In this article we will show you how to paint your car with spray paint. It is usually inexpensive, convenient and effective. It’s a great way of touching up an area that’s been scuffed or scratched without having to go to the expense of hiring a professional to repair the damaged area.
Prepare the surface
Before doing any kind of repair work on your car you’ll need to wait until the conditions are warm and dry.
Ensure the area to be repaired is clean, free from wax and contaminants and is dry.
Then sand out any rust scabs, scratches or paintwork damage with coarse wet or dry sandpaper. Over time, you’ll start to see the paint flaking away. Once most of the paint has been removed you’ll want to change the sandpaper to 180-320 grit to ensure it’s smooth enough for priming. Don’t leave any small marks or scratches behind as these won’t be covered up by the paint.
When the area you want to re-spray is smooth, clean and dry, use masking tape to mask off adjacent panels to prevent overspray. We recommend covering up a larger part of the car than you think is needed as paint can travel a long way.
1. Prime the vehicle
If there is extensive touch up work to be done then you will need to prime the damaged area. There are many different primers to choose from so researching which primer is best suited to your car is vital. Our Epoxy Primer gives an excellent adhesion directly onto the bare metal and also has active rust preventing pigments to help protect the car.
To apply the primer, it’s important you shake the can well for a few minutes beforehand.. Hold the can around 10-12 inches away from the surface and spray lightly in a back and forth motion. Apply 3 more coats, waiting 5-10 minutes for it to dry in between coats. If you notice any imperfections take the 600 grit wet or dry paper and sand them out, then re-apply a couple coats of primer again.
2. Spray Paint the Vehicle
When the time comes to spray paint follow the same application method as you did with the primer. Thoroughly shake the spray can for a few minutes and spray a test panel to ensure a suitable color match and coverage. Apply as many medium coats as necessary to cover the intended area, again waiting 5-10 minutes between each coat. It’s always best to apply several, thinner layers and build them up rather than one heavy layer.
Each coat should appear uniform and dry, if needed, gently use a cloth between each dry coat to remove any dust.
3. Apply a Clear Coat
If you have metallic paint, then applying a clear lacquer is necessary to achieve the right, glossy finish as the rest of the car. Plus, it’ll help protect the paintwork. You’ll need to wait around 1 hour after the base coat color has been applied to then apply the Clear Coat. Shake the can well and apply 4-5 light layers, waiting 10 minutes in between coats before moving onto the next. You can touch the tapeline to test out when it’s dry rather than touching the panel. It’s important to wait until it’s dried fully as skipping this step can result in a color mismatch, a heavy orange peel-like texture or a loss of gloss.
