Steps in Repainting a Vending Machine

[Steller1984]

I'm sandblasted my metal parts, and want to know of the best steps to go about paint it, this being my first time. How many coats of primer & paint to I apply, how long should it cure for, should I put a clear coat on, should I put a clear coke over the decals that I apply, ect... Thanks for the help!

[krovel]

i recently painted my first machine, so this may or may not be good advice.   

I used a lot of primer, prob about 4 coats and made sure it was covered well.  3 or color and about 5 of clear.  I used a lot of clear so I could sand it smooth.

I waited 24 hours after primer, light sanding, then color.  I just waited a few hours and then added clear coat. Waited 24 hours and sanded the clear coat. 

The main problem I had was painting the compressor area. It was very small area and I had a lot of trouble moving my hvlp gun around. I will prob look around for something else with my next machine.  Again, i'm sure this is not the correct way but it was fun and turned out pretty good.  I made the mistake of painting when it was to hot, so be careful of the temps when you paint.

Good luck

[MoonDawg]

I used a lot of primer, prob about 4 coats and made sure it was covered well.  3 or color and about 5 of clear.  I used a lot of clear so I could sand it smooth.

      Good advice but use that primer to your advantage and sand it then finely wetsand it to eliminate small pits or scratches. The primer is softer than the clear so get your smooth finish as early as possible