Contents

 – Car paint: protecting the bodywork

 – Paint composition: solid, film-forming or volatile

 – Paint pigmentation: colour and quality in addition

 – Car paint preparation: a necessary step

 – Car paint: tools and steps

 – Paint application: minimum 2 coats

Car paint is used to paint a car or touch up the paint on a vehicle’s body. Choice of materials and preparation of the car is essential before repainting your vehicle. This post brings you the critical steps to repainting your car.

Car paint: protecting the bodywork

To ensure effective protection of the metal surfaces of the car body, it is necessary to apply a coating adapted to the supports:

 – a primer,

 – a body filler,

 – an insulator,

 – a primer or sealant,

 – finishing paint.

To apply car paint correctly, you must :

 – make the right choice of materials,

 – use the right equipment.

Note: it is imperative to protect yourself when using various products.

Paint composition: solid, film-forming or volatile

Car paint is composed of :

 – solids: based on insoluble powder with covering and colouring power, used for undercoats,

 – film-forming materials: varnish liquids and binders consisting of natural and artificial resins that transform into solids,

 – Volatile materials: with solvents used at room temperature or high temperatures to better dissolve the binders to ensure better hold on the surfaces to be painted.

Paint pigmentation: colour and quality

A car paint consists of pigments that colour the mixture. There are three types of pigments:

 – Organic pigments: transparent,

 – metallic pigments: crystalline in appearance,

 – mineral pigments: opacifying.

Pigmentation improves the quality of the paint:

 – good adhesion during the application,

 – perfect lightfastness and long-lasting UV resistance,

 – good resistance to weathering and chemical aggression.

Car paint preparation: a necessary step

Before starting any car painting work, it is necessary to repair the bodywork if necessary. Only then can we move on to the various preparation stages, such as

 – camouflage of the elements :

 ◦ requires body tape and newspaper,

 ◦ protects the parts of the car located near the details to be repainted from possible paint splashes: windows, wheels, lights, underbody, etc.,

 – degreasing the surface to be painted with a specific product.

Car painting: tools and stages of production

The various stages of car painting require the use of a complete set of tools:

PAINTING YOUR CAR: STEPS

Steps	Materials
Sanding	– Electric or air circular sander. – Sanding paper. – Sanding block.
Repair	– Body filler. – Filler block.
Application	– Spray gun. – Compressor.
Coverage	– Degreaser. – Wide Scotch tape. – Mixer. – Thinner. – Paint. – Primer. – Varnish.
Finishing	– Polishing paste. – Cotton. – Finishing wax.
Protection	– Protective mask to avoid inhalation of volatile products and solvents. – Protective gloves. – Protective goggles against splashes. – Suitable clothing to protect against stains.

 Paint application: 2 coats minimum

To paint a bodywork, it is necessary to:

 – apply the first coat evenly to the part of the bodywork to be painted, using the spray gun,

 – leave to dry for about 10 minutes,

 – Apply a new coat of paint, still using the spray gun,

 – Allow the second coat to dry (at least 24 hours) before removing the camouflage,

 – polish using a product such as wax.

Hope the above helps you out. Please note: to avoid screw-ups, it may be advisable to call in an auto body painter.