The Ten Common Mistakes Novice Painters Make
1. fail to clean every step of the way - use a wax and grease remover before sanding, before priming and before painting resulting in fisheyes
2. fail to have a clean air source - dirty air can cause fisheyes and water bubbles
3. fail to sand enough (guide coat and completely flat all areas and get edges)
4. using the wrong reducer / hardener for temp and shop conditions
5. not blowing the car /parts enough before painting
6. using a dirty gun and not adjusting properly for even fan and spray pressure
7. applying paint unevenly and going too wet on first coat
8. not waiting between coats - follow the tech sheets from the paint company
9. failing to get down and cover everything
10. failing to plan a pattern - where to start and end each coat
Glossary of Terms
Flatting- sanding until all gloss is removed
Orange peel - texture in finish similar to an orange skin
Flash off - time required between coats to let solvents evaporate out
Mixing ratio - amount of paint, reducer and hardener mixed for spraying
Water sanding - use of clean water to lubricate water sand paper while flatting
Colour sanding - fine water sanding for polishing usually in grits above 1000a
"p" and "a" sand paper - grading used for sand paper, p is a european grading while a is an american grading. In grits above 240, p paper is approximately twice as coarse as an a paper.
Fisheyes - small holes where paint does not go due to some contamination left on the surface
Tack cloth - rag, usually cheesecloth impregnated with a sticky resin to pick up fine dust prior to painting
Tri coat - description of paint application requiring a base colour, translucent mid coat and clear coat
Reducer - solvent used to thin paint for spraying sometimes called thinner
Hardener - additive to allow paint topcoats to cure fully, sometimes called activator
Single stage paint - paint that does not require a clear coat for gloss or integrity
Base clear - two-stage paint requiring colour coats followed by clear coats
Film build - measurement of material left on surface
John
