Painting flat panels...Horizontal or Vertical

[Ken]

While I was painting a hood today with it flat on a set of stands I really hate having to reach over it to get to the center. Reaching over is just asking for any particles to fall straight down.

Do you guys try to spray objects off the vehicle in an upright vertical manner to lessen the "settling" of any dust/ lint from the air? Even in a paint suit and clean as I can get things, there always seems to be some particles that floats around. Thinking about putting some of the rubber covered hooks around the wall to hang stuff from. Wash the wall and tape fresh plastic on wall behind objects to be sprayed to keep spray off walls.

I currently wash walls and floors and try to "hose" myself off with air before sparying. heck I even wash my spray gun hose.

[Phil V]

Ken, all the pro painters paint hoods, decklids etc the way you painted yours on a tube type stand. Getting some dust nibs in the paint is part of the cost of painting. Its going to happen no matter what, all we can do is keep the dust nibs to a minimum. The ironic part is that the jobs that I take the most precautions with are usually the ones that end up with the most dust nibs, and the ones that matter the least are the ones that end up close to dust nib free. Go figure . My experience of painting many cars is that 90% of the dust/debris that gets into the paint comes from the vehcile itself and not from the area surrounding the vehicle.

[Dennis N. Schmidt]

I don't worry about dust nibs. It's the damn bugs that get me mad. Nothing like shooting that perfect coat of clear just to watch some bug doing the tango on it.

[grumpy]

:) Aman about the bugs. I had a white car the other day I was painting the hood and bumber on , a Black bug landed on the bumper down low on the first coat of clear. I had to let it dry for a while then pick it out spot a little white on it then reclear everything. I can live with dust nips cause I 'll sand them out but bugs well.
Grumpy

[fixdent]

The ironic part is that the jobs that I take the most precautions with are usually the ones that end up with the most dust nibs, and the ones that matter the least are the ones that end up close to dust nib free. Go figure

If I'm painting a taxi...don't worry much....man turns out great.

If I'm painting a Lincoln, wash and tack...wash and tack, wash and tack....it turns out dusty....

--
Gordon

[vadimb]

Was thinking about that just last week, so I built a stand from 2x4's, hung the hood about vertical, the result: less dust for sure, less settling of the clear coat from the air, the clear floats almost as good, but not as laying flat. I would say that for 90% of the jobs, it's great without cutting and rubbing, but for some the dust is still THERE!
As for spraying, it's like night and day, much more comfortable to spray.
Personally, I think it's worth the effort to make your own stand.