Hi im relatively new to this site as far as posting goes but id like some advice on the following, have posted this on Mini2 but had no luck with regards to any help.

Ive just put an order in with BMW to buy a primered tailgate handle and the mini paint kit (the one with the lacquer).

What I wanted to know was can anyone give me any tips for painting the primered part as I have never really attempted anything like this before. Is it just a simple matter of just spraying it on. Is there a certain amount of time I should leave between coats? etc.

Any help would be much appreciated as I really want to get the right finish from painting this part?

Thanks will check back later on for some replies

 

I just mentioned in another post that if anyone wants trim pieces painted I could do it if they are willing to ship them to me. PM me for more info. If you are fixed on doing it yourself then start by wet sanding the primer with 600 grit and degrease. Now spray a "dust" coat over the piece. Wait a few minutes then spray 3 medium "wet" coats. You want them to be thick enough to cover the part and "level out", but not so thick that it starts to run or sag. If the kit really is laquer are you planing on using a clear coat or polishing out the paint? You can either wet sand with 2000 grit then hand polish it with rubbing compound and a damp terry cloth towel. Or spray a few coats of laquer based clear from a can. A few notes, although laquer is pretty forgiving it does not fair well against chemicals. Even some the modern clear coat polishes will melt and ruin the finish so don't put any harsh wax or cleaners on it. If you want it to be durable, match and be done right the first time, I recomend putting the price of the painting supplies towards getting it professionally painted with a urethane base and a catalyzed top coat. Also, this is a very basic description so make a stop at a book store and browse the auto section. I hope this helps.

 

Yeh thanks for the help, this is great. And yes I will be using spray lacquer once the painting has been done.
I have two questions relating to your above post:- Is wet sanding the primer with 600 grit and degrease just purely to remove any contaminents that may be on the primered part or is it to create a smooth sanded finish to tailgate?

Also will the wet coats help me get that smooth finish i am after. I did a trial spray a few weeks ago on an old part. The finish i got wasnt quite as smooth as i was expecting. I was spraying the part from quite a distance tho, could this have been the main reason for this?

Thanks again for your help!

 

i would recomend finding one either salvage or ordering a chrome one....painting is not for the inexperienced....good luck, a professional finish takes some experience, it's not rocket science but it does take practice. find some shop to squirt it for you if you already bought it is my recomendation

 

Sanding with 600 is to smooth the piece and give the paint something to grip onto so that it won't peel up later. A spray can should usually be held about 6 inches away. Start at 8 to 10 for the first coat then around 6. Once you get it totally covered go back and give it on last wet coat to level out the paint. Also, let it flash for a few minutes between coats.

 

Yeh i may do this in time, i just would like to have a go first. trying to learn something new like this isnt easy, i figured if i got some advice off here first then id be in a better position than just jumping in so to speak.
Thanks

 

Thanks for you help 002 i may let u know how i get on if it goes well!

 

I had excellent success with a small part paint kit like this with my VW a few years ago. It did take me a little practice.

One thing that was not mentioned is to point the spray can slightly away from the part before pressing the button and making a smooth pass across the part. This makes sure the paint is shooting out evenly and any initial blobs of paint from the spray tip do not land on the part. Let paint shoot from the can for about 1/4 second before you pass the spray across the part.

Don't worry about "wasting" a little bit of paint this way because the finish will be much nicer.

Also, don't worry if your personal close inspection of the part does not look absolutely perfect. The part is small and you will be the only one who will ever notice any small imperfections. Resist the temptation to handle the painted part or sand it until it is very dry. Make it a 3 day process: color coats one evening, sand and clear coat the next, and then don't touch it until the next day. Had I done this on my first try, I would not have pressed some fingerprints into what I thought was dry paint.

Good luck and don't forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done

 

Also like to add to paint in temps above 60F.

One of the tricks to make it professionally smooth and shiny looking is
the 2000grit sanding block (use wet) and rubbing compound on the
clearcoat after 48hours. :smile:

Ive painted side skirts and lip spoilers in the past for my other cars
and my buddies could not believe I did it myself in my own garage at
home. :smile:

For those that are interested in painting parts themselves, check out
these cool paint stores. I like paintworld more because of their fast
turnaround.

www.paintscratch.com
www.paintworldinc.com

 

This is great thanks for your help, gonna have a go at the weekend! Will bear everything in mind as i go along and hopefully it will turn out something like how i want it! Im sure practice makes perfect with something like this!

 

Hi guys i manged to colour code the tailgate handle thanks to your help. Basically at first i thort i would do a bit of a practice on a second hand tailgate handle (originally red) that i bought. Anyway my results where that good (well suprised myself anyway) that i fitted it up and no longer needed to use the primered version that i bought from BMW for the job!

Here are my results:-

http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/picture58374.html

http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/picture64668.html


I no longer need the primered tailgate handle so it is on ebay UK:-

http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZrayman1982golf

Check it out, also on there is some spot lamps that i also have no reason to keep! Postage to US is in the auction description!

Thanks again!