. .
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
  1. #1
    Hi Guys,

    Watching Wilfy's thread on his computer desk I thought I would start one here (as suggested by Lee), so the knowledge isn't lost "off topic".

    I have a question - what is HVLP?

    Also some contribution - I have been a member of and absorbed a bunch of information over a number of years from www.detailingworld.com and must admit I do have a case of Obsessive Car Detailing (OCD ;) ). If you look at the "pros" doing their stuff on their you should be able to (with the right tools and compounds) get a shiny finish from almost any paint/lacquer combination and also what to look for in terms of "no no's" in spray finishes i.e. the stuff alot of these guys have to correct on quite frankly car finishes, which the manufacturers should know better about.

    For the beginner I would recommend a random orbital polisher, as it is the safest way of polishing paintwork/lacquer, or if you have the time and patience to learn a rotary polisher. More importantly though is the use of decent "dinimishing abrasive" polishing compounds which essentially (if worked correctly) break down into finer and finer abrasives which get the results the guys on that forum achieve. I have succesfully used the techniques (with some expense on polishes and polishers) on a number of materials from my car (pic attached of what is now a 7 year old vehicle - 5 years old when the pic was taken), composites (carbon fibre/kevlar etc) to mild steel and the use of the right abrasives and tools will get a mirror finish every time. I also use detailing spray and especially Megs APC (All Purpose Cleaner) for many domestic cleaning and protective chores (detailing spray on windows for example is awesome as it shines like you wouldn't believe and prevents "dirt" build up in the rain as the rain doesn't get to stay on the windows to deposit the crap that's often in it.

    BTW for polishing I use the Menzerna polishes (various grades) and Lake Country pads, dependant on what I am polishing and how shiny the finish needs to be.

    Apologies for the ramble, but if you look at some of the finishes/restorations achieved on that forum the knowledge there is well worthwhile, even though there are not many actual spraying experts there.

    Cheers


    Chris
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	XK88x6After.jpg 
Views:	310 
Size:	223.8 KB 
ID:	7750  

  2. HVLP stands for high velocity low pressure.

  3. #3
    m_c's Avatar
    Lives in East Lothian, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 2 Days Ago Forum Superstar, has done so much to help others, they deserve a medal. Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 2,908. Received thanks 360 times, giving thanks to others 8 times.
    High Volume Low Pressure ;-)

  4. Ooops tip of the slong slip of the tong thats the one :-D

  5. #5
    Thanks guys - will have to look into that , although it sounds like a recipe for orange peel ;)

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Washout View Post
    Thanks guys - will have to look into that , although it sounds like a recipe for orange peel ;)

    Operates at a much lower pressure than more traditional type spray systems which leads to less paint in the air & more actually where you want it, makes it possible to be more accurate with the spray gun. Systems will spray just about any kind of paint/liquid.
    Even with cheap hand held electric spray guns it is possible to get some very good results from what I have seen although you are more limited with the type of product you can spray. System I have allows the spray guns to be interchanged & covers just about everything.
    As with most things then yes it does take a bit of practice but it is not as difficult to learn as a standard high pressure spray & is more forgiving in general. Some good videos about & worth a look but yes it is still possible to get an orange peel effect lol

  7. #7
    so... it turns out it was acrylic i used previously and all i used to protect myself back then was a 3M mask as per the other thread.... is it really that bad that you should suit up and keep the clothes you used out of the way of the house??

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	photo (2).jpg 
Views:	539 
Size:	250.9 KB 
ID:	7753

    it has all the warnings on the back about full body protection and wearing a certain niosh approved breathing mask.

    if we put aside the safety issues... as far as spraying something as simple as a desk, now that i have this lacquer i'm pretty sure that aslong as there is something the resembles black beneath the lacquer i'll be able to get the finish i want for my desk.

    questions though if i use this lacquer.. what paint can i use before it? could i for instance use of the shelf spray cans of primer and black and then blast over with this stuff straight away or will they react? also do i need thinners with the above paint? i've got a feeling its 1 part lacquer to 0.5 activator and 10% thinners.. can anyone confirm?

  8. #8
    m_c's Avatar
    Lives in East Lothian, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 2 Days Ago Forum Superstar, has done so much to help others, they deserve a medal. Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 2,908. Received thanks 360 times, giving thanks to others 8 times.
    2K isn't good for you.

    The acrylic mentioned in this thread, can be applied straight out the tin without any activator/hardener, and is what most aerosols are now as it's low volatile (basically has minimal ingredients that cause health/enviromental issues). It's actually a bit of a generic term, as it can be mixed with other bases to create things like 2K.

    I know there's a deadline coming up (or it's maybe passed) for bodyshops to stop using High Volatile (Organic Compound) paints, and switch to water based, however I'm not sure if that's still a 2pack system or not. There is a lot of upset over it, as waterbased paints aren't as easy to work with. I should really pay a bit more attention to the bodyshop sections of all the trade mags I read!

  9. #9
    Chris,I love the car, it looks fantastic. I have a 2000 XKR which also looks good, but not as shiny as yours. does your Jag live in a garage all the time, or does it sometimes get wet? G.

  10. #10
    Thanks Geoffrey,

    The car now lives in a garage, but until I moved two weeks ago was on the driveway. Correct washing technique is essential to avoid swirling the clear coat (use two buckets - one for clean water and one to rinse with a wool wash mitt and grit guards in them to get the scratchy stuff off of the mitt) and correcting swirls every couple of years or so (that is a 2-3 day process for me). Also use a decent wax to help protect the clear coat (I use Dodo Juice, which is kind of the middle range of waxes, which can go up to several hundreds of pounds for a jar).

    Good to hear there's another Jaaag owner on this site and if you haven't already found and joined the XKEC its very worthwhile. I also hope you have discovered and corrected some of the V8's achilles heels, but if not let know and I'll let you know some of the importnant ones for a pre-2003 XK/XKR (timing chain tensioners should be high on the list) and also an independant who I have used for many years, once the warranty ran out.

    Oh here's a pic of a more up to date vintage, with some subtle mods made - mesh grill, smoked or clear repeaters, lowered number plate and some you can't see like the Quaife LSD, lowered suspension, poly bushes (mostly taking out stuff designed to a price for stuff designed to a spec).

    Cheers


    Chris
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	XK8 110709 8x6.jpg 
Views:	687 
Size:	269.9 KB 
ID:	7757  

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •