Painting Cars Advice - Hobby?

[RyanJ]

When I say I'm going to do this for money, it's for friends and I don't care about making only 500$. It's the fact that we're all hanging out working on our cars for the better.

I think some of you guys misunderstood this. I DO NOT want this to be my profession. I'm still in college. I want this to be a mainly college hobby and maybe eventually later on when I get enough money for all my dream cars and builds. If I would to charge my friends, it would be during college or like someone said, during weekends only which I don't mind.

And just as someone said, I will be hopefully making $75-100k a year after college so I won't be doing it just for money . But 500$ for 3-4 weekends, maybe more, and have my friends who cars getting painted come over and chill and help, I can live with that. I'm looking to maybe learn the skill within a month or two, while I'm still in college.

My bad if I confused y'all. I'm on my phone waiting for food at a restaurant haha

Edit: I have anywhere from 1-3grand to spend for initial material. I would want to paint my car wth the highest quality eventually, but I would want to practice with cheap paint. But if the 1-3 grand is not enough, than you guys are right, this hobby isn't for me at THIS moment of time.

[RyanJ]

But thanks for the advice y'all. Hahaha y'all the best. But I won't be relocating as I live by Silicon Valley in California which is home to the programmers. Look it up if you think I'm lying. So I would most likely still be in the same area I am now.

[RyanJ]

I manage a small body shop, and our material costs for a complete are around $2500-3500 depending on certain factors. And we aren't using the highest of materials, mostly just Sikkens products like Auto-Base Plus. I feel there are a few realities to painting you need to learn before jumping in...

First, a paint job can only look as good as the bodywork underneath it. You can't paint your way out of shitty body work.

Second, a paint job is like building a house, you start with mud for a foundation and that shit won't stand up for long. Using cheap fillers and primers is a sure fire way to get paint failure a few years (or even months) down the road.

Third, and this goes for mechanics/machinists/carpenters/all sorts of professions, better tools won't make you better at your job. Spending $15k in Snap-on tools won't make you a mechanic. Same goes for HVLP guns, compressors, sanding blocks, welders, etc.

This isn't exactly a field where you practice a little on your own stuff and then make some side cash. You really need to put in the hours and hone your skills if you want to produce any semblance of quality. I'd honestly focus your time in some other way, if you want to paint shit fit side cash then learn to airbrush.

Depending what people say about my budget and if it's doable, if it IS doable, could you help me confirm the items I need ? I can make a list, just need clarification. for example, like a water separator for the gun? Thanks for the breakdown though. I know it's not easy but who knows if I can do it

[CleanSierra]

You need a beast of a compressor if you want to keep up with air sanders and HLVP guns.

[3vil]

"Few minor blemishes" is a relative term. I spent 2 years just doing quality control on the paint jobs of million dollar coaches, so what I consider a minor blemish may vary from others definition. But for a complete paint we're talking about sanding the body, then welding if needed, then grind, then epoxy primer, then sand, then body work, then sand, then primer, then sand, then color, then maybe sand if it needs any nibbing, then clear, then sand, then clear again (yes we double clear all completes, I love the depth/wetness of a double clear), then sand several times, then polish. That's a lot of fucking sanding, the same car, over and over. I was at my local 7-11 grabbing a 6pack after work, and the girl behind the counter asked me where I worked because I was so dirty. I told her I worked at a dust factory, where we manufacture dust all day long. She didn't understand I was joking, and wanted to know who would ever buy dust when it just collects in her house for free. That story might be more a commentary on our public school system than how dusty my job is, but you get the idea right? Go block out your entire car once and let me know if you want to do it 7 or 8 more times?

There are varying qualities of paint jobs. Maaco sucks, they don't prep for shit, they don't mask for shit, they just spray cheap paint on everything. Factory quality paint jobs aren't difficult, but you still need to have solid bodywork to achieve them. And most factory paint jobs suck ass by the way IMHO. For me, in regards to a complete paint job, it's show quality only or it's not worth our time. I don't want to bother with job if we cannot put our best work out.

Edit: I'm on my phone, fuck Swype if there arr any typos.

[3vil]

But thanks for the advice y'all. Hahaha y'all the best. But I won't be relocating as I live by Silicon Valley in California which is home to the programmers. Look it up if you think I'm lying. So I would most likely still be in the same area I am now.

Your already fucked then. California has some of the shittiest laws regarding paints and VOC's, mostly due to their terrible air quality and atrociously liberal elected officials. You can't even buy Plastidip by the gallon there. Everything is moving towards waterbased paint, which is garbage. I've seen too many OEM waterbased paints fail *cough* Ford *cough*. I miss lacquers.

/end rant

[_paralyzed_]

I'm going to repeat myself and suggest you try to get some part time work from a local shop. If you can learn pooter programming you can certainly learn painting.

Then you will have experience to base your decision on instead of hearsay from us jackoffs.

As an aside, I'm (was) a jack of all trades. I knew carpentry, mechanics, fabrication, welding, basic electronics, and yes, I've done some body work and painting. I don't mind hard work or getting shit done. I HATE BODYWORK. SO. MUCH. SANDING. I would way rather trade some work to my buddy (who's a professional painter) and let him do the paint. A lot of people are afraid of wiring/electrical work, but I never minded doing that. For me it was better to barter to get paint work done than to do it myself. Everyone has their strengths/weaknesses, maybe you will love it.

Do you have a place to paint? You can't just start squirting in a garage, there will be overspray on everything. You need at minimum an isolated enclosed area with ventilation. (big fans, serious ventilation) It can be done outside if you don't mind insects and pollen and shit in your paint.

I think we all understood that you aren't going to do this as a living. We were just bringing up every aspect so you could make the best decision possible. It is incredibly doable, we just wanted to be sure you knew it wasn't a hobby that's easy to do, like, say, bowling.

[MyNameIsNoob]

Ive been in the paint and body business for ab 25 years... I learned at a restoration/ custom shop, so the first thing i learned (contrary to a collision shop) is attention to detail and to not obsess over how long it takes ya. First priority should be quality, not time. Learn the "science" of it n dont deviate or feel like you can cut corners here n there. That will make or break the "artistic" aspect of the job if you dont understand what more of this or less of that does... Practice n the pracrice more... When you dont have any fingerprints left, you know youre on the right track hahaa... It depends on the level you wna take it to, but expect to put in alot of time to get really good... Its a true art form, idc what anyone says, i picked it up easily being the youngest in a family of gearheads, but im still learning to this day. You say its only somethin to do now, but once that paint lays like glass, itll suck ya in, so dont go getn too good

[CleanSierra]

And shooting Waterborne is an art in its own from what I hear. I'm going to learn to shoot water base and shoot it well. I've never messed with it as of yet.

The thing that gets me, it seems that urethane(clear specifically) has a much more harmful, potent smell than base ever does, yet the that is still the clear of choice in top of water BC.

I think water base is a learning curve, that's all. I've seen enough water base jobs that look fine.

[RyanJ]

But thanks for the advice y'all. Hahaha y'all the best. But I won't be relocating as I live by Silicon Valley in California which is home to the programmers. Look it up if you think I'm lying. So I would most likely still be in the same area I am now.

Your already fucked then. California has some of the shittiest laws regarding paints and VOC's, mostly due to their terrible air quality and atrociously liberal elected officials. You can't even buy Plastidip by the gallon there. Everything is moving towards waterbased paint, which is garbage. I've seen too many OEM waterbased paints fail *cough* Ford *cough*. I miss lacquers.

/end rant

So if I get this correct, I have to use Waterborne paint? I mean, I'm assuming everything you say is correct since you seem like a knowledgable individual. This will make it difficult for me to get the amount of paint needed without an actual business license of some sort?

Also, from the reading, the PIA isn't the painting (even though it is still important) but it is in fact sanding. In other words, the process of a good car isn't necessarily 100% the technique an individual uses to paint the car, but its the amount of time and labor they put into the prep work ? (sanding, masking, removing parts, more sanding, and finally sanding) If that is the case, I get what you mean as this is not a "quick" hobby. I actually have a friend who works at a Nissan and does auto body (sanding, removing dents, filler, etc) and he is willing to help / learn as well for free. Well, I wouldn't say free since we will be chillin and learning together, but you know what I mean.

I would love the possibility of painting my car one day and be amazed by it every morning as I know that I PAINTED THAT BISH. For the booth, I have a garage, but like someone said, I cant just CLEAR it out and call it a paint booth. I need proper ventilation as well as a few other items. I guess I need to do more reading.

If you had to give a whole car an estimated time, say, 24 hours. How many of those hours would be considered sanding / prep and how many for actually painting? I'm assuming maybe a 20/4 hour difference?