The ultimate goal when painting a car is to get a perfectly smooth finish on the paint job. However, it’s harder than it looks to keep the paint perfect. Even if you know what you’re doing, you’ll be hard pressed to create that glassy finish. Fortunately, there are a few tricks you can use to make the car in question look as good as possible.
Use a Spray Booth
Without a proper booth, you’ll find that there will be far too many factors preventing you from getting a great finish. Hot weather will create an orange peel look, while humid weather can cause issues, too. You should really aim to paint a vehicle when the temperature is between 64° and 77°. With a spray booth, you can manage the temperature and keep things at just the right warmth to get a good look.
Prep, Prep, and Prep
It’s exciting to start painting, so you may find it tempting to do minimal prep work and just get to the actual painting. That would be a mistake. You need to sand the vehicle completely, then peel any loose paint and wash off the debris. The car also needs to be completely dry before you begin, since even a little bit of dampness can affect how the paint adheres.
Start with Primer
Primer is not always necessary, depending on the type of paint job you are doing. However, if you do need primer, you need to be very careful that you apply it to a dry, clean surface and do so evenly. It should dry at least a full day and night before you attempt to paint over it, for the best results possible.
Don’t Get Too Close
As you are painting, you should aim to keep the nozzle about 24-30 cm away from the car’s surface. This will help prevent overspraying and should allow you to carefully paint back and forth to create a nice even layer of paint. It’s equally as important not to step too far away, since you could end up underspraying.
Clean Your Spray Nozzle
A dirty nozzle can spit out clumps of paint that will mar the beautiful surface you’re painting. This can destroy the entire paint job, so be sure to clean the nozzle frequently. It should be cleaned every time you start, of course, and in between, as well. Prevention will keep those cars looking excellent.
Following these tips and making sure you have plenty of patience will help you turn out beautifully painted vehicles in no time. Take your time, do the work, and relish the results.
If you’re looking to invest in a first-rate spray paint booth, look no further than Haltec Ltd. Get in touch today for more information about our range of services and to see what we could do for you.
