02/19/2016
Hello Everyone! Today I am going to talk about some of the steps to achieving a great paint job. This is in no way a step by step and will not be a sufficient guide to painting your car, but shows you some of the many laborious tasks I have to so to every single car to ensure a perfect finish that will not fail. This should also serve to point out why the labor side of this business cost as much as it does.
First and foremost I clean any car that comes in. power wash and scrub with soap to remove any contaminants that can find there way into the final finish. At this point I can now try to locate as much damage and rust and formulate a plan of attack. I also try to note any parts that were previously broken or did not operate correctly before I begin any work.
Any body parts, glass, door handles, bumpers, lights and other things that will interfere with the painting or repairing process are removed. Some pieces are removed to give access, or ensure total coverage. Anything removed is noted for damage done before we started and labeled and bagged.
Any rust found on a vehicle needs to be cut out and new patch panels fabricated and carefully welded in to fill the voids.
Body damage, dents and areas where rust was repaired will need precise Hammer and Dolly work to get the metal close to its final shape. Filler is applied and sanded to no more than an 8th/in of thickness.
Next the damage and surrounding areas are feather-edged to provide a smooth transition from high to low and High Fill Primer is applied. Once fully dried I use long flat sanding blocks and sand out any imperfections. On restorations the Prime and Block procedure can go on for days or even weeks to get every panel laser straight. I can now wet-sand the primer with higher grit paper to remove sand scratches and prepare for the sealer and color. The water aids in removing the particulate I sand off.
The rest of the panels that are to be painted are sanded.
Now everything can be completely cleaned again and the Masking of the vehicle the start. We mask everything that we do not want paint on, Everything. Every panel is taped and masked to ensure paint and clear reaches all edges, as these areas are prone to cracks and chips. Everything is done neatly and tight to ensure paint overspray does not get on anything.
Everything gets a final blow off with compressed air and a real good clean then the magic happens. first I spray a sealer that acts as a overall color guide and a protective barrier between the old paint and new paint. The paint is then applied after the sealer has been given time to dry a little. after total coverage is applied I can apply the Clear Coat. The Clear is the UV protections that protects the color from fading, and waterproofing. I then cut out and buff any dirt that came up during the paint process which is minimal and return the car to its customer.
Its usually good not to wax or seal your car for at least 3 months to give the paint and clear time to Gas out. if you wax or seal your car it will trap solvents and cause the paint to bubble up and peel off.
I hope this was informative and serves as a guide to help you choose where you will get your next paint job or repair.
Next time I will talk about the Paint and Materials themselves and why they cost so dang much these days.
Thank You.
