Sunday, April 14, 2013

Redneck respirator........                                                           


Being born and raised in South Carolina, my neck is inescapably a bit pink, so I don't always  go for the most sophisticated solution to the problem at hand (part of the reason I didn't buy a Porsche).  So to avoid inhaling paint fumes, rather than opting for the Hobby Air rig (~$600), I'm using a 40-foot length of corrugated PVC attached to the mouth piece from a snorkel.  Breath in through the mouth, out through the nose, don't get out of phase.  I used this method spraying two-part epoxy on a previous project and escaped unharmed (as far as I know -- my lungs may be Cub yellow inside).  I'm using a bit of nylon hosiery on the other end to keep critters out. 
                                                                                            For the interior, I'm using rattle cans exclusively for both priming (a combination of NAPA 7220 and Rust-Oleum self-etching primer) and for the top coat (enamel).  I want a lighter color for the dark places (foot wells), so I'm applying a clear enamel over the 7220).  I want a medium-to-dark gray for the visible parts of the upper portions (roll bar, side rails, etc.), but am still unable to find anything suitable that's not a primer rather than top coat.  Since I'm going with a full interior, a lot will be covered but there's still a lot of visible metal.  I'm assuming it's OK to leave some of the hidden-from-view interior parts in primer with no top coat.