Spray Painting Techniques
By Al Mu
If you are new to spray painting, these following techniques will
help you to get a professional look and finish to each and every project
that you start. Here are some of those techniques. They are not listed
in any particular order. Use this paint in a well ventilated room and
protect your project from overspray with drop cloths. Prepare your
project for painting, by having a clean, dry surface to start with. If
you are working with wood, sand the surface smooth before painting. When
working with metal remove loose rust and grease before spraying.
When working with glass, plastic or ceramic, first sand with very
fine grit sandpaper and wipe clean before spraying. Always use primer on
bare wood and metal. Shake the can for a full two minutes before
spraying. Spray 10” to 12” in a back and forth manner to completely
coat. Have several coats so that the project is completely covered.
Allow paint to dry before putting on a second coat of paint. When
painting, always wear protective gear, such as a face mask to protect
yourself from breathing in the fine mist particles and making yourself
sick. Now let’s look at airless spray painting techniques. When using
an airless sprayer, be certain to mask off everything that you don’t
want covered by paint. Make sure that you have plenty of ventilation.
Hold the sprayer a consistent 6 to 12 inches from the surface and make
runs in 3 foot sections. After finishing the 3 foot strip finger off the
trigger at that end then position for another sweep. Make sure safety is
one when not painting. Only work in a well ventilated area. Never allow
the sprayer to be pointed at a person. Be certain that the paint has
been thinned properly. Now let’s take a brief look at some techniques
for auto painting. Bear in mind that all surfaces must be clean before
painting can begin. Always use protective clothing when auto spraying.
Depending upon the type of paint that you are spraying, the directions
are to start from about 8 to 10 inches for enamels, and lacquers are 6
to 8 inches. Urethanes are also 8 to 10 inches. Use even strokes and
overlap by at least 50% in order to fully cover the automobile. At the
end of each stroke, fingers off the trigger. The ideal temperature for
painting autos is at least 70 degrees. Our final area of discussion is
in painting R/C Cars. You have two different options when using spray
paint. You have cans and airbrush. Both have similar techniques; however
the airbrush does offer you more paint selections than does a regular
can of spray paint. Remember when using different paints such as
lacquers and acrylics, bear in mind that when using a machine, the psi
needs to be set to15 to 25 psi for lacquer and acrylics between 25 and
80 psi. Painting is done by level strokes on the body and a gentle
overlap is also needed. These are just some of the painting techniques
that can be used.
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