Very often our cars acquire minor damage to the paint layer: scratches, abrasions, chips. They are caused by various reasons: unsuccessful parking, acts of vandalism and hooliganism, exposure to small pebbles and objects while driving, hail, etc. With such a small area of damage, there is no point in taking the car to a service station. In this case, the best option would be to paint the car with a spray can yourself.
The advantages of this painting method
This method of local restoration of body paint has a number of undoubted advantages:
- All operations and stages of work are very simple and do not require any special training or skills from you
- The quality of repairs using a spray can is usually high
- The aerosol spray can be applied to any surface without any problems, including hard-to-reach places in the bends of body parts
- The use of additional tools is not required to apply the coloring composition: spray gun, roller, brush, etc.
- The paint layer is uniform even if you have no experience in automotive painting
- Painting a car with your own hands using a spray can will cost less than using other methods
Sequence of operations when working with a spray can
Depending on the level of damage to the paint layer, its restoration may vary. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to inspect the car and decide on further actions. If only the layers of varnish and paint were damaged, that is, small scratches or chips did not affect the putty and primer, then they can be eliminated by polishing the body element. It is worth noting that polishing is possible only when the paint coating around the defect is held firmly and does not have a tendency to peel off.
When the damage to the paint layer of the body has reached the primer and, especially, the metal, it is necessary to carry out local touch-up of the car. The cheapest and easiest way to do this is to use automotive spray paint. Don’t forget to first find out the color number of your car and use it to select the required container.
It should be noted that repairs to such chips and scratches must be carried out as quickly as possible. If the damage exposes the metal, it will inevitably begin to oxidize, which will start the corrosion process. To repair such defects, before painting they must be primed with an anti-corrosion compound and then puttied. Otherwise, even under layers of paint and varnish, the damage will begin to increase in volume and a pocket of rust will appear in this place.
Arrangement of the work area
The best location for spray painting is considered to be a special booth, but such conditions are usually not available. Therefore, you can choose to paint outside; here the work will take place in safer conditions. When working indoors, ensure a good level of ventilation. Temperatures should preferably be kept in the range of +15-20 degrees, and air humidity should not exceed 65%.
You can choose to paint outside; here the work will take place in safer conditions.
Necessary preparatory procedures
Before local spray painting of the car is carried out, it must be washed. To do this, you can use any suitable detergent and warm water. After washing, the car must be completely dry. Next, you need to degrease the surface of the body. To do this, take two clean special napkins. Use one soaked in solvent to thoroughly wipe the damaged area, then wipe it dry with a second cloth. After this, if the paintwork has been stripped down to the metal, it is necessary to treat the damaged area with a primer. For this purpose, you can use the composition contained in a bottle or aerosol can.
To protect nearby surfaces of the body from damage, first cover them with protective film or newspapers using paper masking tape. After the primer has dried, degrease the surface again and putty it with a specialized acrylic-based compound. Do this with a suitable size rubber spatula.
The primer and putty compositions dry at a temperature of +20° for 20-30 minutes. After the putty has hardened sufficiently, it is necessary to sand it with sandpaper or sandpaper intended for dry processing, with a degree of abrasiveness P320-P400. Grind the surface until its geometry is completely recreated, in other words, until the part takes on its original shape. It will be much more convenient to work with the sandpaper if you wrap it around a small flat piece of wood. After you have treated the surface of the damage as a whole, carefully sand its edges with sandpaper with P500 abrasive.
In order for spray painting to be successful, it is necessary to further prepare the surface where the new varnish transitions to the old one. To do this, you need to matte these areas using one of two available methods. The first of them is to treat the surface with Scotch Brite using matting paste. The second is to process the desired areas using sandpaper with P1000-1200 abrasive.
After completing this operation, you should thoroughly degrease the repaired area one last time, using the same method as before. Using one napkin, apply the appropriate composition, and with the other, gently wipe the surface. In this way, you will not only degrease the damaged area, but also remove from it any particles of dirt and dust remaining after the preliminary work.
Area of use of different types of aerosol CM
The variety of aerosol products is wide, but they may vary. Paints are available for different purposes, and you should choose a product taking this factor into account. So they distinguish:
- Acrylic type is suitable for plastic, wood, metal, glass and other materials, popular due to its positive properties;
- Alkyd, suitable for wood and stone, often chosen for metal car parts;
- Epoxy, used for surface restoration; you can tint wood with it;
- Nitrocellulose, creates a decorative and protective coating on glass, wood, metal, ceramic surfaces.
Before you spray paint a product, you need to select not only the composition, but also the effect, so it can be a matte, semi-gloss, or glossy effect. The color palette is wide, there is an option for creating phosphorescent coloring, imitation of different materials, neon and other original options.
The variety of aerosol products is wide, but they may vary.
What to consider, or some nuances
When carrying out partial painting of a car, it must be taken into account that the spray area of the base coating should not be larger than the pre-treated area. Be especially careful that the spray does not extend beyond the boundaries of the area matted around the perimeter of the damage onto the glossy surface of the body. In addition, it is necessary that the varnish coating, which will be applied after the paint, covers the area where the paint base is applied and lies exactly along the border of the matte surface.
Note also that the surface preparation described above should cover an area slightly larger than the volume of damage itself. This is necessary so that the transition zones can be polished later without interference.
Before painting with a spray can, it must be shaken vigorously for about 3 minutes. Then it is advisable to do a test paint job on any metal surface, and best of all, on some old car part. Make sure that your actions completely coincide with those described in the instructions for use of the aerosol paint you are using.
There are also some things to keep in mind when using canned spray paints. All operations for painting a car must be carried out in a clean room, in which there is no dust either on all surfaces or suspended in the air. Make sure that there are no flying insects in the room, as they can stick to the newly painted area.
Please note that if the room temperature is high enough, the paint dries much faster. However, if its top layer has dried out so much that nothing sticks to it, this fact does not mean that the composition has dried out inside. Therefore, strictly adhere to the time allotted for complete curing of each layer and do not process them during this period.
To speed up the drying process, you can use a hair dryer. This is especially effective in cases where small parts of the car are painted. Thanks to the heating of the metal, the paint layer dries completely very quickly.
Tips and tricks for choosing
It is worth noting that on the modern Russian market there are many different companies and types of spray varnishes.
It is easy for a common man, an ordinary person, to get lost in all this diversity. That is why it is especially important to understand manufacturers and brands.
So, the most famous, popular and reliable are:
- Mobilehel 1K. Good and proven when varnishing cars. It is characterized by transparency, density and high drying speed.
- Brulex. Acrylic varnish, mostly used for decorative purposes, to add shine and shine to metal, plastic or wood. Not subject to yellowing, dries quickly.
- Holex. Acrylic spray varnish, especially popular for painting car bodies due to its fast drying, durability and durability.
Also, when using varnishes in spray cans, you must always keep the following tips in mind.
- First, always practice in an inconspicuous place or additional surface.
- Secondly, never forget to shake the can before use.
- Fourth, follow safety measures: wear protective gloves, respirators and other devices recommended by manufacturers.
All these tips and the information discussed above about varnishes in cans will help you make the right choice when purchasing varnish and then applying it correctly.
Applying layers of paint and varnishing the damaged area
Painting a car with your own hands using a spray can should be done from a distance of about 30 centimeters. All work, and especially the dyeing process itself, must be carried out at room temperature.
First you need to apply the base enamel, which is also a spray. Next, you can start spraying the paint itself.
Apply it in 2-3 layers. After applying each of them, be sure to dry it. At a temperature of +20 degrees, the time allotted for drying of the composition should be 10-15 minutes.
Each subsequent sprayed layer of dye should be slightly larger in volume than the previous one. In other words, the stained spot should increase each time. After spraying the composition one last time, let it dry a little longer - 20-25 minutes.
The next stage of work is covering the surface of the damage with transparent varnish. It is done in the same way as spray painting a car. In this case, it is advisable to use an aerosol varnish from the same manufacturer as the coloring composition. After applying 2-3 layers of varnish, immediately, within 15-20 seconds, treat the transition zone between the old and new coating. It needs to be made as invisible as possible, that is, blurred.
Is it possible to apply new varnish over old one?
Can. Pre-matt (I would do this with 1000 abrasive). Apply the varnish in two layers. So that the varnish does not float and drip, you need to make the first layer dusty (not a full layer), then leave it for 10 minutes, and then a full second layer.
Interesting materials:
How is maternity leave paid? How is vacation compensation paid? How is personal income tax paid on vacation pay? How to legally take vacation? How to divide a vacation into 2 parts? How to sign a vacation application for an employee? How can a father go on maternity leave? How should you take a vacation? How are you supposed to go on vacation according to the law? How to calculate maternity leave?
