There is more to a car’s new paint job than the application of the paint. The steps before and after the paint is applied are just as important. A new paint job entails preparation of the car, paint application and protective finishing steps.
Step One: Preparing the Car
The first step in a new paint job for a car is preparing the body for the paint. The car’s body has to be smoothed and any divots or blemishes in the body’s metal have to be filled. Polyester based filler is used to fill the cracks and is sanded down so the body’s surface is smooth. A thin glaze is then applied so the filled spots on the body are the same texture as the metal. Once the glaze is set, the entire body is gone over with an alcohol based cleaner to remove dirt, dust and oils.
Step Two: Primer Coat
Primer serves two purposes to a car’s new paint job. Like wall paint primer, car paint primer creates an opaque base coat onto which the colored paint is applied. However, the more important purpose of the primer coat on a car’s new paint job is to act as the final filler to any lingering cracks in the metal. The chalk-like texture of dried primer provides a perfectly smooth surface for the paint to be sprayed onto.
Step Three: Paint
Paint for a car is almost always applied using an air powered sprayer. The paint is sprayed onto the primed car body in overlapping lines so an even application can be achieved with the final product. Professional automotive painters will know how to correctly use pearlescent or metallic flake additives and the correct number of coats and thickness of paint to use.
Step Four: Finishing Touches
Some paints require a clear top coat and others do not. If the paint you chose for your car needs a top coat, a thin layer should be applied after the color paint has dried. Top coats can also be used to add dynamic aesthetic touches and optical “tricks” in different kinds of lighting. After the top coat is dry, the car is sanded, buffed and waxed to finish the paint job.
A new paint job for your car entails more than a new coat of color. The preparation and finishing touches are vital to a professional looking paint job.
*Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
