How To Paint A Car: Steps, Supplies, And Tips

Few things appear as sleek and contemporary when refurbishing an automobile as a fresh coat of paint. Even though any auto body shop can complete the task for you, you can save money by doing it yourself, provided you have the necessary time and supplies.

The Benchmark Abrasives team walks over the steps, materials needed, and best practices for painting a car in this blog post. 

SUPPLIES

• Orbital Sander
• Air Compressor
• Abrasives (sanding sheets for hand sanding & sanding discs for orbital sanding)
• Paint Sprayer
• Cleaning solvent and rags
• Masking tape
• Primer (epoxy, etching, or surfacer)
• Sealer
• Grease and wax remover
• Tack wipe
• Paint thinner
• Polyurethane paint, enamel, or acrylic enamel
• Face mask and safety glasses

STEPS TO PAINT A CAR

STEP 1: SELECT A SECURE AREA TO PAINT 

The location of your painting is just as crucial as the supplies you choose. It's preferable to perform it inside to avoid having rain or wind-blown debris damage the freshly applied surface, but first, observe basic safety measures:

• Wear a respirator at all times. 
• When painting in your garage or a shop attached to your home, cover the connecting door with a plastic sheet to keep the fumes out. 
• Crack the garage door to let air out of the room. 
• In order to prevent sanding dust from going airborne, mist the floors with water. 

Once you've selected a site, schedule the work for that time. In spring and summer, early mornings are generally the nicest because there are few bugs around, and you may leave the windows open. The afternoons are better because of the higher temperatures if you're working throughout the winter.

STEP 2: MAKE SOME DECONSTRUCTION 

To ensure a smooth and even paint job, start by clearing away anything that can impede the process. This covers decals, emblems, and components like door handles and bumpers that you want to avoid painting. Although you can choose to tape these areas, doing so will compromise the consistency of the finished product, so spend a few more minutes taking them out and putting them away.

STEP 3: TREAT THE SURFACE

Because paint displays even the smallest details, minor imperfections like chips, scratches, and scrapes on your car's surface won't go unnoticed under a fresh coat. If anything, these flaws will stand out even more.

To get rid of the paint, use sandpaper with a finer grit (320 to 500). You'll need to feather the edges of any chips or scratches if you're not taking it down to the bare metal. To do this, Sand the areas until the edges are too fine for your fingertips to feel. But you'll need to remove the old paint entirely if it is peeling or cracked. Damaged paint is always noticeable, even under a fresh coat, and it will eventually cause problems with the surface.

STEP 4: SAND

If you plan to paint a car, you'll need to do a lot of sanding! The tough part is choosing the appropriate abrasive grit for the suggested surface treatment.

If the paint job is in reasonable condition, you can use 500-grit sandpaper to roughen the surface to the point where the fresh paint will "grab" it. Sand the bodywork and primer to a minimum of 220 grit, or better still, 320 grit. Sanding the body with grit finer than 500 is not recommended because the paint needs some roughness to stick to it. Although it is possible to hand sand the entire car, it is more convenient to utilize an electric orbital sander for most of the work and hand sandpapers for the finer details.

Pro Tip: When doing auto body work, be sure to use the appropriate abrasive products. The majority of sanding discs used in paint removal and metal smoothing operations are made with closed-coated aluminum oxide. Thanks to closed coverings, debris cannot become entangled in the abrasive grains. A larger grit-to-surface ratio also makes aggressive cutting and smoother finishing possible. 

STEP 5: GET RID OF RUST

If the vehicle has sustained body damage, some rust may have developed. It will need to be removed because even a tiny bit can damage the freshly applied paint and continue to eat away at the metal. Light rusting can be removed with sanding, but extensive rust needs to be replaced or treated with rust killer.

TIP:

• Allow the spray-on rust remover to cure for a minimum of 48 hours before painting over it. 
• Avoid body filler when treating rust holes. Metalwork will be required if the holes are excessively large or deep. 

STEP 6: PRIME THE SURFACE

An automobile must be primed before painting. Depending on your first technique, multiple coats may be necessary.

When working with bare metal, you will need to scuff the surface with epoxy or etching primer before applying filler primer, also known as surfacer. This thicker primer is used to fill up chips and transmit scratches (but not dents). After applying it, block sand from the entire vehicle's surface, prime it once again, and then block sand once more.

A sealer is the final surface treatment you apply before painting. It gives the paint a uniformly smooth surface and efficiently seals all of the priming. 

PRO TIP: Verify that the primers you choose will work with the color of paint you choose in the end. Additionally, you ought to stick to a single brand. Paint compatibility concerns can result in paint checking, peeling off, and other issues if you move brands or even within a single brand of paint.

STEP 7: PUT ON THE MASK

Unless the car has been fully dismantled, you should hide it. Avoid using newspapers as the inks may cause a mess if they transfer to metal. To disguise your car, use automotive and painter's masking tape. The finished result will be far nicer if the lines are kept clean and precise.

STEP 8: CLEAN THE SURFACE

The final step before painting is to give the body a thorough wipe. The following will be necessary:

• Wax and grease remover
• tack cloth

One lint-free cloth should be used to wipe the remover on the car (one small part at a time), and another fabric should be used to remove the residue. Keep the chemicals on the automobile from drying out. Rewet the area and then wipe it dry if it occurs again.

After you're finished, use the tack wipe to clean the entire surface. You're all set to paint now!

STEP 9: APPLY PAINT

To apply the paint, you'll need an air compressor attached to a gravity-fed paint gun. For painting automobiles, you will use an LVLP (Low-Volume Low Pressure) or HVLP (High-Volume High Pressure) gun.

Pro Tip: Because LVLP sprays so smoothly and finely atomized, it works well for clear coatings and single-stage enamels. But with thinner paints, like latex, the HVLP technique works faster. An LVLP machine can complete the task, although most people use an HVLP gun for the base coat and an LVLP gun for the clear coat. 

It is advised that you get the larger tanks when purchasing a compressor because you will be able to finish the task without stopping as frequently to replenish. Their sizes usually vary from 60 to 80 gallons.

Hold the paintbrush six inches away from the vehicle's surface to apply paint. Apply light, even coatings, using side-to-side motions. Depending on the size of your car, it can take three or four coats to completely cover the surface. After finishing, allow the paint to dry for the duration specified by the manufacturer.

STEP 10: SAND AGAIN AND COAT WITH LACQUER

Before applying your final layer, sand the surfaces one more and wipe them off with a clean cloth to remove any powdery residue. Next, use the same application method that you employed for the paint to apply a clear lacquer. Carefully remove all masking tape from the car's surface while the lacquer is still wet. Give the clear coat the amount of time suggested by the manufacturer to dry. To create a glossy appearance, polish all painted surfaces and use a buffing compound.

Search under the hood for the compliance plate, which should match your car's original paint job. On the driver's side, the color code can also be located inside the door frame. Take this code to an automotive paint retailer for the ideal match. If the code is not visible, you can always contact the vehicle's manufacturer.