SN71

[Obsidian11]

You may want to use the blades made by Exactline products. Its the best contouring tool I've ever found. Putting on bondo (3M 1171 is the bomb) so exact that it spreads shiny with nearly NO sanding required. Perfect, straight contours every time. A MUST when you are doing a black car you want PERFECTLY straight. Also, DO NOT use putties. You are better off using a good SANDABLE epoxy primer like D822 from PPG and waiting 48 hours for the minimal shrink that will occur. After 24 hours there is NO MORE shrinkage, unlike urethane primers that continue to shrink for up to 1 year. You can shoot D822 on at 4 mils per coat. (Use a 1.6mm tip) For a SUPER straight body after blocking with no shrinkage.

Another trick is I made clear plastic templates to put over my 8 ft horizontal site lights in my booth. These "templates" have 1/8" black vertical lines spaced every 1/4" apart. View the site lights from the reflection of the car. If the lines distort in anyway, the body isn't perfect. You need to rework that area. Using sight lights in this fashion makes for a much easier way to prepare a perfectly straight body prior to finding out after the first gloss coat is on and having to re-do.

Great job!

Phil

Total Automation Works - See KigerStang at SEMA 2014

Thanks for all the tips! The primer I typically use, which is NCP271 is actually identical to D822 PPG (and probably most other chemical companies) won't openly tell you that because in most markets they charge more for the D822 as it has the "Global Refinishing System" label on it which is technically a higher end system then some of their other lines. They tend to do this with most primers and clears. The part numbers cross over between lines and they charge accordingly based on what line of products is being marketed. You'd almost think it was a scam, but the drug companies do it as well. I highly doubt that Walmart manufactures their own drugs, they are merely re-labeled name brands that we get to pay much less for.

I like the light board idea. That's pretty much the same concept as the little adjustable suction cup board that paintless dent removal guys use while they are pushing dents out. It gives you a straight focal point to reference on your panel.

 

[philt]

You may want to use the blades made by Exactline products. Its the best contouring tool I've ever found. Putting on bondo (3M 1171 is the bomb) so exact that it spreads shiny with nearly NO sanding required. Perfect, straight contours every time. A MUST when you are doing a black car you want PERFECTLY straight. Also, DO NOT use putties. You are better off using a good SANDABLE epoxy primer like D822 from PPG and waiting 48 hours for the minimal shrink that will occur. After 24 hours there is NO MORE shrinkage, unlike urethane primers that continue to shrink for up to 1 year. You can shoot D822 on at 4 mils per coat. (Use a 1.6mm tip) For a SUPER straight body after blocking with no shrinkage.

Another trick is I made clear plastic templates to put over my 8 ft horizontal site lights in my booth. These "templates" have 1/8" black vertical lines spaced every 1/4" apart. View the site lights from the reflection of the car. If the lines distort in anyway, the body isn't perfect. You need to rework that area. Using sight lights in this fashion makes for a much easier way to prepare a perfectly straight body prior to finding out after the first gloss coat is on and having to re-do.

Great job!

Phil

Total Automation Works - See KigerStang at SEMA 2014

Thanks for all the tips! The primer I typically use, which is NCP271 is actually identical to D822 PPG (and probably most other chemical companies) won't openly tell you that because in most markets they charge more for the D822 as it has the "Global Refinishing System" label on it which is technically a higher end system then some of their other lines. They tend to do this with most primers and clears. The part numbers cross over between lines and they charge accordingly based on what line of products is being marketed. You'd almost think it was a scam, but the drug companies do it as well. I highly doubt that Walmart manufactures their own drugs, they are merely re-labeled name brands that we get to pay much less for.

I like the light board idea. That's pretty much the same concept as the little adjustable suction cup board that paintless dent removal guys use while they are pushing dents out. It gives you a straight focal point to reference on your panel.

NCP271 Thanks for the tip!!!

D822 is Very expensive even at jobber pricing at over $300.00 a gallon with catalyst. Ill check it out!

 

[Obsidian11]

NCX275 catalyst in place of D823.

 

[philt]

NCX275 catalyst in place of D823.

FYI. we did some comparisons today. D822 is NOT the same consistency as NCP271.

Its a little thinner out of the can AND its only $5.00 cheaper per gallon so thanks for the tip but I'm staying with D822.

My PPG distributor tells me its not as high a build and know I believe it.

D822 is the bomb. Combined with Duraglass when needed followed by 3M 1171 filler and then D822 high build primer, you can make any project look killer.

 

[Obsidian11]

To each their own for sure. I'm not one to get into a pissing contest about stuff like this, especially when you're splitting hairs like this. I've always been an NCP271 user myself, I've used D822 quite a bit as well. Both products are awesome and extremely similar (they even smell the same) but hey for a $5 difference if you dig D822 more, I say have at it! It'll be a badass car either way!

 

[philt]

No worries, I just wanted to put it out there for anyone not knowing. Incidentally, look at the NCP271 spec sheet, the words "high build" are missing in the description but is on the D822.

I got into a "pissing contest" with another member a year ago regarding using urethane primers. Both of the product we discuss here are more expensive than the cheaper 2K primers but 2 years from now when their black cars are waving to everyone at the show, ours will still be straight as a mirror. . I thank Mike Colletta a good friend and moderator on the corvette forum, for turning me on to this stuff 3 years ago. My cars always looked perfect for a few months but I start noticing slight low spots that I knew were not there prior.. I always thought it was the filler shrinking.... NOPE, its the urethane primers.