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Are you doing this in your garage? I'm guessing so.

If going from bare metal I'd go with metal prep DX 579 then DPLF 50 Primer(gray) with DPLF 401. Surfacer nice user friendly would be K36 that way if you have any left over in either the DPLF or k36 you can use one or the other as a sealer depending on topcoat color all though you can tint the k36 with basecoat w/o dbx1689. If you want to buy a seperate sealer I'd go with the DAS V sealers in either gray white or black as they lay down really nice. Color I'd go with DBC basecoat if it's a metallic then a nice user friendly clears are DCU 2002 or 2021. If its a solid color I'd go with DCC Concept and put one of the above clears in final coat. Naturally the reducers & hardner on basecoat and clears will vary depending on your spraying conditions/shop. Overall hardner for both clears Is DCX 61 and basecoat ,clears,concept,sealers be it DPLF or k36 or DAS and k36 as the surfacer all use the DT reducers. Reducers range from very quick to very slow drying. 860,870 885,895,898. Rule of thumb is last numbers give you a general temp area they work best in. Good overall is 885 as it dries nice but doesn't skin over so quick that it traps the tail solvents in. The really slow ones 895&898 are very slow tail solvents. Use to be they said we could combine them like take 870&895 and come up with 885 but now they say you get a fast front dryer with really slow tail solvents which can bite you in the butt. Just remember if you are doing this in the garage to really allow extra flash times as you wont have the air flow drawing solvents out like you would if being shot in a booth. Be prepared to drop a couple grand or more it's not cheap! I've seen a gallon of DBC run me over a grand alone. Figure gallon of DPLF couple hundred,k36 same,reducers my cost are just under 60 a gallon,DCX qrts are over 125. Clears are 225-250 gallon. Concept seen that 500-800 or more a gallon. I'd get a complete quote b4 you belly up to the bar. Best guess on amounts. Gallon DPLF,2 qrts DPLF 401 start with gallon k36(more if got a lot of priming/blocking/body work) qrt hardner for k36,2 qrts sealer qrt hardner for sealer,gallon DBC (2qrts in a gallon can each so you can add 2 qrts reducer to have two gallons spray able. Gallon clear with qrt hardner. Figure 2 gallons reducers. Will you have some product left over yes but if you say buy 3 qrts DBC it will be pretty darn close to gallon price( buy in bulk thinking) same goes for your primers and clears too.

Best of luck

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right click and save!

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Great info Hotair, this should be saved to the "best of".

Sheldon

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Oh don't listen to me I've just sniffed to much paint and propane fumes I don't know what I'm talking about!

All kidding aside thanks! I'm suprised it makes sense as I typed it out late last night after work.

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I started using SPI epoxy and I like it. Half the cost of ppg and it sands better also. Mixed at 50/50, so half the cost and almost twice as much product.

As far as paint, I usually use Dupont Chromabase. I used to use ppg, but can't get it locally anymore. I can't say I prefer one or the other, but I've been happy with dupont. I like the base better myself, 1 gallon makes 2 sprayable gallons when mixed... enough to do an entire car including inside/jambs.

Having used both for 20 years or so now. I can't really say one is better than the other. Both are good paints and people tend to like one or the other.

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SPI is all I use for primers and clear. Though PPG and Dupont are easliy available at the local jobber, Pro Spray is a less expensive (but still quality) option as well.

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Another reason to steer clear of Dupont is the fact that they recently sold their paint division to Carlisle group. They are in the process of changing the name to Axalta coatings. I have used Dupont products almost exclusively my whole life. Recently when I went to my local jobber to get some products, I was told they are phasing some products out. So what is available now may very well not be available in a couple of months. I am actually considering switching to PPG myself.

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