help with pc'ing

[sampleez]

i just got my gun today and i did an old sprocket that i had. since i was all excited, i didn't really do an extremely good job prepping the piece. the finish has the orange peel effect and i was wondering what i can do to prevent/fix this. also, i am going to do my side cases and valve cover gloss black. is it necessary to tape off the entire inside of the cover, or just do the gasket surface, any tapped holes, bearing surfaces, oil holes. and with prepping, will carb cleaner work the same as the Methyl Ethyl Ketone for cleaning. Lastly, any other tips u could give me. This is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Josh Samples.
here are some pics. the finish is alot glossier that the pics show.

[Pappy]

prep is the key, if its not done properly the finish will look bad. each part should be beadblasted or blasted with aluminum oxide. if you dont have access to that then your dead in the water if you want a decent finish. you can use a wire wheel on a drill on some parts, but they will need to be washed and dried before pc'n.

dont use brake cleaner, and becareful with MEK. it is absorbed straight into your skin and can cause serious health issues. there are a few spray on metal prep cleaners available that will be much safer for you.

the orange peel can be a couple of reasons. on a flat surface you will usually always have peel, its just the nature of pc. how fast the part comes to temperature will also cause "peel". the pc being too thick can cause peel.

i always tape off the entire back of a side cover. i use cork, rubber and even an assortment of bolts to plug all holes and any area that i dont want pc to get into.

keep practicing, read all you can on this practice and take your time. its a cool hobby.

[sampleez]

once again, thanks a lot. i'll post some more pics after i do some more practicing and get it down. in the book it said to wet sand the part to help with the orange peel. i tried this and it made it pretty dull. i guess a coat of cleat would work, but is there any other way to get the gloss back.

[Pappy]

yes, once a single color is cured, you can wet sand and re buff just like paint. infact on some harley parts or parts for show cars i do this just to eek out any last bit of gloss or remove any imperfections depending on how visible the part is.

[sampleez]

well, i just got done curing my second attempt and all i have to say is wow!!!! i must have done something right this time b/c it is friggin awesome. this time i spent a lot more time cleaning the parts, and i turned my oven down from 400 to 350, but still for about 15 min's. here is a pic or two. i hope the side case turns out just as good(but in gloss black). is pc'ing like painting in that black is much harder to shoot. also, how do u clean your gun when switching colors. i just blew it out w/ a nozzle. last, this color is cardinal red. is it pretty close the the stock yfz frame. i wanted to get a yellow one, but they said they wont get one in until march!!!. so i guess ill have to settle with blue or white, cause the dealer is a family friend and i'm getting it for $200 over cost

[Pappy]

looks good.

remeber, time the curing cycle out after the "PART" temperature has reached atleast 350 degrees. if you use the flow out method you will end up with under cured parts

[sampleez]

how do u properly clean out the gun and powder cup. i'm gonna switch over to black tomorrow. is black harder to shoot than other colors like in painting. what color(s) are pretty close to cardinal red. i'm down to about 1/2 a can(only came with 8oz red and black).

[Pappy]

blow out the gun and cup with air

then use a lint free towel and possibly dampen it with alcholol and clean away (unplug the gun first)

some hobby guns have a small screw that will need to be removed and cleaned.


bright red, mirror red are all the base reds.

[sampleez]

here's some more pics of progess. i have gotten a pretty good little system going, and i am really liking my results so far. On the oil tank, it has a little bit of an orange peel to it. would putting a good coat on it help with this, or would it take on the same look. Thanks for all the help

[Pappy]

it usually takes a clear coat to eliminate peel (its not really peel, the tank is ruff)