Are you doing commercial or industrial spray painting? Doing a large paintjob, particularly an automotive one, can be incredibly daunting. Any error, small though it might be, can turn into a glaring problem once the paint dries. We at Marathon Finishing have seen the gamut of problems people encounter while spray painting, and we can tell you with confidence: don’t despair! Most of these spray painting mistakes have fairly painless fixes. Paintjobs of this scale take a lot of patience, so relax, follow these tips, and you’ll do fine.
Cracking
One of the more problematic mistakes, as cracking can spread from its point of origin to other, perfectly good parts of the paint job. To fix a cracking problem, you’ll need to let the paint cure fully, then gently sand out the imperfections and reapply the paint. The best thing you can do is avoid it by properly preparing the surface, using the right reducer, and painting in a proper environment, like a professional spray paint booth.
Paint Runs
A sag of run is when the paint accumulates in one spot and runs down from it, living a ridge when dried. You can catch this when while the paint is still wet. Remove it with solvent and give the area a clean, then reapply. If it has already dried, sand and reapply.
Thin Hiding
If you can see the substrate underneath the paint, then you’ve got poor hiding. This is one of the uglier problems that can happen, leaving a splotchy, uneven look to the paint job. Preventing it is mostly a matter of using the right primer, and sufficient coats. Fortunately, if this problem occurs, the simplest and best remedy is simply to paint over it until you get an even look
Orange Peel
This isn’t peeling of the paint, but rather when the paint has texture like an orange peel; smatter with gentle divots and pock-like spots. If it isn’t too bad, you can sand it out once the paint film is dried and then use compound and polish to put the gloss back on. If it’s bad, though, the best thing to do is to sand out the whole area and reapply the paint. Check that you’ve got the right spray gun for the job and it’s in working order, and that your paint film isn’t going on too thick.
With these tips, you’ll be able to avoid or correct some of the more common issues you’ll encounter. With a little practice, and the right equipment you’ll achieve quality results.. To make the whole process easier, use one of our spray paint booths to carefully control your paint environment. Contact us today to learn more about good painting practices, and to find out about our excellent booths and products.