Expert: William Forster - 3/3/2007

Question
Sir,
 I have used Nason single stage paint 3 times in the past with what I feel were very good results.  My past attempts have all been sectional items (a set of Jeep doors, a hood, and a tailgate).
 I am now repairing recent minor body damage on my 2002 Dodge Ram in preparation for a complete (entire truck) paint job.  I am painting the entire truck due to a few other small dents here and there which I will repair, and numerous scratches (some through the base coat) all over the body.
 My question is in regards to the paint for this application.  I plan to use Nason two stage base/clear for this project and I have never used a two stage before.  How many base coats (medium red) can I plan to apply?  Once the base is applied, how long a time do I wait to apply the clear coat?  How many coats of clear should be applied? And finally is there anything that needs to be done between applying the base and clear coats?  I will be using a HVLP gravity feed gun for this project.  
 Thank you for your time.   Brian  

Answer
Wow, too many questions, Brian. Get whoever you buy paint from to give you a product data sheet, or read the can labels. Now, stuff they won't tell you- lay a coat of white sealer, or base coat, over the whole truck. Reds cover like shit, and are expensive. The white sealer will save 2-5 coats of base, depending upon the color. Less is better. Nothing special between base and clear coat, just 30 minutes dry time. 2-3coats of clear, 3 if you intend to sand and buff when done.buse an HVLP with at least a 1.6 fluid tip for clear urethane. Be sure the clear is an overall clear, not a hyper cure clear. Bill