Archive for the ‘auto bodywork’ tag
Why Should You Paint Your Car Yourself Instead of Paying Workshops
There are disadvantages and advantages with painting your car yourself and going to the workshop to paint.
Reasons to Paint Your Very Own Car.
One.It is a money saver or at least could be if you do it right of course. If you dont take the time to learn to do it the right way then it could still be a pricy endeavor.
2. its a huge accomplishment to complete this task then be able to step back and look at the great job you’ve done.
Three. If you are into car restoration, its one way you could cut down your expenses.
4. Often there’s preliminary work that you would have to do yourself before you get to the point of car painting itself.
Reasons To Paint Your Shop In A Car
1. Its most likely a time saver. Unless you’ve the extra time to spend car painting, then this’ll be the route you want to go. Don t forget there’s more to it than just putting the paint on.
2. The shop more likely has much better car painting tools then you would have. This implies they could get a pretty finish.
3. Their paint may be better than yours
Four. They know how to finished the essential body work first as they’ve professionals on staff specifically for that job.
5. Reputable corporations will stand behind their work. In other words they will give you some type of guarantee.
Six. They have the commercial products to clean the car prior to car painting, which is extremely significant.
7. They have the correct facilities, whereas if you do it yourself you will not be able to protect the car against the components in case you cannot get it finished.
So as you can see there’re good and bad points for both arguments. If you can improvise and create the same circumstances as for the favourable points of utilising a shop then you will want to consider it. Car painting is a tough undertaking. Another thing you will want to consider too is the value of the car. Say it is a 2nd motor vehicle or a pretty old one then maybe you don’t want to pay the price of having it professionally painted. In this case you will probably be further ahead to do the car painting yourself. In these circumstances small flaws in the overall work is not going to make that much of a difference.
The other point is if youve whatever experience with car painting or even other types of spray painting then you will be able to do a good job with out putting it into a shop. These are all things you will need to consider. If you decide that you are going to do it yourself though it will be a better idea to read a few how to books or watch a video on the subject.
Mail this postPopularity: 1% [?]
Spray Paint A Car in 5 Steps – Spray Painting Tips
If you really think that you want to paint a car then get ready for a full task ahead of you. It does not mean that you can’t or should not do it, it just signifies be certain you’re ready to see the job done from beginning to end. If you do not finish the job entirely or properly then youre going to be driving something that would be a bit embarrassing to the eye at least.
To paint a car takes careful planning and ensuring that youve all of the supplies you need and the time to go through at least some of the stages.
There are things that youre going to need by way of supplies. You’ll need masking tape, dust mask, goggles, sandpaper, wax/grease remover, primer paint, paper for covering, car wash and detergent, paint sprayer, putty with knife.
When you purchase your sand paper be sure you purchase fine and thick grit, as you may need both textures. The amount of primer and urethane based paint you need would be dependent on the size of your car. Whether you want to use a paint sprayer is your choice, if you choose not to then the regular spray paint cans would do fine. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing when you go to paint a car so your skin isnt revealed.
Lastly be sure you’ve the right space to work in. You require to be able to work around your car. You most surely need good ventilation, and you will need to be able to protect it against the elements.
Firstly you must actually wash your car well. It does not matter how clean it may look to you unless you just washed it, there’ll be whatsoever debris on it that you must take out, otherwise the paint will not adhere the right way. Then once you have it washed nice and clean you’ve to get all the old wax off it so that’s where the wax/greaser remover comes in. It is really important you go through these steps when you go to paint a car.
You’ll probably notice that you’ve some rough spots on your latest finish. Say you go to paint a car that’s in this condition, you’ll not get good coverage with the new paint. Put little pit marks made by stones or things like that just use a little putty to fill them in. The use the sand-paper to softly smooth the rough spots and small holes. Make sure you wipe off all the debris from sanding.
In order to paint a car, you must be perfectly sure that it’s dry after your washing. This would take a couple of hours. Be sure it doesnt get dirty over again. Next masking tape off the areas that you don’t want to get paint on.
Entirely prime the car. Then sand it gently once more. Be sure to wipe the residue off.
Now you’re ready to apply the base coat of the new colour. Preferably with a spray gun. Completely spray it then let it dry for about 15 minutes. Then you can apply the second coat. Most often you could get away with two coats.
Let it dry for about 1 hour then you can apply the clear coat. Let dry 15 minutes then re apply. You will in all likelihood need about 3 coats of the clear to get a nice finish.
Mail this postPopularity: 2% [?]
How To Use Aerosol Spray Paints For Car Spray Painting
So you just finished putting that very first coat of paint on that car that you have been mending and it looks great. You did not realise that you had to the talent to spray paint a car. The only problem is youve run out of time and cant get the second coat on. Well that’s genuinely not going to be a problem, the cars in a protected area so you can get back at it next week. You just stick the caps on the spray cans and stick them on the shelf for the time youre gone.
A week goes by and you’re prepared to go ahead and spray paint the car, or at least get the second coat on. You’re all set up you’ve pulled the cans of spray paint off the shelf, and popped the lid on one of them. Then it doesn’t seem to matter how hard you press the nozzle of the spray can nothing comes out. You remember that you didnt use it and it is almost full. And then you realise it must be clogged. No problem you simply get a thin piece of wire and try to clean it out.
After whatever tries you realise it just isnt going to clear, so you end up throwing an almost full can of rather expensive spray paint away. Then you remember what a buddy told you about spray paints. When you are finished using them you must turn the can upside down and spray the paint for a few seconds. This can be done on a piece of cardboard. It’ll clear all the redundant spray out of the nozzle so next time you go to use it, it will not be plugged. A good lesson learned.
You didnt realise the problems that can occur when you went to spray paint a car, but thankfully you have a few cans of paint left so you could get on with it. You give the cans a couple of shakes and at last out comes the paint. There is one big problem though, the colour doesnt look quite idnetical. The label says it is the same color but what in the world is the problem here? In reality you most likely did not shake well so the color wasn’t properly mixed. You must shake the can quickly you’ll hear the mixer ball inside the can rattle. Continue to shake for at the least 3 to 4 minutes. Likewise at regular intervals while you are spraying give the can a good shake as well. This’ll ensure that your paint stays well mixed and will evenly distribute the colour when you apply it. Keep in mind you must be as methodical when you go to spray paint a car, as you will a fine piece of furniture.
Another really significant point to keep in mind is that to spray paint a car is a big job, and most likely you would be a bit tired afterwards. Clean up is really fundamental and that signifies making sure that you cleaned the nozzle of the spray as we talked over. Another very fundamental thing to remember is to store your paints safely. Do not leave them where it’s too hot or too cold.
Mail this postPopularity: 1% [?]
The Tools You Need To Start Painting Your Car – Auto Spray Paint
You could be really good at painting your car, provided you’ve a good plan, the right budget and the time. And also you’ll most surely need the exact tools and equipment. Oh yeah, and you’ll require a proper work place.
Often inexperienced individuals feel that all they need to paint their motor vehicles, is a couple cans of motorcar paint, and thats it. It doesnt function that way, and if it did then there would be lots of car painters out of business.
Tools and equipment to paint your car are not a massive expense, but you do need them.
Item one To set out with you’ll need a pretty good car wash detergent and a de-greaser. The car must be utterly clean before you start out.
Item two A variety of grits of sandpaper. Most likely there’re going to be a few rough spots that you will need to smooth out.
Item #3 Putty and a putty knife. Nearly all cars suffers from those nasty pits that flying stones cause. This’s the reason why you should paint your car.
Item four Masking tape and paper to cover the areas that you don’t want to get paint on. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re good enough with a spray can so you could skip this step. One small gust of wind is all it needs to spot the chrome with over-flow paint.
Item five At present you are getting closer to actually getting down to starting. You will need the primer. How much you require counts on the amount of sanding and filling you had to do.
Item #6 The paint’s of your preference. What colours and brands you are going to utilize is the decision you require to make here.
Item seven One of the most essential items is the top coat. You truly need to protect that stunning paint job once you are finished.
These’re a few of the tools and equipment plus product you’ll need to do your job effectively. There are several items that we need to speak about a little more in depth. For instance, how’re you going to apply your paint? You might have opted to go with the aerosol spray paints. In this case you will not require much more to apply the paint. In the case that you have decided to buy paints that require a spray gun, then you got to include this in your tools and equipment list.
Other item under tools and equipment although nonobligatory is an electric sander. If you have alot of sanding to do then really consider either renting or borrowing one of these if you dont own them. It can save you a lot of time and comfort as well.
Keep in mind it is fundamental that you clean each of your tools and equipment correctly once you’ve completed the job. Some of the items are not all that affordable and you never know when your next paint job will come up.
Mail this postPopularity: 1% [?]
The Correct Way To Polish Your Car Bodywork – Paint
It isn’t the tools that are used in a job that make it good or bad, it’s the person using those tools that makes the difference. In car polishing a good technician can make that finish look better than when you bought the car, and you wouldn’t think twice about how they could do that. In this short article, I will go over some points that technicians know, or should know.
The main problems when it comes to auto finishing are things like paint runs, sags, dirt nibs and just plain old polishing in general. To start with, make sure that the finish is dry in accordance with the information from the product sheet as failure to do this could damage the finish, making the whole job very costly.
The proper way to polish when using a polish, make sure it is specifically or can be used for urethane finishes and not lacquer finishes. When sanding, make sure that you use the finer 1000grit paper, as course grit sandpaper can ruin a finish.
The polisher speed should be set at 1200 ? 1700 rpm?s to ensure the best result. It is also very important to make sure that you are using the right type of pad before you start. To know what the best pad types, always check the product data sheets and they?ll steer you in the right direction, remember, if in doubt, check the sheet.
On the blend edges when you are, polishing be sure to work away from the edge and never directly into it. The most recommended method for a blend edge is to hand glaze rather than machine polish. When you have to hand glaze, always a cloth that is not rough and make sure it is clean forboth the application and when taking the glaze off.
Getting Rid Of Imperfections As with polishing, always check with the right manufacturers product data sheet before sanding, or polishing, this will give you the recommended dry times before polishing. Always make sure that before you begin any work on the surface that you take off debris and material. If this isn?t done, the results will be costly and catastrophic.
It is so important that the proper prep work be done so that the surface is: Free of imperfections like dirt nibs. You can use 1500 or better grit for wet sanding to get rid of these. To make sure there are no more imperfections on the surface, sand the surface with a block sander, not necessarily the entire surface, spot sanding will do.
The Last Step Use the polisher lightly to eliminate sand scratches using the right liquid polish. When using the polisher, set it to 1200 ? 1700 rpm and use a wool pad first. Next, you will need to use a foam pad. Finally, you need a non- abrasive glaze. Always remember that if you are in doubt about what to use or how to do it, consult the manufacturer?s list of instruction and information data sheet .Don?t be in a hurry, if you take your time you won?t make the mistakes that you will only regret.
Mail this postPopularity: 1% [?]
How You Can Spray Paint You Car in 6 Steps
With cash being tight today, perhaps the answer to giving your car a brand new look will be to indulge in some car spray painting. If the mechanics of it are in good shape, but the body is not so hot, then painting it may be the ideal solution.
It is a remarkable money-saver, but even more so if you do it yourself as opposed to getting it professionally done. You can do it if you read the basics and follow the instructions for car spray painting. Its important though if you decide you are going to take on this project that youre ready to see it through till the end.
Firstly, you need numerous supplies. These consist of:
-coverings to protect the unpainted areas and masking tape to hold these in place -a good car wash detergent and brush and also a wax/grease remover. -various grits of sandpaper -primers and paint thats urethane base for the car spray painting -paint sprayer -safety equipment like masks, goggles and protective clothing -knife and putty for fill ins.
One : You must make sure that you wash the car thoroughly to remove all grime and debris. If you don’t then these things would be set in with your paint, giving a very daunting look to the completed job. Follow up with a wax/grease remover so the paint you utilize for the car spray painting would adhere the right way.
2 : Remove whatever rough spots by sanding. Once this has been done be sure to rinse off whatsoever of the loose sandings. This is where you’ll want to utilise the putty to fill in any minor pit marks, that’re have been caused from stones for illustration.
Three : Dont get in too much of a rush to begin your car spray painting. The car must be totally dry so its best to leave it to do so for few hours. You could go ahead and cover whatsoever of the areas that your dont want to get paint on.
Four : At present you are ready to set out with the primer. Don’t skip this step, as it will give a much better look to the finished project. It helps the paint to adhere properly and provides for a more even finish. Next, once the primer is dry you’ll need to gently sand it down.
Five : You’re finally at the step you’ve been waiting for. Its time to apply the color for your car spray painting. Whether youve preferred to use aerosol paints or a spray gun, the premise stays the same. Merely apply thin coats. Several will likely be required. A Few light coats are much better than one thick coat. You’ll be able to tell just by looking at the car how many more coats of paint it’ll need. Numerous will just require two where as a few others might require three or 4.
Six : In conclusion, down to the last step and thats applying the clear coat. This is done exactly the same as the colored coats.
Now you could clean up, take a step back and look up to the masterpiece you’ve created.
Mail this postPopularity: 1% [?]
How To Restore A Car Bodywork After A Collision
There are new ideas and research being done within the realm of fasteners when it comes to repairs.
One welcome change that has been observed is in the bumper mounting area now coated fasteners are being used. This means an added replacement expense during repairs but it also means less corroded bolds.
A new trend is headed toward fascia plastic fasteners being used. They are perfect because they are corrosion free and will release then they are suppose to. Continued research and changes like this are going to create a need for new types of fasteners. A good example of this is aluminum panels demanding aluminum fasteners. Again another significant way of reducing corrosion meaning a cost reduction because assembly times are faster.
Routine Uses for Fastener Applications. -any of the sheet metal parts such as body panels, trunk, lid and hood. Usually attached with a Grade 2 screw or rivet. Screws may all look the same but there can be differences in and long and strong, they are as well as the pitch.
-treaded fasteners are most common for assembling bumpers. They have to be high strength as the bumper provides safety to the occupants of the vehicle.
- Steel, plastic threads or plastic clips can be used for the headlight, grille and fascia.
-For interiors fasteners or screws that are threaded are used for the dash board, while the pads may be plastic fasteners of varying types. Door trim panels are normally clips but some are bolts. Be very careful with the plastic clips as many are designed for one time use.
- Steel bolts and screws are for the fiberglass items as well as plastic lips.
-Steering and suspension are crucial to safety therefore demand high strength bolts.
Proper Fastener Management Means Less Profit Loss
You can actually stop your losses and increase your profit by about $50 on every repair done if you itemize the supplemental materials needed in your repairs. Items such as your chemicals, fasteners and even masking tape. That may seem like gouging the customer but actually these costs can mount up to thousands of dollars per year because they are not factored in when doing the estimates. If your shop does about 200 car repairs, a month then you are going to exceed $100,000 in revenue alone just in this one small change. You can actually create a snowball affect just by implementing a small change like this. You can re invest that extra money into other cost saving equipment, which allows you to increase the workload yet cut down the labor expense. The same goes for being astute at keeping control of inventory. You can dramatically cut down on your losses.
Once you have cut these costs down then naturally, your profit level rises. It?s the little things that can really make a big difference in the profit margin in this particular industry. The same with not wasting product is another issue to keep track off. By the same token, though don?t start cutting corners to save money. In the end, it could end up costing you more by having customers returning for repairs and this is damaging to your businesses reputation.
Mail this postPopularity: 1% [?]
How To Handle Your Paint Gun Properly – Car Spray Painting
For those that have an interest in cars, it is their first priority to keep the car in top running condition. At the first whisper of a banging or knocking, up goes the hood to see what is amiss. Then if the problem is found, out come the tools and the repairs are made. If all, else fails and the cause can’t be found, then off to the mechanics shop it goes. Aside from this, the car gets regular cleaning and scheduled cleaning.
If you own a spray gun then in deserves the same care as you give your car. Obviously, you are using your spray gun to paint and coat cars with so if you want the best for your car then give the best to your gun.
You spray gun has three aspects aside from the proper use. There is cleaning, maintenance and repair. You need to know when and how these three operations have to be carried out.
Cleaning: The first time you put your gun away dirty you most likely have caused some form of irreparable damage. Many facilities now are being forced to use enclosed gun washers. Even if you are only using your spray gun as a hobbyist, it is still best to follow whatever the basic industry regulations are as they are normally put into place for your safety and the safety of others.
If you are using one of these enclosed washers then make sure you follow all the instructions that came with it. You will probably read that your gun should never be left it the cleaning unit for more than 60 seconds at time.
Don?t just put your gun in there and come back hours later. The effects would be the same as soaking your gun in thinner and that?s not something you want to be doing. Just as you have to clean your gun, you have to clean your washer as well. Be sure to clean the solvent regularly.
If you overuse it condensation begins to build up and this causes acids. These can be just as bad for your gun as dried paint is. In addition, the debris in the dirty solvent will damage your gun as well. Don?t let the solvents get into the airways of the gun either and be sure to dry the gun when you take it out of the solvent.
Maintenance: By properly checking your gun prior to each use you are going to get the best performance from it. If you don?t and you get a big spatter on that panel you are painting then you have just made a whole lot of new work for yourself. To keep you gun in top shape lubricate it. If you use it daily then oil it daily. Pay special attention to the packing because this is the area that dries out.
Repairs: Don?t try to fix it yourself. Let the professionals do the job but you can certainly help by telling them exactly what the problem is so they can identify the areas that need their attention quickly.
Mail this postPopularity: 1% [?]
Spray Paint Repair – Removing Paint On Your Car
Spray paint can end up on your car a couple of different ways. 1 it can be an over spray from another area that you are painting on the car. 2 it could be an accident that in some manner the spray got on it. Or you decided to spray paint the car yourself, then didnt like it or made a mistake.
How tricky a job its going to be to remove it will depend on a lot of components. First off, you need to determine the type of paint. Hopefully it’ll be a water based paint which is much easier to deal with. All you’ll most likely have to do here’s wash the region down well with soapy water. Now if it’s an oil based paint then it makes things abit more difficult. Then another dilemma will be you don’t even know what kind of paint it’s.
First of all, there are various kinds of paint. It can be lacquer or acrylic. It could even be enamel but this is not as popular as it used to be. If your original paint on your car happens to be enamel then if the unintended spray paint is lacquer or acrylic would make the enamel paint look crumpled. Regrettably, the exclusive solution in this case will be to scrape the field clean and then re-paint it to match the automobiles basic colour.
If youre lucky enough to have an original finish of acrylic or lacquer and enamel paint has been sprayed on top of it, there won’t be any wrinkles to the original. You want to check if the paint is enamel, so here’s what you do.
Take whatever paint thinner, kerosene, gasoline or turpentine and use a average amount to a clean white cloth. Now very lightly rub over the paint you require to take out. If you see the paint colour being transferred to the cloth, then its enamel. If the cloth stays clear then it’s acrylic or lacquer. If it did turn out to be enamel then just carry on to gently clean off the residue of the paint.
Therefore if you have ended up with either lacquer or acrylic being the culprit then you will require to go and purchase the finest grade of rubbing compound on the market for car finishes. Take a hand sized white cloth and lightly moisten it with some kerosene or turpentine. Just enough to moisten the cloth, as it prevents the compound from caking, and makes the abrasive finer, which leaves a greater finish. Patience will be the virtue here, as you must keep inspecting the area you’re working on so you dont remove or spoil the original finish of the car. Work in reasonable circular motions with easy pressure. Continue checking the color of the paint on the cloth. Keep using several parts of the cloth, so your cloth remains fairly clean, and youre not simply putting the paint back on over again.
The best solution is of course not to spray paint the car at all. Accidents do take place though and fortunately for this peculiar one theres a solution.
Mail this postPopularity: 1% [?]
3 Questions To Ask Before Spray Painting Your Car
There are two passageways or channels within the gun. One is for airflow the other for material flow. The fluid needle takes the required paint from the reservoir. As you use the trigger to control the tapered needle, it will pull it from the tip allowing more material through. Simultaneously the trigger regulates the air to allow siphoning of the material from the cup, and atomizes the paint. It is through the fast moving area that a low-pressure area materializes and uses the ambient air pressure as its catalyst to push the material from the cup. Now you can see what it is so important to keep the vent tubes clear and clean.
Some interesting and very important questions are such as these?
Qns 1: There are holes on both side of the air cap – what are they for? These are like an air anvil and are called air horns. This is what allows you paint to flatten out so it makes a pattern. When the air meets the material it is in the impingement zone. As the air comes out of the horn the air hits directly in front of the air cap.
Qns 2: It is now becoming a regulation in many places to clean you gun in an enclosed gun washer. What?s the best way to use these?
If you have never used one before make sure you read and follow all instructions. They are designed to work in cycles of 60 seconds, so don?t leave you gun in there beyond that time period. The cleaning action is like putting your gun fully immersed into lacquer thinner. Can you imagine the shape of your gun if you leave it in too long or too often?
Condensation will form in your gun if you do not change the solvent on a regular basis. This means acids start to form and this is certainly not good for your gun. If you are cleaning, a gravity gun is sure to plug up the air inlet before putting it into the washer. You don?t want the solvent getting in here. Once done remove the gun and dry immediately with a cloth. If the packing starts to leak, you can change it.
Qns 3: My Spray gun produces a bad pattern:
Most likely, a rebuild kit won?t correct the problem. Balance the air with the material.
Some other things to remember is you have to use more that one gun for refinish materials if you are in a compliant area. Temperature ranges are important for HVLP guns if it?s the larger ones; it?s not for the smaller ones. Lubricate you gun with a 4 oz. Mineral oil. Remember to match the fluid nozzles with the type of material you using. Using multiple guns means you don?t have to keep changing tips. Keep your gun in top-notch shape by not dropping it or immersing it in thinned. Avoid harsh chemicals.
Mail this postPopularity: 1% [?]