what kind of paint to use
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Fiberglass, Fabrication, and Interiors
Forum Discription: Fiberglass Kick Panels, Subwoofer Enclosures, Plexiglas, Fabrics, Materials, Finishes, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=40368
Printed Date: July 07, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Topic: what kind of paint to use
Posted By: xglasscustoms
Subject: what kind of paint to use
Date Posted: October 06, 2004 at 12:22 AM
for painting fb enclosures what kind of paint do you guys use? enamel, latex, laqure, satin, flat, etc, just wondering what you guys use and think is the best, also that goes for primer and clearcoat as well, ive gotten the hang of fiberglassing down pretty good, but i need to brush up on my painting skills, and i dont really know much about it, so any paint info you can share would be great (i already have a compressor and paint gun)
Replies:
Posted By: HottAccord
Date Posted: October 06, 2004 at 8:43 AM
Well, if you're not going for a professional look (meaning paint from a body shop), I usually use a can of spray Krylon (enamel). Flat is just paint with no clear or shine in it, so the paint will be dull and need to be clear coated. Latex has a coating which makes it easier to remove stains - mostly used on house walls - you can wipe dirt/fingerprints off easier. Satin I believe is an additive that makes the paint easier to smoothen out. I would say for FG, stick with enamel and add some extra coats of clear.  ------------- Im a fiberglass whore!!
Posted By: tylertime
Date Posted: October 08, 2004 at 7:27 AM
any paint should look alright if you prep and finish it i mean, i'm sure the du;; enamel looks great with clear coat and all that i used engine enamel (*high gloss) black and engine enamel clear coat, and i also wet sanded it with 800 for like 45 minutes, buffed it i think it looks fabulous! better than iot did after i had just painted it and left it. i've heard old guys talk about laquer paint being the deepest most amzing paintjobs ever on cars, but i've never seen one myself, but i'm sure if you use lots of layers and wetsand between coats and do all the steps, it'll turn out great no matter what kind of paint you use but i'd also recommend againt the 75 cent wal-mart spray paint. just cuz...you've spent all this time on it, find a paint that probably will go on better, most automotive paint cans have an oval spraying pattern to emulate the paint shop gun. i'd say its easier to do a nice job with those cans
Posted By: audiomechanic
Date Posted: October 08, 2004 at 8:42 PM
I use sherwin williams and house of kolor. I can get both locally. any of the others I have to drive an hour to get. both have a urethene system that is really common and easy to use. you just cant jump around between urethene and acrylic laquer. you have to stick to one.
if it needs to be a factory match I use the sherwin williams ultra 7000. if it needs to be someting unique, ya cant beat the HOK stuff. all the additives and the way you can mix and match most of their products are great. I just use the sherwin primers P30a) and clears(cc645hs). i have heard the HOK clears are hard to work with. I am gonna invest in some to try it out. the primer come in different colors to match the base being used for easier coverage and has a flex additive in it. the clear is an air dry clear and it pretty forgiving for the novice.
What kind of gun do you have and how many CFM is your compressor?
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Posted By: boxmaker85
Date Posted: October 10, 2004 at 9:30 PM
Can a sherwin wiliams paint gun be used to paint a box (and give it a good coat)? And how much does paint run w/ the HOK?
Posted By: audiomechanic
Date Posted: October 10, 2004 at 10:31 PM
i use sherwin williams paint..... the automotive paint that they make.
really it is hard to say about the HOK. it is really what you are looking for with the HOK stuff. you can mix and match and add in so many additives, kandies, pearls, and so on. you kind of have to know what you want before you look for prices with HOK.
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Posted By: boxmaker85
Date Posted: October 11, 2004 at 12:27 PM
Does anyone know a place to get HOK paint on the net? Or another really nice paint to put on a fg box? Cheaper is better but quality is still important. Does the sherwin william's electric paint gun put out a good spray? I've got access to a nice one but want to know if it'll do a good paint.
Posted By: audiomechanic
Date Posted: October 11, 2004 at 5:52 PM
the sherwin electric gun is for house paint and will not work.
this is the cheapest place i have found HOK online.
https://www.hokpaint.com/scripts/depot.exe?pgm=hokfullline.bbx
all of the major brands make a lower line paint... dupont=norton
PPG=omni and sherwin williams= dimension
look in to those. if you are starting out and have absolutly no paint stuff, it can be kind of expensive to start out. but once you buy reducer and the hardners primer and clear, it is cheaper the 2nd time around. all ya have to buy the color. just buy quarts or the smallest amount you can get right off, then if you find that you are painting a lot, you can up the amounts as needed.
if you are gonna go with HOK i reccomend getting the chip sample book they sell. it is well worth the 60 dollars. it shows different bases, kandies, pearls. it also shows different combinations of their paints to make totally different colors and effects.
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Posted By: boxmaker85
Date Posted: October 11, 2004 at 9:15 PM
Yeah i'm a newbie at the painting. At least w/ airbrush. So that's a negative on the electric SW painter? Figures. Ok so should i go with a paint gun? What kind? Where? How much? Lotta questions i know but like i said i'm new at the paint area. Thanks a ton though.
Posted By: audiomechanic
Date Posted: October 12, 2004 at 7:15 AM
you can do an ok job with a HVLP gun from harbor freight or porter cable. other wise devilbiss makes a entry level line .... finish line they are pretty good to look here www.toolparadise.com.
if you try it with an air brush you will be there for the rest or your life trying to get it one even color.
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Posted By: technodigifreak
Date Posted: October 12, 2004 at 4:31 PM
I use testors model pain in the spraycan, just about any color you could ever think of and easy to clear coat, I would not suggest it for anything that stays in direct all the time tho---as it tends to fade under heavy sunlight
otherwise its the greatest for small projects
oh yeah and did I mention its cheap
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Hot-Modder
Posted By: audiomechanic
Date Posted: October 12, 2004 at 8:27 PM
why not just get the color of the car preloaded into a spray can?
it will match better.
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Posted By: boxmaker85
Date Posted: October 12, 2004 at 8:55 PM
Where would i get that? My car's dealership? How much do those run?
Posted By: audiomechanic
Date Posted: October 13, 2004 at 6:53 AM
go to an autobody supplier. they should be listed in the phone book. ask if they can load a pre-reduced paint into a can for you. a lot of them can do that.
you will still have to clear it with a compatable clear though.
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