I'm terrible with a brush, so several coats of enamel are not an option. Nor is the sheer amount of time required for each coat to go off.

I'm not likely to paint a machine tool, but it would be done with 2 pack if I ever did.

Why do you need such expensive equipment? Small surfaces can be done with an appropriate respirator, which all the paint supplier will sell for about £30 with filters.

This was painted with a tired 30 year old £200 compressor and a £25 LVLP gun and 1mm nozzle:

2 coats, wet on wet and I spent more time cleaning the gun than I did applying the paint. I mixed 1/4 litre(about £10 worth), and it did that panel and a wing. Unmasked it about 40 minutes after painting, although it was a hot day.

With 2 pack, you could filler prime, rub down, spot prime, top coat and unmask all on the same day.

I spray if I want a real shine, but for most machinery, I use a roller, either foam, or flock, flock covers easier, and just use an oil resistant single pack machinery enamel, like Tractol, or Paragon enamel, used with white spirit or naptha as a thinner and cleaner. Dont bother cleaning the roller between coats, just wrap it in a polythene carrier bag, and reuse the next day, then discard the roller when finished. The thinner used to clean the roller is a lot more expensive than the new roller. The ones I use are about 100mm by 30mm, and it is surprising what an excellent gloss can be obtained very quickly with minimum effort. Paint finish is all in the prep. filler and several coats of primer, let it dry thoroughly, then wet flat, or dry denib if you cant be bothered, and gloss it! The problem with a perfect paint job is that first scratch, learn to live with it, or just look at the machine, but don't ever use it again!!

I have just been painting my 4" traction engine. I primed it using Halfords spray cans. Then used H and M tins of spray paint. Self levelling enamel. I had ordered these. These are great. One light coat and leave it for 15 minutes. Then re coat and repeat after about the same time. The results are great. However. I am not one for too much preparation, small blemishes show through easily. I also always wash the parts before painting in petrol. One small bit of grease and the paint leaves small craters. I never use tack rags ether. Once washed a quick blow with the air line and off we go. As mentioned. Functionality is more important to me than show finish.

Then you put it all back together and knock chip and scratch your lovely finish 😂

My 5" Brittania got the same treatment

Bri

Edited By Boiler Bri on 03/04/2019 21:13:26

The advantages of HVLP guns are just as relevant for home use as they are for commercial: virtually everything that comes out the tip goes on the part. So there's much less cleanup, very little overspray, you can see what you're doing as there isn't a cloud of paint hanging about, the paint is very finely atomised and it doesn't bounce off the part. And you need less paint! I make no claim to be a painter as I don't do very much, but a cheap HVLP gun and 2k paint(compared to a traditional gun and cellulose) transformed my work. Applying just two coats dramatically reduces the chance of cocking up, and if I don't get any runs flatting and polishing isn't necessary: here's the gun finish a couple of days later, fitted up

The small HVLP touch up guns(which I used on that job) don't need a big compressor: my knackered 30 year old 1.5hp 50l tank job did the whole panel on one fill. I then let it fill up again, painted the wing, filled up and applied the second coat on the quarter.

Edited By Nicholas Wheeler 1 on 03/04/2019 22:54:26

Borrow a copy of this

**LINK**

it tells you all you need to know (and a ot more)

I am at the stage of painting my model traction engine and am using 2-pack paint. No expensive eqipment. I have a respirator as listed above and spray outdoors. If indoors I would need the proper gear..

As I am only painting a model engine, I am using a small touch-up spray gun. The paint tank only holds about a teacup volume of paint and only needs 4-5 cfm of air. (model size spray gun to paint a model engine). This type of gun is all you will need, available at auto parts stores for about $60.

If any of the steel was rusted, I sanded and applied rust converter. Then a coat of primer and a quick sand to smooth. Small holes in casting filled with spot putty.

The 2-pack paint consists of a can of colour and a can of hardener which is mixted together and has a pot life of about 30 minutes. A second coat can be applied in less than 10 minutes and is touch dry in 2 hours.

Clean-up is easy. Emply paint tank and give a quick rinse with thinners. Then add 1/2 tank of clean thinners and give tIhe gun a good shake to rinse any paint at the top of the gun/tank. I then hold a piece of cloth over the gun nozzle which collects all of the spray. Use the wet cloth to clean outside of gun and top ot paint tin before re-sealing. Half fill tank with clean thinners and repeat.

High gloss finish achieved with little effort.

Pin striping applied with a Beugler lining tool using "One Shot", signwriters paint. This paint is very thick and will cover any colour with one application. (My first attempt with using the Beugler). The paint takes 10-12 hours to dry. It is done freehand and requires a steady hand. Mine is a bit wobbly but happy with the result.

Paul

Use Acid 8 etch primer; aerosol or spray straight from litre can

I hate powder coating. As soon as you get a dinge in the surface the steel rusts underneath the coating like wildfire.

I have used the two pack stuff, only using the colour and not the hardener. Takes time to dry but finishes up as hard as applying two pack! Maybe I was just lucky, or could be that the hardener is there to accelerate the drying. I was told to do by an old bodywork man that restores classic and vintage cars.

Andrew.