blasting. I'd think being near the Georgian bay you'd have a similar problem.

Here in the dry west, it's less of a concern. We don't get dew in the mornings because it's so dry. But your climate will allow water from the air to condensate on things, especially if there are temperature swings in an unconditioned garage.

 

[ScottsGT]

Get a dust devil and a 5 gallon pail and make one to hook up to a DA sander with a vac attachment.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I'd rig up temporary 'walls' made of cheap Visqueen plastic around the car, with an air intake at one end and a cheap box fan at the other to duct the dust out of the garage.


This is a two video series on how to build a home spray booth, and it's made from a party tent instead of cheap plastic, but the concept is the same: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnidW9Wb_Djxe4K6pjIzk0IWjlwSwvW8L

 

[tigeraid]

Nice!

 

[Jazz1]

You could hang a tarp around the car as a curtain to contain dust although i would not get too carried away with that. I done a few frame off restorations and just vacuum before I paint as most of the dust finds its way to the floor. A fan would help blow the dust outside while keeping door open. Protecting yourself from dust is most critical IMO

 

[gorilla]

I was told by the paint grur's at SEM that epoxy primer should not be applied over self etching primer. You may want to check with your paint manufacturer before you proceed.

 

[rsanter]

After doing wood working I use the blow gun and a yard blower to clean the shop out of sawdust.

What a friend did when working on the car in prep for paint and for painting was make a booth using plastic sheeting.
Attached a wood rail at the ceiling, plastic sheet hung from there. Was attached to a wood strip at the bottom as well.
To get it out of the way he rolled up the plastic around the bottom wood strip and used a cord to holt it up

 

[firebirdparts]

The filler and old dry paint is easy enough to clean off. What comes out of the spray gun is not. You would be better off to hang plastic before you spray. Overspray just ruins everything, really. So the question is whether to hang plastic before you do anything. that is really up to you.

 

[jptbay]

Buy a cheap outdoor storage tent, and set it up inside the garage. With some duct tape, furnace filters, a shop vac, you can rough in a containment area for the dust.

When your ready to paint, wash it out, wet the floor and voila paint booth.

 

[K13]

Don't bother with a self etching primer waste of time and money. Get a good epoxy and put it down. It will seal out moisture and anything can go over it. I work for a filler company and we would never approve of putting filler over etch.

 

[Jazz1]

Like I said, I'm not afraid of time involved in knocking the rust off. I can't afford sandblasting at the moment.

It's basically all surface rust--the previous owner had it at a body shop, where the restoration had begun, but then the place went under suddenly, and they left it outside for a winter with bare metal. So there's no real rot, just a lot of **** to take off.

If you do get to the point you want to sandblast a portable wigwam with vapour barrier on floor is perfect.
Don't wet the floor to paint, that can cause a host of paint issues.
In Canada the best epoxy primer I have used is Utech. Its very durable. Cheap decent epoxy is Kirker from across the border.

 

[tigeraid]

Hmm. The paint guy at work suggested 2k epoxy without the use of etch. So I guess you guys have a point.

 

[Browneye]

Epoxy or etch - but not both.
I'm from the olden days of lacquer and then Centari in later years. Before anyone had heard of epoxy or water based paints.

Listen to your paint jobber.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Yeah I'm familiar with the priming process, I'm going to use an etch primer to start off with, then after I'm done with body filler and cleaning up the scratches I'll use epoxy.

I've done proper body work in a proper shop, I'm just trying to make do with what I have right now. I have an electric orbital I'm going to try instead, to knock the rust off. I have no problem with the job taking longer than normal.

Hanging tarp might be a better solution than drop cloths, good idea. Maybe vapour barrier, I have a roll sitting there....

I've had good luck with electric DAs.

Dust will be a problem no matter how hard you try to avoid it. A partition, and wetting the floor does help.

 

[Parrothead]

I've done this before and I use clear plastic sheeting and some furring strip to attache it to the ceiling. You still get the light and feel like you're in the garage vs. in a cocoon. Make an entrance to come in and out of and good to go. A Ridgid shop vacuum is your friend.

 

[JimVonBaden]

 

[tigeraid]

Hah! That looks badass. Good idea.

 

[Browneye]

I've had good luck with electric DAs.

Dust will be a problem no matter how hard you try to avoid it. A partition, and wetting the floor does help.

My old 'GS' buddy from ADVrider.

 

[rlwhitetr3b]

I used one of these to create a temp wall in my garage. I know I could have done DIY cheaper, but I needed to get started on my project not build tools.
https://www.menards.com/main/paint/...73-c-8090.htm?tid=7096852083563626969&ipos=13

 

[mcbassin]

I have done a frame offs as DIY. I would do your blasting in the back yard or driveway if you can. Just work on small sections if you have to. As for primer, I used epoxy as a base and polyester spray on filler. Worked great.