HELP: painting steel door?!?!?!
Nobody
I recently had a Thermatru steel skin over foam front door replaced under
warranty, but they didn't cover the painting. Long story short, I'm fixing
to go on my 3rd new door due to painting mishaps. The first time out, I
hired a handy man. He totally butchered the paint job: clumps, runs, etc.
Then when he tried to fix it, he sanded so hard, he ended up damaging the
metal! The second door, I tried to do myself and vastly improved on the
handy mans work, but I wasn't happy with it (and I am obsessive compulsive).
The door costs about $175 delivered, so its a lot more economical to start
with a fresh door rather then spending hours or days sanding down &
bondo'ing one. Hey, I live in Orange County LOL, what can I say??? :).
Anyways, while the door is not too expensive, I'm not in the mood to go
through 10 doors before I get something I'm happy with... so I want to do
this next one right, no matter what it takes...
Here is my issue... the outside is painted with oil-based semi-gloss, and
the inside with water based semi-gloss. Both I and the handyman used rollers
(well, I wont even go into what the handyman did before trying to fix it), I
got a lot more consistent texture / sheen then he did, but the roller left
it pretty dimpled and "plasticy" feeling, rather then feeling like a metal
door.
So I'm assuming that the original door was sprayed right? It had much finer
dimples, didn't feel plasticy and was a lot smoother without drips.
A guy at the paint shop said that on both the oil based and the water based,
it feels plasticy because I didn't use paint thinner, but he said even if I
did, it would still feel plasticy and that I should spray it.
I have never sprayed anything before, is it possible to achieve the
non-dimpled, non-plasticy feeling finish with an electric power sprayer like
the Wagner power painter? He said if I got one of those, it would look like
my original door. Instead of feeling plasticy, it would feel like a metal
door, and it would have the fine dimples, rather then the large ones.
Is this all true? I don't want to shell out another $175 for a door and $100
for a wagner only to end up where I am now. I want to button up this job!
:(.
He also said that even with the power painter, I need to thin both the water
based and the oil based paints or the painter wont be able to spray it.
I guess I have one side of my 2nd new door thats still bare factory primer
to practice on a little bit, before I go to the brand new door.
What consistency should I be looking for to know how much thinner to put in?
Should one coat sprayed on be enough?
Since the outside is oil based paint, how is it possible to clean out the
sprayer since water wont do it.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Arthur Shapiro
>Hi,
>
>I recently had a Thermatru steel skin over foam front door replaced under
>warranty, but they didn't cover the painting
I have no experience with doors, but as you're in OC: why don't you run it up
to Olympic PowderCoating (they were on Dyer road the last I dealt with them)
or equivalent competitor, and have it professionally powder coated? What
better way to get a smooth, durable, attractive finish on metal?
Art
Chris Hill
Just a thought; auto body shop.
Alan Sung
one thing you might want to try is wet sanding the door using anywhere
from 1000 to 2000 grit. This is best done with the door lying flat on
some sawhorses.
-al sung
Rapid Realm Technology, Inc.
v
>....The second door, I tried to do myself and vastly improved on the
>handy mans work, but I wasn't happy with it (and I am obsessive compulsive).
>The door costs about $175 delivered....
Sounds like you have a new hobby that costs $175 every time you need
another fix.
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