Paint Prep

[Danjo]

I’m working up to the day when I paint my bus.

I’ll need to do surface prep in advance and then drive it about a hundred miles. I’m arriving a day in advance to strip the things that I need to leave on it to drive it and to do final prep work.

I’m worried about having it ready in time. I’m also worried about getting the sanding done too early and the surface collecting stuff.

Anyone have pointers on getting it ready, but not
Too soon?

I was thinking I get to do it twice. First to do any repairs and a light scuffing and then spending the two days before paint day to sand over everything again. Then after the drive a scotchbrite scrub with degreaser?

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Danjo

I’m working up to the day when I paint my bus.

I’ll need to do surface prep in advance and then drive it about a hundred miles. I’m arriving a day in advance to strip the things that I need to leave on it to drive it and to do final prep work.

I’m worried about having it ready in time. I’m also worried about getting the sanding done too early and the surface collecting stuff.

Anyone have pointers on getting it ready, but not
Too soon?

I was thinking I get to do it twice. First to do any repairs and a light scuffing and then spending the two days before paint day to sand over everything again. Then after the drive a scotchbrite scrub with degreaser?

I'd get on that sanding asap. don't worry about getting the sanding done "early". It'll be fine.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Danjo

I’m working up to the day when I paint my bus.

I’ll need to do surface prep in advance and then drive it about a hundred miles. I’m arriving a day in advance to strip the things that I need to leave on it to drive it and to do final prep work.

I’m worried about having it ready in time. I’m also worried about getting the sanding done too early and the surface collecting stuff.

Anyone have pointers on getting it ready, but not
Too soon?

I was thinking I get to do it twice. First to do any repairs and a light scuffing and then spending the two days before paint day to sand over everything again. Then after the drive a scotchbrite scrub with degreaser?

I wouldn't worry about re-sanding after the drive, your paint will hold its scuff. But cleaning thoroughly right before the paint job is a good idea.

[family wagon]

Use something for removing grease, wax, silicone, etc first before sanding. Otherwise the sanding process can rub those contaminants into the scratches made by sanding, and then they're much harder to remove.

Sanding can be done "any time" in advance of the painting. Its purpose is to smooth rough edges that would show through the new coating or that would cause thin spots in the coating (surface tension pulls the coating away from sharp edges/corners). The sanding won't degrade from being done too early or whatever.

After the drive you'll have another good round of cleaning to do, mostly on the leading edges where bugs and debris will stick.

When I did my paint I did a solvent wash, sanded, then solvent washed again. Finally I wiped it down with a tack cloth minutes before spraying. I probably used about 18 tack cloths, actually.

[Native]

All very good advice provided thus far! Clean, sand, clean then final tack cloth to get the fines off the surface.

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by Native

All very good advice provided thus far! Clean, sand, clean then final tack cloth to get the fines off the surface.

Yes.

The guy I’ve been talking to at the paint booth rental gave my another pro tip: save masking materials by doing the rub rail first. I’m still trying to get my head around that. I’m going to paint the rub rail in my driveway, so I’ll get a taste of all the equipment and procedures before I have my turn under the Big Top.

[family wagon]

Paint mist goes EVERYWHERE. If you paint the rub rail last then you have to have the entire bus masked to protect against overspray. If you paint it first, and if the walls are the same color above and below the rub rail, then you have only to mask that little rub rail (and the roof).


I installed all new sheet metal on the sides of my bus -- skirts to roof. I didn't want to leave any metal unpainted behind the rub rail, and I painted above and below the rub rail in different colors (and the rub rail a third color). Oh what a lot of masking that required!

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by Danjo

Yes.

The guy I’ve been talking to at the paint booth rental gave my another pro tip: save masking materials by doing the rub rail first. I’m still trying to get my head around that. I’m going to paint the rub rail in my driveway, so I’ll get a taste of all the equipment and procedures before I have my turn under the Big Top.

if you paint the rub rail first, then all you have to mask is the rub rail - if you leave it for last, you have to mask below the rub rail at least, if you paint it by brush, to prevent drips and dribbles or droplets from spoiling the painting you did on the body