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Sunday, January 27, 2013

How to Spray Paint, AKA Church Up Your Jalopy

Hello everyone The Goose here at Dirt Bird Customs with a How to spray paint. My 50 Merc, "The Honky Tonk Witch" needed a make over so last summer I did a little more body work and sprayed her black with a gallon of rustoleum flat black. I wouldn't call myself painter, although I do consider my self handy with a rattle can. Keep in mind i am not a professional and there are diffrent ways to skin a cat this is mearly what i did and what i ended up with.  If you never spray painted anything before maybe start with a skateboard or something other than your car..or atleast not one u like..if you cant lay down a even coat and u get drips that is all on you. P.S. my spelling and grammar sucks ask me if i care..   
to get started on the scallops this is what i got.  Spray paint wise i used ' krylon outdoor spaces satin finish lime green' for a base, I also hit up Lil Daddy Roth for some rattle bomb, I got Freekin' Fuschia base, Freekin' Fuscha Kandy, Freekin' Fuscha Flake, And Beetnic purple Kandy, I've used there  products 3 times now and am really happy with the results, lays on smooth and bitchin collors to chose from. check them out @  www.rothmetalflake.com  I also got a couple rolls of  3M brand 1/4" fine line green masking tape and 2 rolls of 3M  1" green masking tape,  DO NOT get blue or white tape u will be disappointed.  the 3M 1/4'' some times leaves a little glue residue when u pull it but it easily wipes up with wax and grease remover AFTER U LET THE PAINT CURE UP A FEW DAYS . i have used more expensive 1/4'' tape with fine results also.  You will also need a scotch brite pad or some 500ish  grit sand paper. and some wax and grease remover. I got Nason brand silocone wax remover, now it was a bit pricy but i got 1 gallon 6 years ago and several paint projects later its still going strong. well worth it.  grab a arm full of them free penny pincher news paper too. Now dont skimp on your spray paint, there is a reason some cans of spraypaint are $2...they suck ass!  You didn't score a sweet deal..  As far as spray paint goes i like Krylon, Lil Daddy Roth, and Rustoleum, im not opposed to trying others this is what im used to. 
i washed my car with soap and water the day before to make sure she is a clean,  then the day of i gave her a wipe down (were ill be taping) with wax and grease remover to make sure my tape sticks good,  then start taping 1/4 " 3M is cheap go crazy!  if you don't like it rip it off and start over.  I had a 2 point scallop in my brain but once on the car it didn't look right, 3 filled in that that goofy space in the middle and looked just right, those little pieces of tape are measurements from the door seam to insure i got a equal step. it doesn't hurt to know how to read a tap measure.  i got one side were i liked it pushed her outside so i could stand back and look her over.. looks good so i coppied it on the other side , took some measuring and doing and redoing to get them even, now they a are not perfect but pretty dam close no one will ever know but me.  getting that 1/4 '' on takes some doing, be patient, ..
now that the scallops are good i followed them with my one inch, make sure all your tape is stuck down...then do it again i constantly check to make sure no tape has lifted, here is were all that free paper came in handy. now tape the paper directly to the 1'' ...yeah...I see the blue tape.. do as i say not as i do..make sure all your seems of the paper are taped off good u don't want any paint blow by. i think i taped and blanketed off the front 1/2 of the car, i did end up with a little over spray on the rear half but nothing that didnt come off with a washing. 
once everything is taped off scuff the surface with a scotch pad or fine grit sand paper so the spraypaint sticks good, you aren't trying to remove large amounts material only scuffing it up.
Now give it a good wipe down with the wax and grease remover, if your rag comes up dirty get a clean one and do it again.
Those pieces of tape are more measurements so i can step my fade of my 2 diffrent colors the same amount as the tips of my scallops.  now would be a good time to re check all your tape and make sure nothing has lifted.
Paint time ,(Note;I painted the whole car black a couple weeks before i added the scallops, that gives the base paint time to cure up, i wouldnt paint my car then try and spray paint the next day,)   i threw down that Krylon for a base for acouple reasons it is easyier to turn a lite color purple than dark color  purple,  if your car  is already lite colored i would skip this step. reason 2 ive sprayed Lil Daddy Roth over Krylon befor with no fish eye or weird shit happening..this being said always shoot a test panel with the paint u entend to use to make sure there are no problems. its easier to get a diffrent can o paint , than to try and sand shit off your car. I did a medium coat then 15min later a heavy coat, .
When i am done with each coat i hold the can upside down to clear the tube, this helps cut down on gumming up and ensures long shelf life, ( this dosen't work on "spray at any angle cans" such as rustoleum), if your tip gumms up take it off and soak it in laqure thinner, i save all my tips from empty can and soak them and save them for a rainy day.
alright if i remember right i did 2 heavy coats of Freekn Fuschia Base, Originally i wanted purple scallops , the Fuschia looked alot purple'r on my computer, after spraying a test panel i called up Lil Daddy and said "Hey !.. this paint is pink" and he said somthing to the note of "yeah...thats what Fuschia means"..So i sais, "can i purple it up with some blue candy ?'' and he said "ya .or i can send u some purple candy just started making it." Sweet !  im happy with my mix up. if everything would have gone as plan i wouldnt have ended up with my sweet fade.......(note) im not sure if it was really Lil Daddy on the phone ..maybe his people? ..
2 more heavy coats of Freekin Fuschia Kandy .. got to be steady with the candy if u don't get even coats it shows. I think i waited about a half hour between coats? Im not patient..i could have waited longer.
Now I think I threw down 3 coats of Beatnic Purple Kandy.. remember my tape?  i ended my purple at those marks softly,by  heading front to back(head lights being front) drawing the paint can away from the car and aiming it toward the point of the scallop at the same time, so the purple dosent end abruptly it fades away.. It sounds more complicated than it is,
Now its looking real good with some coats of Freekin Fuschia Flake over the top for some contrast and to further soften the fade.Season to taste..  That thing under the scallop is my gasket for my trunk handle, thought i could add alittle purple to the ass of my car but the god damn thing shrunk and i couldnt get it back on without destroying it!.. Screw that gasket! 
I got exited and tryed to pull the tape a few hrs later and it was going to be bad. way to soft, so i waited a few more , 4 i think then pulled it ,  still a little soft no problem.  I like to pull away from what i painted not into it.  Now that was some thick paint,(lots of layers),  i didnt do anything else for a few days so she could cure up. after a good cure i took my wax and grease remover to a few spots where the tape had left glue, up they came no problem. 
Yep all day event ..
Drove her down to Sheridan WY to the 3rd annual Absaroka State Takeover, bad ass traditional car show put on by the Moonshiners car club where'st a tallented olde tyme striper & Moonshiner by the name of Shooter outlined and did some scroll work and really finnished it all off  
this last pic is Warren's handy work, A sweet rattle can job(or picture) can make any turd sparkle like a diamond! Now go get some spray paint and paint your girl friends car , moms fridge , neighbors cat or anything else that gets in front of you.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

josh came to visit

so naturally i dragged him to the highest point i could find






Monday, January 7, 2013

the last two weeks...

i likely live in one of the most inefficient manners possible. i seems like i work on one side of the state and play on the other. as a result i am constantly car-camping. the weekend leading up to New Years was no exception. once i left work in friday afternoon i had the next 4 days to screw-off. and screw-off i did. working the door at my night job was pretty damn uneventful, the only purpose it seemed to serve was to keep me out waaaay too late. so the next morning it was time to get to the recreating. copper mountain was very kind to me despite having only 3 hours of sleep. 

 YAAY to top secret stashes of gnargnar.
that night was just as dull at the bar but the next morning was all about Loveland. 

 the first ride of the day was in the back of a Ford Ranger with two other buddys, three dogs and all our gear.
 Lakotah and her man-beast Will came out to play.


 then there was new years eve....              fuck my ass and call me susan....
 moving right along. after a 4 nights combined total of 12 hours sleep i headed out to Mayflower Gulch for a little exploring.

 and then back to Copper i went.
 glue was applied after i was attacked by a savage marmot. fuzzy little beast ambushed me
 3 day later the CAIC basically said: go after it. so a few hero-lines were sent

 and more glue was applied.