When many people think of spray painting a car, they think of a horrible and messy job that makes the car look worse than the car looked before. However, with the advances in spray painting and how the spray nozzles work, a spray paint job on a car can come out looking just as professional as a paint job done by a body shop. The following is a few simple steps that should be followed to make sure your paint job comes out as professional as can be.
First off, you should make sure that the conditions outside are good for painting as it needs to be warm and dry to get a good spray from the aerosol can. Otherwise, you may end up with blotches in the paint job or runs, which will leave the car looking like it is more than one color. You should also be in an area that has good ventilation to make sure you do not inhale the fumes too much because it could cause adverse effects to your health and cause sickness in some cases.
Also, make sure all of the materials you are going to need are readily available as each set of steps should be done in a succession for a good and proper job. The materials needed for this are masking tape, paper, 80 grit sanding paper, 1200 grit wet sanding paper and enough spray paint for the job you are doing. A normal car paint job can take anywhere from 10 to 20 cans of spray paint.
Using the 80 grit sandpaper, start rubbing along the car's paint to remove it and get down to the metal on the car. If you are planning on doing the following steps all in one sitting, just continuously go along and sand the entire car so that you are down to bare metal. Otherwise, purchase a rust protector to layer over the car to prevent rust in the meantime. After the car has been sanded, begin the masking process by taping around and papering off any areas you do not wish to be primed and spray painted. Wipe the car down with a dry rag to remove any loose pieces of dirt and anything else that may be lingering on the car's body.
Now that it is wiped off and clean, begin spraying the primer about 25 centimeters away from the car in even strokes until it is completely painted. After you have one layer done, go over it again and again until you have a thick layer of primer on the car's body and so that no metal is showing through the primer. The best way to complete this step is by doing individual parts, such as a fender, door or quarter panel, until the car is finished.
Let the primer dry for at least 24 hours before proceeding to the next step. After that time period, use the 1200 grit wet sandpaper on the car over the primed areas. Normal operation of wet sanding paper is to continuously dip the piece in a small bucket of water so it isn't gritty like normal sandpaper. Rub it along the car so it creates small tears. After you have wet sanded the entire car, clean it with warm, soapy water and then rinse and thoroughly dry it. With that, the car is officially ready to paint.
You will use the same methods as priming the car to paint the car. Start by shaking the can thoroughly for about two minutes to make sure the paint is evenly mixed. This is more important for the paint than the primer as the paint is the top layer and thus the one being seen. Go along the car with the spray paint, shaking the can after each layer is done and continue this until you are satisfied with the final paint job.
A variation that can be done for better results is to finish the job and then rub the entire car down once again with the wet sanding paper to create a small bit of tear and then wash, rinse and dry the car with warm, soapy water. Repeat the painting process one more time with more even layers for a professional paint job simply using spray paint.
