Let’s get right to it.
Many people and car owners are a little cautious when it comes to spray painting and completing their own car body refurbishments. A lot of car owners would prefer to leave it to the guys that know what they are doing (which is fair enough I guess, it makes sense).
However, there are so many myths about coloured aerosols and the quality of the finish that they are able to provide.
Many people assume that spray paints will leave a patchy and dull finish to the materials. Fortunately, that really isn’t the case.
DC Paint Solutions has been providing custom coloured RAL aerosols and spray paints in the UK for more than 10-years. Our team has developed this free how to guide to show you how to complete spray painting with coloured aerosols successfully.
What’s Involved in Spray Painting?
As with anything, there are many steps involved in completing a task to a high standard. When you spray paint, you need to make sure that the preparation is correct, the area is primed, you have a high-quality aerosol, and if you are using a metallic paint, a good lacquer is used.
Let’s take a look into these in a little more detail.
When you prepare any material for spray painting, it is crucial that you have a lot of patience because you are inevitably going to encounter some issues (even we come across a few sometimes!).
For the sake of this article, let’s say that you have a badly scuffed door mirror from a car. We get a lot of car enthusiasts buy our products for this reason alone, followed closely by bumper scratches and refurbishments.
If you can, take the mirror off of the vehicle and place it on a clean, flat surface, away from any cleaning products such as shampoos, waxes and well pretty much anything that may contain silicone as this can affect the quality of the coating.
Once you have placed the material down, you will need to mask off any areas that you do not want to paint (yes, an inconvenience but it’s worth the effort, trust me).
Let’s Get Ready to Prime!
Primers do exactly what they suggest.
They prime the material that is going to be painted. This helps in the long run and can prevent cracking and flaking in the future.
If you are using a Pro Aerosol coloured primer, you will need to leave the can in the room overnight so it can get to room temperature. Make sure that you leave the can out of the reach of children as the contents are extremely dangerous when in the wrong hands.
When you are ready to apply your primer, do so in a gentle back and forth motion. This allows you to get an even coating of the materials and can prevent the primer from running.
You will need to apply between 5 and 6 thin layers of primer and allow it to dry before painting.
Painting and Lacquers
Undoubtedly the part you have been waiting for.
When you apply the paint to the material, you will want to use the same application method as the primer. Use gentle back and forth style strokes to get an even coating and prevent running.
Again, you will want to build up a number of thin layers that are consistent instead of one heavy untidy layer of paint.
You will only need to use a lacquer if you are intending on using a metallic paint.
You would apply the lacquer to the finished product to provide a glossy protection. Once again, just like priming and painting, you will want a number of consistent layers, not just one.
Let’s Recap
So then, to complete your own spray painting refurbishments, you will need to prepare your materials and spraying area before hand. This includes purchasing a quality coloured spray paint, clearing any cleaning/silicone based products, masking off the area and priming.
Once you have painted your materials, you have the option of using a lacquer (only if you have used a metallic paint) to provide lasting protection and a glossy finish.
