Car repair and painting can seem intimidating, but with the right tools and techniques, you can achieve professional-quality results. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take you through the process from start to finish, covering everything from bodywork and prep to painting and blending panels. First, let’s look at the process in three parts: Cleaning To…
A paint technician that can keep up with demanding production needs will be one of the most valuable employees to any high production repair facility. To be successful in this type of environment, here are a few tips for maximizing the jobs that go through your paint booth: Use Dry Time Efficiently – The best…
Tinting metallic paint follows the same general principles as tinting a solid color, however there are 2 dimensions you have to worry about versus 1 with solids colors. You have the color face and pitch. The face of the color is what you see looking straight at the vehicle, the pitch is what you observe…
Spraying clearcoat is an art in itself, for the most part, spraying experience is the best way to learn this skill. However, having an understanding of what it does and establishing good routines will go a long way in how your paint job holds up. So first off let’s have a look at what clearcoat…
The Basic Repair Process Auto body and paint repairs are typically broken into 3 different procedures and move in the direction shown in the chart below: Bodywork -> Preparation -> Paint/Spraying Rust Repairs Welding Structural Repairs Parts Replacements Dent Repairs Plastic Repairs Teardown & Trim Removal Feathering Backsanding Priming Check…
Choosing to use a panel bonding adhesive over traditional welding offers many advantages, most noticeably in time savings. Bonding also makes obtaining a corrosion free job easier to obtain because you won\’t be damaging existing coatings, as well as the bonding epoxy serves as a metal protectant itself. Pull your damaged quarter back to…
Repairing Dented Panels Repairing major or minor dents in body panels requires a skilled hand and feel for straightness. Although much of this is learned with experience you can still obtain a straight repair using a “guide coat” to help you achieve a good repair. Pre-Clean your Panel Wash your panel down with soap and…
Application of Basecoat Applying a base coat is a very commonly overlooked procedure. It requires knowledge of your paint system, proper equipment, and the painter must be able to obtain a blendable match before beginning. Your color coat is always easiest to blend when you have more room on the panel. When preparing for paint…
Blending Clear Coat From time to time it is not practical to clearcoat an entire panel. Blending clearcoat undetectably can be achieved but is not recommended because the blend can be broken down by UV Rays easily and the edge can eventually become visible. Most of the time paint manufacturers will not warranty this type…
Applying a Primer Surfacer The goal when applying a primer surface to a panel is to provide holdout and protection over your substrate. Primer surfacers provide some fill to level out feathering and correct minor flaws on your panel. Any dent repairs involving body fillers should be finished in P180-P320 grit paper before starting a…