Spray painting techniques

Details: Category: Paint; Last Updated on Saturday, 14 May 2011 15:25; Written by Site Admin; Hits: 1194

Painting your own car can be a difficult task, but by following these steps, you will be able to strip, primer and paint your car in your own garage. Just be sure to take the necessary precautions and remember to always put safety first.

Clean the work area making sure that it is dust free and has excellent ventilation.

Cover the work area in plastic sheeting to retain the fumes inside the work area. This will allow the stripper to work efficiently. Carefully mask off any areas that are not to be stripped of paint or need to be screened from the paint stripper.

Strip all the paint from the car using a chemical paint stripper. Read all precautionary steps and directions on the stripper container. Use gloves and goggles, and rinse off any areas of skin that come into contact with the stripper. Make sure that there is adequate ventilation.

Remove the plastic sheeting from the work area after the allotted time.

Carefully scrape the paint from the vehicle with a putty knife or paint scraper.

Rinse the paint stripper residue and any loose paint remaining off the car to neutralize the stripper.

Sand the vehicle with 80-grit sandpaper to create a key for the first primer coat to bond to. Aluminium panels require an etch primer to be used for at least the first coat. Clean the car of sand particles etc. before applying any primer.

Check and re-apply where necessary masking tape to windows, tyres and other locations you do not want paint to touch.

Tip: Create a static storage to help keep dust off the car. Simply take several balloons you've rubbed to gather a charge and hang them above the vehicle.

Spray your primer of choice over the car in gentle, horizontal sweeps, passing the ends of the panel on each sweep. Apply four to five coats of primer, allowing each coat to dry and sanding out any imperfections with 120-grit sandpaper on a sanding block before beginning the next. This is a great time to get comfortable using your paint sprayer, as primer is inexpensive compared to paint.

Apply a thin red primer coat. Sand the vehicle lightly. This will help you find any dents or imperfections in the car. Dents will still have red primer on, high spots will be back to bare metal. Repair these parts where required, and re-coat with primer as necessary until the primer coat is complete with no dings or dents visible.

Apply each paint layer evenly and with a thin coat. This will prevent droplets and uneven blotches. Begin at the top and work your way down, spraying horizontally with each sweep. Apply at least seven coats, lightly sanding and cleaning each time between coats when dry. Sand in the direction you sprayed the paint on.

Once you've done the paint layers and are happy with the results, you may need to spray on several layers of clear laquer (clearcoat) to seal the paint. This is especially true for metallic style finishes. Your paint supplier will advise you on this.

Remove masking tape and polish the vehicle.

If you have any hints or tips for painting vehicles, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll pass them on!

Next >

Asides