paint experts help me
paint experts help me
Hey all. My TB paint has been pissing me off for the past few months because I just can't keep it clean. My front bumper and hood have taken the brunt of the abuse with rock chips and scrapes. I decided I was going to paint my front bumper to make my car look somewhat nice again. I in fact made it look even worse. I used the proper paint for a TB evo. I sanded the bumper with 400 grit, cleaned it with denatured alcohol, primed it, painted it, then clear coat. It came out the right color but very dull, does not match the shine and texture of the car.
I had the paint all put in spray cans and used high quality products. The paint store said I could match it exactly, shine and color. For all those paint experts, is it possible to match a car paint job with spray cans? And should I have sanded the primer, and base coat after drying? I'm a total noob with paint on cars and thought I'd experiment with it, knowing full well it could end in disaster. I don't want to post pics because I don't want to embarass myself any further but lets just say it looks like ****. Luckily a member here is going to point me in the right direction to get it painted the right way.
I had the paint all put in spray cans and used high quality products. The paint store said I could match it exactly, shine and color. For all those paint experts, is it possible to match a car paint job with spray cans? And should I have sanded the primer, and base coat after drying? I'm a total noob with paint on cars and thought I'd experiment with it, knowing full well it could end in disaster. I don't want to post pics because I don't want to embarass myself any further but lets just say it looks like ****. Luckily a member here is going to point me in the right direction to get it painted the right way.
Hey all. My TB paint has been pissing me off for the past few months because I just can't keep it clean. My front bumper and hood have taken the brunt of the abuse with rock chips and scrapes. I decided I was going to paint my front bumper to make my car look somewhat nice again. I in fact made it look even worse. I used the proper paint for a TB evo. I sanded the bumper with 400 grit, cleaned it with denatured alcohol, primed it, painted it, then clear coat. It came out the right color but very dull, does not match the shine and texture of the car.
I had the paint all put in spray cans and used high quality products. The paint store said I could match it exactly, shine and color. For all those paint experts, is it possible to match a car paint job with spray cans? And should I have sanded the primer, and base coat after drying? I'm a total noob with paint on cars and thought I'd experiment with it, knowing full well it could end in disaster. I don't want to post pics because I don't want to embarass myself any further but lets just say it looks like ****. Luckily a member here is going to point me in the right direction to get it painted the right way.
I had the paint all put in spray cans and used high quality products. The paint store said I could match it exactly, shine and color. For all those paint experts, is it possible to match a car paint job with spray cans? And should I have sanded the primer, and base coat after drying? I'm a total noob with paint on cars and thought I'd experiment with it, knowing full well it could end in disaster. I don't want to post pics because I don't want to embarass myself any further but lets just say it looks like ****. Luckily a member here is going to point me in the right direction to get it painted the right way.
Spray cans? Wow.
I worked part time at a body shop while interning in college, and no, spray cans will not give a good finish.
Word of advice, if your a noob, leave the painting to the experts. Its a difficult skill to master, and not something to practice on your Evo.
I bet in hind sight those rock chips dont look so bad, right? Honestly, if its a daily driven car, its going to get chipped up again. Either get some 3M film to help protect the leading edges of the hood and front bumper, and/or use some touch up paint and smooth it down with a clay bar (AFTER ITS DRY).
I worked part time at a body shop while interning in college, and no, spray cans will not give a good finish.
Word of advice, if your a noob, leave the painting to the experts. Its a difficult skill to master, and not something to practice on your Evo.
I bet in hind sight those rock chips dont look so bad, right? Honestly, if its a daily driven car, its going to get chipped up again. Either get some 3M film to help protect the leading edges of the hood and front bumper, and/or use some touch up paint and smooth it down with a clay bar (AFTER ITS DRY).
Last edited by Tristar; Nov 28, 2007 at 05:32 PM.
Spray cans? Wow.
I worked part time at a body shop while interning in college, and no, spray cans will not give a good finish.
Word of advice, if your a noob, leave the painting to the experts. Its a difficult skill to master, and not something to practice on your Evo.
I worked part time at a body shop while interning in college, and no, spray cans will not give a good finish.
Word of advice, if your a noob, leave the painting to the experts. Its a difficult skill to master, and not something to practice on your Evo.
I wasn't trying to save money I just wanted to try it myself. If money was the issue I wouldn't have even bothered. **** it's only the front bumper not the whole car I wouldn't have tried it on anything else. You guys are so quick to bash . The paint shop told me I could do it with spray when I went to inquire about the paint. Not a huge deal it needed to be painted regardless
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I just want to say good for you for trying it! As long as you knew it may come out bad and are able to fix it, then I say it was a good learning experiment.
I was scared to paint my wheels but I said screw it and gave it a whirl. Turned out ok... these will most likely become my winter wheels now though
I was scared to paint my wheels but I said screw it and gave it a whirl. Turned out ok... these will most likely become my winter wheels now though
Problem #1. Yes you should always sand the primer. Spray can primer is fine since it will be sanded anyway. primer does not lay down well & will give a textured base for the base coat if not sanded. this no doubt added to the overall bad finnish.
Although it is not ideal using spray cans. Custom spray can base coat & clear coat can turn out good. It needs to be a high quality product in the can (same products that would be used in a spray gun) to get ideal results. As long as the cans being used have a good consistant spray pattern it can be done correctly & look good.
Step by Step Instructions
-After the bumper is sanded & primmed, spray a mist of black spray paint over all the primer. This acts as a guide coat. When you sand all the black off of the primer you know that it is perfectly smooth.
-Sand the primer with 600 grit paper until the guide coat is gone. Wet sanding works best (faster), but you need wet/dry paper.
-After sanding is done clean all the sanding residue off of the bumper & clean with a wax & grease remover.
-Before spraying the base coat & in between base coats lightly wipe the bumper with a tack rag. These are small individually wrapped mesh towels with a coating that will pic up small amounts of dust or dry overspray from the bumper. One is all you will need to do the job. You can get them at the paint shop pretty cheap.
-After tacking the bumper spray the base coat with many light even coats. Alow the base paint to flash off (dry) between coats. Base coat drys very fast, so it should only be a minute or two to dry. There is no need to spray it wet or get alot of coverage per pass. It's better to spray a lot of light coats than to spray it thick. Dont forget to tack the bumper bettween coats.
-Once the primer is completely covered it is time for clear. Do not sand the base coat. It will ruin the finish. Base coat is very thin & does not create any texture problems. Spraying the clear coat is the hardest part of the job, but can be done well with some patience & a little practice. You only need to apply one coat of clear. The trick is to spray enough clear to get the clear coat to lay down smooth, but not so much that it causes the clear to run. Smooth even slightly overlaping passes is the best way to do this. I suggest practicing on some scrap first to get the desired results. If the clear is sprayed too light it will not have the gloss you need. If it is sprayed too heavy it will run & have drips in it.
It is hard to spray clear from a spray can, but with a little practice it can be done correctly. Just practice spraying the clear until you get the results you are looking for & then go for it.
Hope this helps. I'd say give it another shot & then show everyone that it can be done. Good Luck.
Although it is not ideal using spray cans. Custom spray can base coat & clear coat can turn out good. It needs to be a high quality product in the can (same products that would be used in a spray gun) to get ideal results. As long as the cans being used have a good consistant spray pattern it can be done correctly & look good.
Step by Step Instructions
-After the bumper is sanded & primmed, spray a mist of black spray paint over all the primer. This acts as a guide coat. When you sand all the black off of the primer you know that it is perfectly smooth.
-Sand the primer with 600 grit paper until the guide coat is gone. Wet sanding works best (faster), but you need wet/dry paper.
-After sanding is done clean all the sanding residue off of the bumper & clean with a wax & grease remover.
-Before spraying the base coat & in between base coats lightly wipe the bumper with a tack rag. These are small individually wrapped mesh towels with a coating that will pic up small amounts of dust or dry overspray from the bumper. One is all you will need to do the job. You can get them at the paint shop pretty cheap.
-After tacking the bumper spray the base coat with many light even coats. Alow the base paint to flash off (dry) between coats. Base coat drys very fast, so it should only be a minute or two to dry. There is no need to spray it wet or get alot of coverage per pass. It's better to spray a lot of light coats than to spray it thick. Dont forget to tack the bumper bettween coats.
-Once the primer is completely covered it is time for clear. Do not sand the base coat. It will ruin the finish. Base coat is very thin & does not create any texture problems. Spraying the clear coat is the hardest part of the job, but can be done well with some patience & a little practice. You only need to apply one coat of clear. The trick is to spray enough clear to get the clear coat to lay down smooth, but not so much that it causes the clear to run. Smooth even slightly overlaping passes is the best way to do this. I suggest practicing on some scrap first to get the desired results. If the clear is sprayed too light it will not have the gloss you need. If it is sprayed too heavy it will run & have drips in it.
It is hard to spray clear from a spray can, but with a little practice it can be done correctly. Just practice spraying the clear until you get the results you are looking for & then go for it.
Hope this helps. I'd say give it another shot & then show everyone that it can be done. Good Luck.
Last edited by shunderwunder; Nov 28, 2007 at 07:08 PM.
^^^ Good write up..
I have painted tons of things with spray cans and people will ask me which body shop painted my parts, or if I got the items powdercoated. Now you yourself said you were a noob, and its a very hard skill to master, but A+ for effort!!! Keep practicing, but not on your evo! haha
I have painted tons of things with spray cans and people will ask me which body shop painted my parts, or if I got the items powdercoated. Now you yourself said you were a noob, and its a very hard skill to master, but A+ for effort!!! Keep practicing, but not on your evo! haha
Problem #1. Yes you should always sand the primer. Spray can primer is fine since it will be sanded anyway. primer does not lay down well & will give a textured base for the base coat if not sanded. this no doubt added to the overall bad finnish.
Although it is not ideal using spray cans. Custom spray can base coat & clear coat can turn out good. It needs to be a high quality product in the can (same products that would be used in a spray gun) to get ideal results. As long as the cans being used have a good consistant spray pattern it can be done correctly & look good.
Step by Step Instructions
-After the bumper is sanded & primmed, spray a mist of black spray paint over all the primer. This acts as a guide coat. When you sand all the black off of the primer you know that it is perfectly smooth.
-Sand the primer with 600 grit paper until the guide coat is gone. Wet sanding works best (faster), but you need wet/dry paper.
-After sanding is done clean all the sanding residue off of the bumper & clean with a wax & grease remover.
-Before spraying the base coat & in between base coats lightly wipe the bumper with a tack rag. These are small individually wrapped mesh towels with a coating that will pic up small amounts of dust or dry overspray from the bumper. One is all you will need to do the job. You can get them at the paint shop pretty cheap.
-After tacking the bumper spray the base coat with many light even coats. Alow the base paint to flash off (dry) between coats. Base coat drys very fast, so it should only be a minute or two to dry. There is no need to spray it wet or get alot of coverage per pass. It's better to spray a lot of light coats than to spray it thick. Dont forget to tack the bumper bettween coats.
-Once the primer is completely covered it is time for clear. Do not sand the base coat. It will ruin the finish. Base coat is very thin & does not create any texture problems. Spraying the clear coat is the hardest part of the job, but can be done well with some patience & a little practice. You only need to apply one coat of clear. The trick is to spray enough clear to get the clear coat to lay down smooth, but not so much that it causes the clear to run. Smooth even slightly overlaping passes is the best way to do this. I suggest practicing on some scrap first to get the desired results. If the clear is sprayed too light it will not have the gloss you need. If it is sprayed too heavy it will run & have drips in it.
It is hard to spray clear from a spray can, but with a little practice it can be done correctly. Just practice spraying the clear until you get the results you are looking for & then go for it.
Hope this helps. I'd say give it another shot & then show everyone that it can be done. Good Luck.
Although it is not ideal using spray cans. Custom spray can base coat & clear coat can turn out good. It needs to be a high quality product in the can (same products that would be used in a spray gun) to get ideal results. As long as the cans being used have a good consistant spray pattern it can be done correctly & look good.
Step by Step Instructions
-After the bumper is sanded & primmed, spray a mist of black spray paint over all the primer. This acts as a guide coat. When you sand all the black off of the primer you know that it is perfectly smooth.
-Sand the primer with 600 grit paper until the guide coat is gone. Wet sanding works best (faster), but you need wet/dry paper.
-After sanding is done clean all the sanding residue off of the bumper & clean with a wax & grease remover.
-Before spraying the base coat & in between base coats lightly wipe the bumper with a tack rag. These are small individually wrapped mesh towels with a coating that will pic up small amounts of dust or dry overspray from the bumper. One is all you will need to do the job. You can get them at the paint shop pretty cheap.
-After tacking the bumper spray the base coat with many light even coats. Alow the base paint to flash off (dry) between coats. Base coat drys very fast, so it should only be a minute or two to dry. There is no need to spray it wet or get alot of coverage per pass. It's better to spray a lot of light coats than to spray it thick. Dont forget to tack the bumper bettween coats.
-Once the primer is completely covered it is time for clear. Do not sand the base coat. It will ruin the finish. Base coat is very thin & does not create any texture problems. Spraying the clear coat is the hardest part of the job, but can be done well with some patience & a little practice. You only need to apply one coat of clear. The trick is to spray enough clear to get the clear coat to lay down smooth, but not so much that it causes the clear to run. Smooth even slightly overlaping passes is the best way to do this. I suggest practicing on some scrap first to get the desired results. If the clear is sprayed too light it will not have the gloss you need. If it is sprayed too heavy it will run & have drips in it.
It is hard to spray clear from a spray can, but with a little practice it can be done correctly. Just practice spraying the clear until you get the results you are looking for & then go for it.
Hope this helps. I'd say give it another shot & then show everyone that it can be done. Good Luck.
Yea a gravity feed HVLP gun is the best way to go. I think when I can afford a carbon fiber hood I will grind my hood to bare aluminum in the center. Make some designs in the metal, maybe justs brushed aluminum & then candy black it. If the design doesn't look good I'll buy the carbon hood.
i did something like this to my lip from banging it up couple times..
Came out okay... im happy with the results... I'm going to follow the write up and try it again... theres always an SE lip with my name on it =-)
+1 for trying! Its the only way to learn no matter how much you screw up... If you didnt do it yourself some1 else would have... So doesnt matter since its all going to get sanded off anyway...
Cheers!
Came out okay... im happy with the results... I'm going to follow the write up and try it again... theres always an SE lip with my name on it =-)
+1 for trying! Its the only way to learn no matter how much you screw up... If you didnt do it yourself some1 else would have... So doesnt matter since its all going to get sanded off anyway...
Cheers!
Shunderwunder thanks for the advice I may just try it again, I still have 2 cans of TB paint. Thanks everyone else for the encouragement.I've had the bumper back on for a couple days and actually got some compliments. I'm still not happy with it though so I'll try shunderwunder's method