Tips for Autobody Painting

Autobody painting is something best left to the professionals if you want a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, flawless custom paint job. If you want a decent paint job that may have a few imperfections, you can paint your car yourself after picking up the following few tips on how to make almost any paint job look good.

Preparing for Paint

Always start with the smoothest surface possible, as dents and dings will show up through new paint. The darker the paint, the more the dents will stand out. Start by sanding the top layers of old paint off of the car. Sand the entire car using 120-grit sandpaper and a dual action sander, long block sander or your hand.
Spray the car with a thick coat of dark-colored primer. Wait at least an hour for the primer to dry. Use a long sanding block with 120-grit sandpaper to sand the car completely. Work the sanding block slowly and evenly, keeping the block flat against the car's surface. This sands the top of the primer, turning the primer a lighter color. Dents, dings and low spots will remain dark and noticeable so you can repair them with body filler. Repair any low areas and repeat the primer and sanding steps. Do this until the car is completely smooth.

Spraying the Paint

Before spraying paint onto the car, wipe it down with wax and grease remover several times. This gets rid of any oil from fingerprints or other materials. Minutes before spraying the paint, wipe the car's surface with a tack rag. This removes all dust particles and keeps them out of the paint.
Most vehicles need three to six thin coats of paint. Begin spraying at the top and work down to the sides of the car. Spray one panel at a time using thin coats so the paint doesn't run. Slightly overlap each stroke. Allow each coat 30 minutes to dry between each coat.
Once the paint has dried, spray three to five layers of clearcoat on the car, using the same steps and patterns as with the paint. Allow a full 24 hours for the car to dry completely after spraying the clearcoat paint.

Smoothing the Paint

Almost any paint job you spray yourself will have imperfections such as orange peel, runs or bumps in the clearcoat. The best way to get rid of these things is so wet-sand the entire car. Sand the car by hand using 800-grit sandpaper and keeping the paper wet while sanding. Sand the very top layer of clearcoat until the entire car is dull and cloudy looking. Polish the car with a dual action orbital polisher and liquid rubbing compound. Use small circular motions, along with back and forth motions, to keep from getting swirls in the paint. This method produces a very glossy finish.

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