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Soon to be a "Professional" !!! :)

5K views 32 replies 13 participants last post by  John long 
#1 ·
Today I start my new career at a local restoration / hot rod shop! I will be working as all around helper to the painter who has 35 years in the business. This is the kind of job I have been dreaming of all my adult life and never thought it would actually happen.

A week ago I had the Nova I painted in 2012 out at a local cruise in, in the Nova I keep a flyer on the dash advertising that I painted the car and I am looking to do body and paint work on the side... the owner of the business happened to see the car and flyer and came over to talk to me about it and invited me to their open house/ cruise in at the shop the next day. I went and met the painter and we really hit it off. :)

Looking forward to learning anything and everything I can and getting paid to do it!! :thumbup:

I've been a Carpenter since I was 19, not going to miss it one bit!!! :welcome:

WOOHOO! Wish me luck!!! :D
 
#6 ·
Hope this is not a dumb question. I'm a 'do it yourselfer' and have never worked in a shop. I sit in an office all day but love crafts and love physical work.
Do people that paint also do fabrication, putty, primering, sanding, block sanding if their true expertise is in painting?
I would think it would be better use of time for a shop to use a painter for pure painting and compensating them for their specialty..
I would think it would be a waste of resources for a great painter to spend most of the day sanding filler and primer.
 
#7 ·
I think if a guy was an expert painter, and the shop is busy enough, he probably just paints all day everyday and that's it.

At the shop I'm at, it's just two guys doing paint and body all the way thru. I'm glad because I want to learn the entire process, and I'm sure I will be doing some spraying also.

I've never welded or cut out and replaced panels, so I am excited about learning that angle.

Also, don't forget, behind every award winning paintjob is a guy that knew how to make that body lazer straight and paid attention to the details... :)
 
#10 ·
Glad to hear that you made it into a restoration shop. Congrats on that, like was already said, learn as much as you can and soak up as much as possible. Have been on my own for 10 years now, but been working 3 days a week at a resto shop close by for just about a year now. Much different working with people around than working alone, breaks up the week pretty good.
 
#16 ·
Good for you ! If you enjoy working/building cars you seem to have found the right spot to start. I have been lucky enough to build cars/trucks for a long long time. Had a collision shop in So Cal and had the chance to work with some writers with various car magazines. Lots of fun and met a lot of great people working on some "project vehicles". I do some metal fabrication, fiberglass repair, frame fabrication/repair, electrical and paint work. I have learned over the years if there is something I am not sure about I always ask a person who I feel knows the answer. No harm no foul! The point of all this? Some people do not understand how a person can enjoy doing something they consider "work" even though it fun. Me, I do not understand how a person can go to work every day and hate it! SUCKS! I closed the shop and retired (my "EX" helped me make that choice) I now teach auto body/paint classes. Every day is fun, teaching students to do what I have enjoyed doing my whole life!! I have always said when I stop enjoying it I will stop doing it. You have found your place -- GOOD LUCK---ENJOY Look forward to seeing your pics as you learn your trade.
 
#17 · (Edited)
They let me prep and paint two new wheel houses for a chevy truck today. Single stage semi gloss black underside and base/clear topside. Turned out better than they look in this crappy phone pic, they will go in the truck tomorrow. My boss was busy sealing and basing the mustang, so I did these in the old paintbooth (basically a garage) where they do the priming etc. I cleaned it out real good and wet the floor before I started. Did the underside then flipped them over.

Yesterday, I did a tailgate and bumpers for another truck in semi gloss SS black.

I feel I'll be spraying a car very soon. We have a 68 or 69 Lemans convertible to fix a few spots and do a scuff and shoot on... no jambs etc. I'm going to volunteer to spray that one.

I use a warwick 904HVLP gun, its a copy of the Iwata w400, I spray at 30psi... love this gun, I'm going to get another so I can have a dedicated clear gun.

 
#19 ·
LOOKS GREAT! Like I said you love what you do it shows! I have a couple of Warwick guns I have had for a long time. Good guns, make sure you always check for wear on the needle and fluid tip of your guns. Usually on the less expensive guns the materials they make the "wearable parts" out of a softer material. (Costs less $$$). Keep up with the pics of what you have done with a couple of details about the job!Welcome to the type of job you always wanted --but didn't think you would ever get!! Congrats
 
#20 ·
Thanks guys. I'm going to start taking my real camera to work.

As far as tools, I have what I would consider a beginner body man set. All your basic sockets, wrenches etc. , Dura block set and other blocks (one of my favorites is just a paintstick and sticky paper), 2 DA sanders, interface pad, orbital electric sander, sawzall and jigsaw, 4 1/2" grinder, Makita buffer, HF electric DA polisher, HF Purple gun (the better version) for light primer and sealer, and my Warwick 904 H, wire brushes for cleaning sandpaper... pretty much all I need right now, my boss is super nice about lending me tools because it's just me and him in the bodyshop and I always put them back where I found them. SUPER cool guy! We get along great. He's not a micro manager and he's confident that I can do what I'm told to do. If I don't know how, I just ask.

I'm going to buy a HF siphon gun for thicker primers, I have one but I didn't keep it very clean and they are only about $30. AND, I need body hammers and dollys eventually, but I can borrow his for now.
 
#27 ·
Thanks! :) I didn't spray it, but I did all the colorsand and buff on it after the pics were taken. The Mustang is almost 100% now, and the owner should be taking it home tomorrow. I need to take my camera to work tomorrow to get some finished shots. Job is still going great, and we are working on a 68 camaro and a 69 lemans convertible right now. We have another 69 Mustang and a 67 Camaro waiting to be worked on. Yesterday and today I sprayed epoxy primer and then high build on the Camaro. Still doesn't seem like working to me... :thumbup:
 
#32 ·
Thanks. I know where you're coming from. Took me 26 years of that kind of grind to get to this place. The new job couldn't have come at a better time. Everything happens for a reason and you never know what's going to fall right in your lap, that's for sure. It's hard work, but it's work that I enjoy so that makes all the difference
 
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