1968FormulaS340
Well-Known Member
So, I will be posting again (and school update).
I quit the forum because I didn't like the direction a few were taking it. Mostly related to unscrupulous sellers and selling practices and my feelings toward those that supported them.
I have noticed a change in attitude so I will be giving it another try.
So on to school.
I had posted some time ago that I was returning to school. I am getting an associates in collision repair and refinishing. I have finished all but 1 of my general studies classes. I still need technical math but got an A in my last math class so it should be a non issue.
This leaves me with just under 2 years (Im only in the first term of actual of collision repair and refinishing) left.
It has been great fun. The first thing I learned was how much I really didn't know.
Correct refinishing is both technical and expensive. I asked, why are restoration quality paint jobs pushing $15,000 these days…..
Well….. Unlike 20 or 30 years ago we have heavy EPA involvement, chemical disposal fees, and skyrocketing product cost.
I found it interesting (and not unexpected) that with the conversion to HVLP guns (which use less product) the paint manufactures set into a rhythm of regular product price increases.
In short……. HVLP uses less product for the same coverage. Less product = lower sales for the paint manufactures. Paint manufactures now adjust prices up so everything works out the same for them…..
So for you guys that want a $5000 paint job…….. Quality products (just the liquid getting sprayed on the car, not counting abrasives and other items) can run $3000+/- on a complete. That leaves $2000 for getting all that rust fixed, dents filled and body straightened. So you get what you pay for.
Our first project was a 98 honda civic fender. We all got a brand new ($21) aftermarket fender. This new fender got a visit from a claw hammer and a rubber mallet. We had to fix it using about 98% metal finishing and 2% body filler.
Then we painted it a gold metallic (along with a cut and buff)……. Then it got a visit from a screw driver, 3 nice scratches. Scratch 1 we did a feather and used proper refinishing techniques. Scratch 2 we used sand paper around our finger for feathering then hard lined the primer. Scratch 3 we did any way we wanted.
We sanded, blended and as you would expect, most looked like hell.
We were not following the proper re-coat times and in fact we immediately slapped a single stage over the top of everything we did (some of our fenders got a visit from your favorite tire product).
All this was to show why proper steps must be followed, theory being……. You do not get payed for redoing a job you should have done correctly the first time.
One of the funny things was when we were wet sanding before buffing. The instructor brought out a bucket with our paper (1500 followed by 2000 grit) and repeatedly stressed the importance of checking your paper. Well…… 2 of those sheets were 500 grit. One guy had sanded through the clear, color and was at the sealer, he thought he had put the product on overly thin.
The other guy with the 500 had been sanding with the back side of the paper and bitching about how it wasn't doing anything.
We couldn't decide which was worse.
The noobs (like me) normally get some huge fleet job at this point (fire truck, commercial van) that we all work on. Should be an interesting Monday.
I quit the forum because I didn't like the direction a few were taking it. Mostly related to unscrupulous sellers and selling practices and my feelings toward those that supported them.
I have noticed a change in attitude so I will be giving it another try.
So on to school.
I had posted some time ago that I was returning to school. I am getting an associates in collision repair and refinishing. I have finished all but 1 of my general studies classes. I still need technical math but got an A in my last math class so it should be a non issue.
This leaves me with just under 2 years (Im only in the first term of actual of collision repair and refinishing) left.
It has been great fun. The first thing I learned was how much I really didn't know.
Correct refinishing is both technical and expensive. I asked, why are restoration quality paint jobs pushing $15,000 these days…..
Well….. Unlike 20 or 30 years ago we have heavy EPA involvement, chemical disposal fees, and skyrocketing product cost.
I found it interesting (and not unexpected) that with the conversion to HVLP guns (which use less product) the paint manufactures set into a rhythm of regular product price increases.
In short……. HVLP uses less product for the same coverage. Less product = lower sales for the paint manufactures. Paint manufactures now adjust prices up so everything works out the same for them…..
So for you guys that want a $5000 paint job…….. Quality products (just the liquid getting sprayed on the car, not counting abrasives and other items) can run $3000+/- on a complete. That leaves $2000 for getting all that rust fixed, dents filled and body straightened. So you get what you pay for.
Our first project was a 98 honda civic fender. We all got a brand new ($21) aftermarket fender. This new fender got a visit from a claw hammer and a rubber mallet. We had to fix it using about 98% metal finishing and 2% body filler.
Then we painted it a gold metallic (along with a cut and buff)……. Then it got a visit from a screw driver, 3 nice scratches. Scratch 1 we did a feather and used proper refinishing techniques. Scratch 2 we used sand paper around our finger for feathering then hard lined the primer. Scratch 3 we did any way we wanted.
We sanded, blended and as you would expect, most looked like hell.
We were not following the proper re-coat times and in fact we immediately slapped a single stage over the top of everything we did (some of our fenders got a visit from your favorite tire product).
All this was to show why proper steps must be followed, theory being……. You do not get payed for redoing a job you should have done correctly the first time.
One of the funny things was when we were wet sanding before buffing. The instructor brought out a bucket with our paper (1500 followed by 2000 grit) and repeatedly stressed the importance of checking your paper. Well…… 2 of those sheets were 500 grit. One guy had sanded through the clear, color and was at the sealer, he thought he had put the product on overly thin.
The other guy with the 500 had been sanding with the back side of the paper and bitching about how it wasn't doing anything.
We couldn't decide which was worse.
The noobs (like me) normally get some huge fleet job at this point (fire truck, commercial van) that we all work on. Should be an interesting Monday.
