I have heard that it is no longer possible to buy acrylic lacquer
paints and solvents here in Massachusetts and that similar national
reg's. are coming along to reduce VOC emissions.
It's been a few years since I painted a car (a Triumph Herald), so
what's a DIY painter to do now? From the information I have gathered,
it looks like I can do primer and sanding with standard compressor,
spray gun and charcoal respirator. Available top coat materials,
though, seem to be difficult to work with (i.e. you can't sand out or
rub out sags, dust and bugs!) or extremely hazardous to your health
unless your have a fresh air supply. Maybe the best approach is to
fill and prime to the point where the car or panel is ready for a top
coat and then have a body shop do the rest in the paint booth. Their
HVLP equipment will consume less of the expensive material too.
Is anyone doing top coats in home shops anymore?
Steve Manwell
smanwell@xenergy.com
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