[ausev] Auto painting

[Mark Farver]

Mike Delany wrote:
> I have painted a couple of cars in the wayback years and have learned a 
> couple of things.  If you want it to look good, take it somewhere. 
> Lacquer looks great but the VOC's have just about removed it from the 
> market, and most of the new urethane paints are way too toxic to use at 
> home.  
I don't see anything particularly toxic on the MSDS sheets for most of 
the urethane systems.  Nothing I'd want to breath, but most everything 
is light hydrocarbons/VOCs.  Everything a quality paint/organic solvent 
respirator and plenty of ventilation would take care of.  I'd avoid 
doing it in an attached garage, but almost anywhere else would work.  
Some paint systems are more nasty (cyanide is released from the worst, 
I've heard) but most professionals spray urethane's with only a respirator.

Oddly, all of the body shops I've talked to don't want to paint a full 
car even if its stripped and masked.  Almost all of the shops said Maaco 
was really the only option for a full car, and none of them could say 
that Maaco was capable of any more than an acceptable job.  (Which is a 
lot better than their previous reputation.) 

Anyhow, that is why I want to experiment, and get a feel for the 
process.  If its do-able, great, if not I'll have a better idea what I 
am paying for.

Mark