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Tip of the day, painting small parts 3-3-12

19K views 71 replies 23 participants last post by  optiontown 
#1 ·
Today I was out painting some brackets and I used a little trick that is often overlooked, for some reason even the pros. I have seen guys paint hood hinges and the like at the shop and not do this, leaving bare spots!

It's simple, yet often its missed and that's why I thought it would be a good little tip for you guys. First off, these hooks made from stiff wire are invaluable, you can't have enough. I have made them from coat hangers, eighth inch welding rod, sixteenth inch welding rod, just about any stiff wire will do, depending on how heavy the item is you are painting. I have a whole pile of them hanging there on my peg board for tools, because that is exactly what they are, tools.


First off, when ever possible you hang the part as it is going to be SEEN at the very least. If you don't plan on doing the double hook process as I will describe, you hang it as it is bolted on the car. It makes not sense to paint that bracket up side down, but I am telling you I have seen guys do it all the time. So first off, hang it as it is on the car.

But the double hook method works so darn good, I use it all the time. You can see I have a hook on both sides in photo A. I don't actually leave the hanging there, I just put it there to show you. After painting the piece I then hung another hook on the other end. In photo B you can see that I have the top hook in my left hand, the bottom hook in my right hand. I then pull the hook off the rack it's hanging on and simply pull the hooks apart with my hands so I can rotate the bottom hook to the top so I can put the next coat on with it hanging it upside down from where the first coat was applied. If you are pulling the hooks apart it doesn't fall off the hooks. Photo C. I don't care how good you are painting one side of something like this when you turn it over I am personally always surprised because I thought I had gotten it completely covered but there is always somewhere that has a at least a little holiday.

Back years ago I was the painter in a full on resto shop and we would have "Imron day" where we painted all the brackets and such on a car. I would have the booth full of 30 or 40 or more small pieces on hooks like this. Man did that teach me a lot, that is where I learned this trick.

Now damn it, get out there and paint all those little parts. :D

Brian






 
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#52 ·
Have you heard about this thing called the "Rat rod"? Rough and tumble hot rodding is alive and well. I dig it all, I have waxed the floor and frame of a car for a first class car show or bolted a part on without so much as priming it, one car to the next it's all different and I dig it all.

Brian
 
#53 ·
1967bsd said:
First of all....Excellent tip for anyone who didn't know!! I mean that!!
But whats with all the pro bashing!! all we try to do is give advice!! we all have different approaches so compare and use it!! I'm a pro for 30 years and alway game to learn I wouldnt be a pro otherwise! paints and prosess changes, those who don't keep up will lose, these forums are awsome so stop bashing and learn whatever you think will work for you!!
Keith
By the way Keith, I'm a pro too, been doing this stuff since I chopped a top at 16 years old and working full time since a week after highschool in 1977.

Brian
 
#55 ·
MARTINSR said:
Have you heard about this thing called the "Rat rod"? Rough and tumble hot rodding is alive and well. I dig it all, I have waxed the floor and frame of a car for a first class car show or bolted a part on without so much as priming it, one car to the next it's all different and I dig it all.

Brian
Brian,i have a 67 GTO that is a solid convert.i bought it 1983 and don't think i'll ever be able to restore it.in two months i'm going to hear it run for the first time and i'm gonna drive it all summer with no back window and just the way it is.i've paid thousands in storage to keep a car i've never heard run.i just love muscle cars and the old days.i've made my living for the last 25 years selling options for these cars,nobody gives me anything either,i earn it!so yeah i have a Rat Rod this summer.i also have a 64 Skylark convert that really needs a aluminum big/small block(lots of cubes and a 4 gear)chevy motor as a Rat Rod.
 
#56 ·
optiontown said:
Brian,i have a 67 GTO that is a solid convert.i bought it 1983 and don't think i'll ever be able to restore it.in two months i'm going to hear it run for the first time and i'm gonna drive it all summer with no back window and just the way it is.i've paid thousands in storage to keep a car i've never heard run.i just love muscle cars and the old days.i've made my living for the last 25 years selling options for these cars,nobody gives me anything either,i earn it!so yeah i have a Rat Rod this summer.i also have a 64 Skylark convert that really needs a aluminum big/small block(lots of cubes and a 4 gear)chevy motor as a Rat Rod.
nice I love 66-67 lemans/gto's
 
#58 ·
optiontown said:
i can remember being in junkyards since i first started reading Hot Rod in 1962.i just love Pontiacs.how could GM do that to us?

easy, at the end pontiac didn't have one car that was a money maker, persay..
most where badge engineered cars..
the 2 seater was a small sales volume car,
the g8 was great but the right car at the wrong time.. no one had money to buy it ..
they killed the t/a and removed the plastic cladding from the g/p and grand am.. both cars sold better with the plastic sides cladding than without..
for some odd reason buicks sell overseas.. china they are huge..
at the time money talked.. we get buick.. now as seen as chevy doesn't want the holden(g8) maybe give it to buick. paint it black and drop the s/c zo6 engine in it.. hehe
 
#59 ·
Pro bashing

I guess I've tried to share what I know in past forums and advice was disputed as having to be perfect which was never insinuated, I'm all for rat rods and any other type or level of pefection, I own a 65 GTO ...its not perfect but its fun, thats all that matters! anyway its good to have a good variety of opinion...Thanks.
Keith
 
#61 ·
stich626 said:
perfect gets in the way of done.. many a car still sits in pieces because of that call for perfect..
I so agree stitch.. I have seen guys try to make it perfect, and after about 5 years it gets sold for a fraction of the price of the parts alone, and gets labeled as "A PROJECT"
truly sad. :(
 
#63 ·
1967bsd said:
I guess I've tried to share what I know in past forums and advice was disputed as having to be perfect which was never insinuated, I'm all for rat rods and any other type or level of pefection, I own a 65 GTO ...its not perfect but its fun, thats all that matters! anyway its good to have a good variety of opinion...Thanks.
Keith
i have gone all over the country to put together peoples "Babies"so i fully understand perfect.i put the mechancal touches on the"GeeTo Tiger"1966 replicar.it crossed the Mecam block in Jan 2010.i have put toghether many top end show cars.i'm just so sick of the "look at how big my dick is" car owners.
 
#64 ·
latech said:
I so agree stitch.. I have seen guys try to make it perfect, and after about 5 years it gets sold for a fraction of the price of the parts alone, and gets labeled as "A PROJECT"
truly sad. :(
i've actuallly bought my own parts back and resold them for good money.i guess we're all dreamers.i have an unfinished Cutlass Wagon that took me 4 months to paint because i did every thing to make it look like it came painted from the factory.is is possible "Car Guys" are dillusional?the really neat part about the Cutlass was i painted it Black and i don't think they offered the color from the factory.imagine a Cutlass Wagon with factory woodgrain.(I've got NOS woodgrain if i ever finish this sweety.it was a California diesel car and now has a 403.all options.if you've never driven one,they handle like a T/A of the time.1 1/4 front stabilizer and 2.9 steering gear.*** kicking little car and the're great for junkin'
 
#65 ·
perfection

I have to agree that this restoration-perfection trend takes the fun out of muscle car and street rod building. I have my third 64=65 GTO restoration about finished and I intend to drive and enjoy it; not trailer and concourse show it. Nothing beats cruising around with the top down on a warm Friday night.

I guess I respect the guys who agonize over the correct bolt finish or assembly line chalk marks on their resto's but I have neither the skill or the $$ to build a 'correct' show car.

thanks for all the painting tips guys, I learn something new every time I log onto the Forum,

regards

Ron
 
#67 ·
Swanny 711 said:
Don't put too much trust in coat hanger wire. I was just puting my last coat of paint on an Indian M/C gas tank that was hanging from a coat hanger wire when the wire broke!
I had to start all over from scratch.
I think the lesson is don't ask a coat hanger wire hook to hold something where a much stronger hook is needed. :rolleyes:

Brian
 
#68 ·
small parts painting

that's tough but i've been doing this for years and never had one break.the unfortunate part for me is i've had other things happen that made me have to start over.the worst part is we're all trying to make this stuff so perfect and the second time sometimes becomes a 3rd time.qh welll
 
#71 ·
Yes it's a joke, I am having a little fun with Swanny's post. And Swanny, I know I should be giving you a break being you are a new visiter but I just had to poke fun a little here.

That Indian gas tank, I wouldn't even hang it. It belongs bolted to a piece of angle iron or something that is welded to a stand that CAN'T fall over. You can sand on it, paint it, move it, polish it, all with no fear of it falling. Certainly a coat hanger is MUCH too thin to hang something like that tank.

Brian
 
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