Painting your own car may seem like a daunting task, but it is certainly possible if you follow all the steps in the correct order. Several factors -- preparation, compressor pressure and temperature when painting -- determine how professional your work is when completed.
Significance
You can purchase an inexpensive paint job for your car or truck, but the reason it is inexpensive is that some of the preparation steps may have been left out of the process. Fewer coats of paint and primer may be applied, lowering the cost. Such a paint job does not last as long as a quality job you can do yourself for just a little more cost and some elbow grease.
Preparation
Preparation of the vehicle's surface provides the foundation for the paint job. Wash the entire car first with soap and water and let dry. Remove any stains of wax, grease or tar with a commercial product so that the paint will cover evenly and stick to the surface. Thoroughly remove all rust down to the bare metal with a wire brush and sand any rough surfaces so the paint will be smooth. Mask off any area you do not want painted and ground your auto's frame so that dust particles will not adhere to the paint with static electricity.
Compressor Pressure
To obtain a smooth paint job, the pressure on your air compressor will need to be set on 30 to 40 PSI. When you pull the trigger on the paint gun, the pressure will drop to about 35 PSI. This is the best setting because if the pressure is too high you will have runs in the paint. If the pressure is too low it causes spotty coverage, which is hard to cover evenly on the subsequent coats of paint.
Temperature
The temperature where you are painting plays a large factor in the outcome. The best temperature to paint is 55 degrees F or higher. If it is cooler, there is less humidity and the paint will dry too quickly between coats. You may paint at lower temperatures by using your garage or an enclosure and employing heaters to warm the area.
Paint
A quality painted auto includes a base primer coat, two to three coats of color and at least three coats of clear. Apply the primer and let it air dry for 30 minutes. Apply each coat of color and allow 15 minutes between each coat then let air dry for 90 minutes before applying the first clear coat. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for drying time between clear coats. There are optimal drying times between applications so that the paint does not have tiny bubbles appear from the air mixing with the paint in the paint gun.
Benefits
The main benefit is the satisfaction of achievement from doing it yourself and also saving a considerable amount in the process. A quality paint job such as this will outperform a more inexpensive alternative for many years.
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