rookie paint questions

i dont have the money for a compressor and all that besides my neighbors would throw a fit if i full out started painting. however theres a paint supply shop here in town that use to sell arosol glass paint containers dont ask me how they did it. i never fully understood. this was like in 01? anyways so im bored this winter and would like to have some stuff to fuck with. so ive got some model cars, my little brothers lowrider bike & im thinking depending on how well it comes out maybe paint some interior peices on my old ladies ride & maybe my burban or my s10... however id like to know what the basics are. i figure ill never spray a full gallon anytime soon. so a quart as it is will be over kill & left overs for a bit.

so when it comes to primer ill more than likely use a high build filler primer/sealer... i know you gotta smooth it down to near if not perfect. tach cloth it.

however do you use reducer in primer? if so how much?

how much reducer do you use in paint. ill be doing like 8 oz sections at a time i know a quart will last long especially since ive heard stuff such as half reducer & half paint. along with the clear. so can anybody fill me in on the basics.. just mixing and that stuff im pretty good on coverage dispersing always have been even with rattle can and ghetto rattle can candys that show overlap..

the best way to learn that stuff is to read the directions on the materials. reducer and all that will vary according to temperature and other factors

k just figured id ask on here before i wasted cash on materials

you best bet would be to talk to the paint supplier that you are gettin it from, they should have data sheets on all the materials they carry and would be able to answer any questions you may have. Most paint cans have mixin ratios on the can. but talk to the supplier if you are unsure of anything

no where ever you get your paint, they will go over what your gonna need to spray it. just spend alittle time bullshiting with the paintshop guys. good luck on the painting.

o.k. this is far from the best way to start painting if you want to be a pro some day.. so i might catch a bunch of crap for it but here goes..

buy an air brush.. i have never used a cheapy from harbor freight, so i dont know it that would work or not, buy my iwata opens up 'enuf to spray down a healthy coat of paint or clear.. keeping a wet edge, even on a big area is not too tuff, esp if you use the right reducer..
your talking $100 for an airbrush you can use for this, then dial it down to play with "regular" airbrush projects, shading, graphics so on...
2) a guy can get away with a $30 can of reg primer (reduce with thinner=Cheap) for basicly any thing,, think you need high fill??? put on a few more layers! just follow the time stacking rule.. 1 coat 10 min, 2 coats wait 20 3 coats wait 40...
3) material wise pic a system and stick with it. there are too many different mixes to list them all, they are all different (yea i know some are the same, but just pick ONE) materials dont have to cost that much... most paint supply stores have "oops" cans too. a color may not match a customer's panel but for custom stuff who cares.
again-- maby not the best, and most painters are kinda detailed guys who would shoot me for following "the book" but you can have a lot of fun with it all if you just use common sence, go ahead and test your limits, and the limits of the supplies(depending on what your painting on!) but yea mostly just jump in!

oh and as far as the cans they load up for you... i have never tried one, but never seen a good job come out of the ones my friend keeps buyin... might just be him though???
---any little pancake compressor or just about anything will power your new airbrush b t w

well what im talkin about isnt preloaded cans its a glass container empty with a aresol loaded tube with some method of spraying i used them in 01 for an interior job and that shit was thicker than car paint from what ive seen, ill check into an air brush & pancake compressor. thanks shawn you helped a hell of a lot bro on everything. mostly i planed on biggest projects being a dash, lowrider bike and maybe a engine bay? once its tubbed that is...maybe shoot a really small flake? like a .04 or .004 whatever the flake number is i cant remember exactly..

BIGe-- i tried.. hope it gets you where you want to be. besideds ,I had to help a brother! (I grew up in Dinuba-- not too far away)