This Bug is Painting me [Bugs in paint extravaganza]

No matter how I try to time it, cool weather for the past couple of days [check], breezy today [check], warm enough to paint [check], cant see any bugs flying around [check], right after I lay down a nice coat, no sooner does a bug land right on the fresh paint. :rant:

It happens in the garage too, so that aint going to fix nuttin :bangpan:

I have come to accept this. Have YOU????

What do you do?

Leave em in. It adds character.
Sand em out. I love chasing the dragon.
What's paint? I prefer citations at the RSO table for indecent exposure.
The area of a circle divided by the square of its radius. We all like pie.

Leave 'em in, sand 'em down and paint over them.

Move out West to a dry climate where there are few bugs, you can paint year round, not wait long between coats and the high gloss always comes through.

I hear say that Barstow out Californy way is purdy nice.

If the paint is fresh layed. Grab a strip of masking tape and carefully stick it to the bug. Lift it out, and hit a few shots on the spot. Let dry, and color sand the area to level it for the next coat. Also works for those runs from time to time.

Daddyisabar said:

Move out West to a dry climate where there are few bugs, you can paint year round, not wait long between coats and the high gloss always comes through.

I hear say that Barstow out Californy way is purdy nice.

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Barstow is great. We grow most of our tumbleweeds there but the main crop is dirt clods. If you 're ever out this way and get a chance...miss it. In the windy season (360 days) we make sandpaper. Paint your rocket fin and set outside your door. An hour later you have 60-80-120 grit depending on windspeed.

No answer for me. I pick/pop them out with a pointed Exacto knife blade.

Send the wife to the spa one Saturday....Plastic off the dining room and spray away Bug-Free for a few hours....you can always get the overspray later..

Haha! I can relate! I went to Washington as a contractor for Boeing and it rains so dang much! I had a two bedroom two bath apt. I tarped the whole thing and used the bathroom exhaust fan. Beautiful paint jobs- no dust or bugs and they clear coated wonderfully! I could set the heater on low and close the door and viola'! Baked enamel coatings! I went to move and stripped out all the plastic and was ready for inspection for my deposit back. Looked up at the ceiling in the bathroom and the fan was fire-engine red! (I'd removed the cover for better airflow) Oh well-they never noticed. Spray on buddy!

Early on in my rocket building career, I didn't paint anything.

Then I started to paint them all as if they were museum display pieces.

Now I just paint them for visibility purposes and it pleases me to put a nice glossy clear coat over the color.

After all, we're gonna shove a Skidmark up the tail pipe, flame our way up to 2000', hope the chute deploys properly and we land on a soft spot.

SOLUTION: Hang a white sheet over the garage door and shine spot lights on it... Oh!, you DON'T want bugs... Why not invest in a paint booth? All you need is some plastic sheeting (dropcloth), cheap 1" x 2" lumber, and a stapler. You can find a how-to video on youtube

jeffgeraci said:

SOLUTION: Hang a white sheet over the garage door and shine spot lights on it... Oh!, you DON'T want bugs... Why not invest in a paint booth? All you need is some plastic sheeting (dropcloth), cheap 1" x 2" lumber, and a stapler. You can find a how-to video on youtube

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PVC sprinkler pipe works equally well for the paint booth structure and you don't have to nail or screw anything together. Storage is easy, too.

Eh, a little bug in the soup ain't that big a deal, it's protien.

JPVegh said:

Eh, a little bug in the soup ain't that big a deal, it's protien.

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Reminds me of a childhood rhyme:

A gentleman dining in Crewe
found quite a large mouse in his stew
Said the waiter; "Don't shout, or wave it about
Or the others will be wanting one, too!"

sorry JP-it was the first thing that popped into my head after I read your reply!

Well, looks like if I want my rockets protein free, ima hafta stop eating sloppy peanutbutter sammiches before I spray, and invest in some pvc and tarp. I just hope "she" doesn't make me get rid of something... Like my forced induction propane furnace. That bad boy will hit 3000 deg., maybe I could use it for a bug zapper of sorts

Wow! Forced Propane? Carbon fibre curing in three minutes!! Keep the furnace, buy the girl a tray of ice cubes!

Daddyisabar said:

Move out West to a dry climate where there are few bugs, you can paint year round, not wait long between coats and the high gloss always comes through.

I hear say that Barstow out Californy way is purdy nice.

Click to expand...

I spent a week in Barstow, one day...

fyrwrxz said:

Wow! Forced Propane? Carbon fibre curing in three minutes!! Keep the furnace, buy the girl a tray of ice cubes!

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I built the mofo to hold a #20 crucible. IDK about curing resin with it, just a flash cure, maaaaybe, but only if you don't mind getting ashes back :grin:

Harbor Freight dust collector is the source of the forced air, wired through a dimmer switch. It's probably bad for the motor..... but that's why I got the warranty :wink:

I should see if adding stink bugs into the mix would give me a bit better temperature, we seem to have plenty of em :eyeroll: