Car Painting Guide

Tap to Read ➤ Vipul Lovekar

Here is a guide that will help you in your endeavor to paint your car. The tips given here will definitely come in handy when you wish to give your car a new look.

The auto industry has been a major victim of the recession. If you are thinking of cutting down on your expenses, then your car is sure to be the first victim. You start neglecting the minor problems of your car, forget giving it an expensive paint job.

Tips and Techniques

Step 1: Gathering Material

Make a list of things that you will need, beforehand, and keep them ready. Here is a list of things that you will need. » Plastic sheets or waterproof canvas for covering the car. » Detergent. » Sandpaper for sanding down the surface of the car. » Primer (the quantity depending upon the size).

» Paint. There are two types of paint, cellulose based and two pack automotive paint. Choose the type of paint depending upon the age of the car. For old, classic cars, it is preferable to use cellulose based paint, and for newer cars, it is preferable to use two pack automotive paint.

» Clothes, mask and goggles for covering all the exposed areas of the body. » Sprayer for spraying the paint on the car. » Clear coat kit to give the finished look to the car.

Step 2: Cleaning

It is absolutely imperative to work on a clean car, whenever you are getting a paint job done. This is because dust is the greatest enemy of wet car paint. Once the dust is settled on the wet paint, it is impossible to remove it.

The first and foremost step recommended is to wash your car properly, so that any unwanted foreign material is removed.

Step 3: Sanding Down

The paint should only be applied to a smooth area. For this, you will have to sand down the car.

The surface of the car has a tendency to have some fine holes in it. You can use putty to fill up these fine holes, and then proceed to sand down the car. Use a sandpaper to do this. In this step, all the colors should be scrapped down.

Step 4: Preparation Before Painting

You cannot apply paint on a wet surface. Make sure that the car is completely dry before painting it. Next would be to cover the area of the car that you don't want the paint to get on, like windows, windshield, car interiors, etc.

Use the waterproof material that you gathered before, for this purpose. Use a masking tape to keep the material in place.

Step 5: Priming

A primer is something that is applied before painting. A primer is necessary for better adhesion of the paint.

Priming should be done in an indoor setting only. Care must be taken that there is adequate ventilation also. See to it that you are well clothed, so that there is no exposed skin surface.

Step 6: Painting

Before you begin painting the car, sand down your car again. All the primer must be removed. This is because the paint has to be applied to a smooth area. Hence, scrubbing down all the primer is important. Make sure that there are is no area on the car that hasn't been sanded down. The surface must be completely smooth before you apply the paint.

Using a sprayer, you a can apply the first coat of car paint to the car surface. Apply the first coat smoothly all over the surface for the car. Once this is done, it is important to let the paint dry. This should take about 20 minutes.

Now you can apply the second coat. The second coat should also be applied smoothly all over the car. The paint now needs to dry properly. Two hours should be sufficient for this.

Step 7: Clear Coat

The procedure to apply the clean coat is the same as that of the paint. Just apply smoothly all over the surface of the car. It is advisable to apply three coats of clear paint, with a gap of at least 20 minutes between each clear coat.

After this, let the car dry for at least 2 hours. Your car should now look brand new! Note that in the tips mentioned above, none of the steps can be skipped. So, follow them properly.

There are numerous car painting techniques, but the tips given in this guide are designed to give your car a perfect paint job. Follow them and get a brand new looking car.