Looking for some help with car spray painting....Anyone help?

Question

I have had to replace one of my car doors due to vandals, and have managed to get a second hand car door, but it is the wrong colour...I am intersted in finding a tutorial for car spraying.I am a novice at this so it cant be to o.t.t..........I have checked out a few sites but they aint up to much.....Can you help me with this....I am interested mainly the best way to do it,We have an air gun with compressor, but i know that there are lots of things about "how long between coats do you leave it, and the likes.. Can anyone help me.......Thanks to all in advance.

Answer 1

You could enroll in night class at a local trade school.

You can also (as has been said) ask some advice from the local paint supplier.

More than likely you will have a clearcoat system on your car. To achieve a good color match, you may need to paint the adjacent panels. This is called "blending" Basically, here is how it should be done;

If new door is in good shape (paint not peeling, etc), I usually wash very well with ammonia first, then Comet and a scuff pad. This gets all the grease and wax. You can use a commercial product, but that is my method. After that I wet sand with 400 grit paper. Dry the panel VERY WELL, under moldings etc. Then mix and apply the base color, mixing instructions should be on the can. Spray two or three coats, until color is uniform. Allow about 5-10 minutes flash time between the coats. Let the base dry for about 1 hour (it will be dull, don't worry that's normal). Then WITHOUT SANDING tack rag the panel and shoot the mixed clear. You will probably need three coats, with a 10 minute flash time between coats.

To blend you will have to prep the adjacent paenls, (fender and rear door) tape them off also, and when shooting the base, apply it to about half of those panels. You shoot the same amount at the edges that meet the door, the "feather out" towards the rest of the panels. You wont apply base to the entire panels, just enough to feather, or blend the color. Then tack and clear the door and the other panels.

There really is a lot more to know, such as air pressure, fan spray, technique and such, but you can always practice on the old door. Get ready to spend $100 to 200 bucks on paint and supplies though. It ai'nt cheap!

You might possibly find a book in the library with some more info, they do exsist.

The labor costs in painting are generally the prep stages, cleaning, sanding and taping. You might can find a body shop that will give you a price break if you do all the prep, and they just do the spraying.

Good Luck

Answer 2

Its just like spray paint. Prep it good, sand to metal then fix any dings or rust or flaws, let that set for a day, then use Acetone or a De-Greaser to clean it.Tape up any areas that you do not want painted. Apply Primer, let dry, apply another coat or Primer, let dry, Paint away. When spraying hold the gun 1-2' away from the surface, and keep it moving. Took me like 20 years to learn that, and that is about 1/2 of the actual process. The rest you will learn as you do it.
Make certain that your lines are free of dirt and water.
And call the local or state EPA to determine if you allowed to paint it. Many states have some very tough laws and procedures that one must follow. A $5,000 fine is not worth the trouble, and over spray onto your neighbors car can result in a lawsuit that you will lose.
Yes it is most likely legal for you to do it, but it is doubtful. That is the rub that gets everyone in trouble. Make sure you call State,County,City and whatever to get the laws as they apply in your state, county,parish or whatever.

Answer 3

your best bet is probably go down to the dealer of whatever kind of car it is, and ask them what the exact color you have is, then go to the local ppg dealer and pick up the proper paint, and ask them for advice on painting- they wont give you bad advice- after all they want you to be happy, but as a general rule 12 hours at least between coats, and once you put the door back on it takes a couple weeks to fully cure so dont take it to a power car wash for at least that long... a home sponge bath is fine though after about 4 or 5 days. also- youll probably need a new tip for your air gun... you cant use a latex tip on car paint or itll look like crap. you should be able to get more specific advice from the ppg guy.

Answer 4

It depends on how good a job you want. To get a decent finish a proper painter will blend the colour into the panels either side. Which on a small car means ending up painting one side.

The law has also just changed in the UK and we now use water based paints instead of oil based. To get it to finish evenly you need to have warm air circulating or it will finish blotchy and look crap.

My advice is unless you want a crap finish get it doen at a bodyshop.

Answer 5

You really don't want to do it yourself. Professionals are able to do it easily because they have a vacuum sealed room they paint cars in. No drips, no dirt around, and they are clothed in a certain way to keep the paint off of them. Save some money, check around for costs, and in the end - you might want to just do the whole car!!! They will take care of it all. And you'll only be out of a car for about 3 days, tops, I'm pretty sure.

Answer 6

strip door panel ie door handles open window mask tape black rubber and sand door.
put primer on keeping about 5 inches away from door and spray evenly with primer,build a good coat of primer up by re-spraying..
once primer has been done use fine sand-paper with water and washing up liquid and gently rub the primer until it becomes really smooth..
when you are ready to spray the door do the same as the primer,build the paint up gradually,this will stop runs and faded areas..if you do get a run rub it down with the soapy water and fine sand paper and re spray evenly..
hope this helps.

Answer 7

12 Hours between coats?? What a complete load of bollocks!

Answer 8

12 hours I haven't used paint that slow in 20 years.
Dulux on a hot plate with no reducer is faster.

Answer 9

Get it done by a pro for £150 it will look good and you won't end up covered in paint! Believe me when I say it ain't worth doing it yourself