Auto Spray Painting: Three Central Guidelines for Avoiding Bumpy Finishes

Posted on: 27 October 2021

If your car is looking a little old or you would like to change its appearance, consider spray painting to boost its appeal. Moreover, the fresh coat of paint will improve the surface protection on the auto body panels. Consequently, your vehicle will be less prone to rust spots and general wear. However, keep in mind that spray painting is a little time consuming and tedious. Therefore, you should choose professional help from an auto body shop to get high-quality results. If you would like to handle the task at home, plan for the work to avoid a sloppy and rough finish. Here are simple guidelines for a smooth and bump-free finish.

Repair Rust and Dents

When you are preparing to spray paint your vehicle, make sure that the surfaces of the body panels are as perfect as possible. In general, a fresh coat of paint will make the imperfections on your vehicle more prominent. Therefore, you should repair the flaws for a cleaner finish. If your vehicle has dents or protruding areas, plan for panel beating. The level of repair required will depend on the extent of the damage. Light pushing of the material can eliminate minor problems. If your vehicle was involved in an accident, you might need a professional panel beater. Also, remove rust spots. Cleaning is not sufficient because continued rusting will cause bubbling. So, use a rust removal solution or tool to eliminate all rust residue.

Sand Down Surfaces

Sanding is one of the best approaches to make the auto panel surfaces smooth before a paint job. This process will remove the old and damaged coat on your vehicle. Consequently, the fresh coat will not have to cover up the imperfections on the body. Under ideal circumstances, you should sand down the old layer of paint on your vehicle completely. The process should expose the bare metal so that you can start the painting process with a clean surface. However, this process can be time-consuming and tiring for an amateur. A power sander will help in accelerating the process, but it will still be a challenge. If you cannot handle a complete sand-down, plan for partial sanding to the old primer coat.

Plan for Coat Curing

Finally, ensure that each coat of paint delivered by your spraying equipment dries before proceeding to a fresh coat. The primer should cure to allow for light sanding for better paint adherence. Then, use a thin layer to cover the panels evenly. Allow the coating to dry as indicated by the paint manufacturer before delivering the subsequent layer. 

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