do you sand after spraying paint?

vader1979

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I am going to attempt to spray my cab. This will be my first time. When spraying... do you put on multiple coats? Do you sand in between coats? If yes...how many coats and what grit sand paper? Thanks!
 
I don't mean to sound harsh, but the BEST thing you could do is get a scrap piece of plywood. Sand it as you prepped the cab. Primer it exactly as you do the cab. Spray a finish on it (sand between coats, etc..) as you would the cab. Basically, replicate the process, as if you're spraying the cabinet and will be judged for it. You'll be glad you did as you get a better handle on things and any mistakes that you learn from are on the practice piece. I've done this for years and still do this, especially if doing stencils.

With a stencil project, you can prep and spray a scrap the base coat, and then spray the cabinet. Wait a week or so and when you're ready to do the first stencil, use some scrap stencil or tape off part of the plywood scrap. Scuff the exposed area, wipe with naptha, then spray the 1st stencil color, as if you're spraying the cabinet and worried about messing up the real deal. It's helps a LOT, as you can also figure out if you have paint adhesion issues or there are reactions (lifting) between the base coat and stencil layer. Of course, if you're a pro, no need to worry, but I am not and learn something with every project.
 
painting

The biggest mistake most folks make with spray paint is they try to spray too much in a single coat. Practice on something similar with a nice slow motion from right to left. Don't double up the paint as you switch directions back and forth. Perhaps 3 light coats with some sanding or steel wool in between and you paint will look great.
 
oil based paints or latex

what do most people use? oil base paints, latex,acrylic. I would think oil to be the best,but i see a lot of people use latex and i would figure latex would scratch more.
 
I have found oil based much easier to spray.
You don't have to thin it nearly as much to spray as water based.
It is more work to clean up but worth it IMO.
 
i have yet to spray a cab i have always rolled but i just bought a sprayer at harbor freight. what i plan to do is us one of my old junk cabs and redo both at the same time. so i will prep both of them at the same time and when i paint i will paint the junk cab first if i like the way the paint is mixed then i will do the good cab and after they dry i will test the sandpaper on the junk cab. its a lot more work for me but i would rather screw up the junk cab. i cant wait to get started. good luck im not starting mine for a few weeks so if you start yours first keep let me know how it goes
 
So my plan to spray is not gonna pan out...was unable to get a compressor...gun..ans heated area yo spray...as my garage is unheated and it is -10 degrees out right now. So I got latex paint matched to my red dk sample...some foam rollers and tried it out....yep...epic fail ...roller marks and paint was uneven in color. So I got some floetrol...and my buddy is gonna come over and show me how to do it. He has rolled many cabs so I trust it will look good. After that everything will be ready to be put back together.
 
I use lacquer. It's original. It's awesome to spray.

Yea but it will burn the shit out of your eyes if you spray in an enclosed area.
I used lacquer based primer on my Multi Williams in my booth and man did that shit burn my eyes.
You need good ventilation with that stuff.
 
Just last week i picked up another donkey kong...blue. The guy was asking 350 for it...awsome shape...barely any cab damage...started it up and it had sprites and monitor was wavy...told the guy that it probably needed cap kit and possibly some pcb work. before i could make a counter offer the guy dropped 250 off the price! so i got it home....messed with connections...and besides wavy monitor...it works 100%!! Cant believe i only paid 100 for this baby....So maybe i will wait till summer to work on this one..what little work it needs...
 

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Just last week i picked up another donkey kong...blue. The guy was asking 350 for it...awsome shape...barely any cab damage...started it up and it had sprites and monitor was wavy...told the guy that it probably needed cap kit and possibly some pcb work. before i could make a counter offer the guy dropped 250 off the price! so i got it home....messed with connections...and besides wavy monitor...it works 100%!! Cant believe i only paid 100 for this baby....So maybe i will wait till summer to work on this one..what little work it needs...

Holy shit, you raped that guy. I bet you are still wearing the shit eating grin on your face, lol!
 
I gave up on the foam rollers.. Maybe with something like Flotrol will make a difference, but I could not get it to lay flat. A few years ago I bought a Wagner Paint Crew airless paint sprayer to spray some cabinets I made. http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/portal/paint_crew_en_spray,364673,358970.html I decided to dig it out, put up some plastic sheeting in the basement and spray my BT cabinet. I used straight latex with a bit of Flotrol and the finish is awesome and virtually no overspray. I didn't make a sealed booth and there is no residue on the floor or anywhere else in the basement. It does use a lot of paint.. I went through almost 1/2 gal of paint in 4 coats. Unfortunately, the hopper doesn't like when the paint level gets down too low, so I just mixed up the paint and left it covered in the hopper all day. I painted every 2hrs or so, so I didn't sand between coats as the base was still fresh. Its been sitting for 2 weeks and no sign of any adhesion issues, lifting, etc. Biggest issue is cleanup time, but its worth it. Probably start my stencils next weekend.
 
Just got done rolling my red dk...turned ourmt awesome! 7-8 coats...sanded 600 on first three...1000 on rest...left last coat untouched ...
 
I use latex and get the small white rollers (at home depot they are marked as 'best'). They aren't the foam ones. As for thinning latex, I follow the directions on the paint which state to thin with water. Works well
 
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