Learning how to paint a car in your garage is very different than learning how to paint a wall in your home. While one task only calls for a few paint rollers and a can of paint, the other requires a plethora of clear coats, primers, and sprayers. Because of this, expert auto paint jobs can be quite expensive.
Although the procedure is complicated and requires some talent, you can still learn how to Car Paint Australia and give your ride a fresh new look. Here’s how you can paint your own car.
Take some time to get supplies
First, schedule time specifically for this project. Finding a shed, garage, or other place protected from the outdoors is crucial because painting might take anywhere from several days to a few weekends. You can start gathering your resources once you’ve chosen an area to paint and allocated time for the task.
But more than simply paint will be required. Wet-and-dry sandpaper in the grits of 1200 and 2000, an electric sander, masking tape, an air compressor or spray gun, newspapers for masking off, face masks, safety glasses, and paint thinners are all necessary equipment.
And if you can, invest in a dust extractor. Although it is not necessary, it will help keep the air clean.
You will require roughly 1 gallon of base coat or primer, 3 gallons of topcoat, and 2 to 3 gallons of clear coat for a small or medium-sized car. Approximately 1.5 gallons of base coat, 4 gallons of topcoat, and 3–4 litres of clear-coat lacquer are needed for larger cars. These quantities are probably greater than what you’ll require, and experts will probably use less, but it’s better to have too much paint than not enough.
Find the colour code on your car’s compliance plate if you want to restore it to its original colour. It can also be matched by an auto paint shop.
Place in Prep
After gathering your goods, you should set up your desk. Clean up your workspace first. Sweep the floors and make sure you have enough room to work if you’re working in a shed or garage. A roadblock will only make the task more difficult.
If you’re painting outside, avoid painting beneath a tree or anything else and instead hose down the area to clear the dust. The finish might be ruined by contaminants that fall upon wet paint. Then wash the car to get rid of any surface impurities like grease, dirt, and road grime.
Choose the surface you wish to paint before you begin to sand and apply primer. Do you want to paint the interior door sills, the trunk, or the engine bay? Painting these can make the project more difficult and time-consuming, especially if you plan to paint the engine compartment because doing so may require you to have some mechanical expertise in order to remove the engine and other accessories. Remove the masking tape from the places you don’t want to paint if you want to improve the exterior.
Take It Apart
You’re prepared to start painting now that your workspace is tidy and your shelf is stocked with supplies. Start by sanding the clear coat, top coat, and base coat off in circular strokes. Although you’ll have to sand the corners and crevices by hand, you can accomplish this with a sander.
Sand the entire car back down to the bare metal for the optimum finish, providing the new prime coat with a flawless surface to adhere to. Sand the surface to the smoothest and most even state you can if time is of the essence.
Use a clean rag and paint thinner to clean the exterior of the car after it has been stripped down to the desired surface. This will aid in dust removal; after doing so, wait until any thinners’ leftovers have evaporated before moving on.
Prepare for the spotlight
After taping off the sections you don’t want to paint, combine the primer and thinners. For the right ratio, you must read the instructions.
You can begin priming the car once you have mastered your painting method. Apply it in a series of thin, even applications, working your way down from the roof. To cover a surface, two or three coats are typically required. For each car panel, it will take around 10 minutes to apply each coat, and the primer needs 20 to 60 minutes to cure in between coats.
When you’re done, the primer will have a powdery surface that you need to smooth with wet and dry sandpaper with a 2000-grit rating. Additionally, you should clean the spray gun before using a rag that has been mildly wet with thinners to clean the primed and cured surface. Be careful when using thinner because too much could strip the priming.
Create Your Own Work of Art
You can now start painting. Utilizing the ratios suggested on the paint instructions, combine the paint and thinners. For the topcoat, you’ll employ the same spraying method that you did for the primer. Applying the paint should take around 10 minutes each panel, similar to applying the primer, and the paint should cure for an additional 20 to 60 minutes in between applications.
Utilize the suggested drying time listed on the paint can and apply three to four coats. Use 2000-grit wet-and-dry sandpaper to remove any powdery residue before applying your final layer of paint, and then wipe everything down with a fresh rag. With the clear-coat lacquer, repeat the previous two procedures.
Remove the masking tape from the areas you didn’t want paint applied before the clear coat dries, being careful not to have any tape or paper stuck on the wet paint. Next, give the clear coat the necessary amount of time to cure. Check the completed project for runs or other flaws once the clear coat has dried. If any are discovered, you can repaint after sanding the damaged area with wet-and-dry sandpaper with a 2000-grit rating. Use a buffer to scrub paint in a circular motion. Avoid leaving the buffer in one place for too long or you risk burning the paint.
You can learn how to paint a car with some practise and a logical attitude, and you’ll have the satisfaction of doing it yourself while saving some money.