Practical case painting

7
Choosing a place to paint is a very crucial point. An obvious OH&S issue is the build up of toxic fumes, however, it is also important to be aware of dust, bugs and passing traffic. The longer the painted panel can be left to dry in a pristine environment, the better. Conversely, the more chance of foreign bodies coming into contact with it quickly diminishes the chance of a great outcome. Also remember that the first thing that most people want to do with wet paint is check if it’s dry.

If you are spraying in an area where over-spray could cause damage, the use of dropsheets and backdrops might save you grief later on.

Before you start to paint your project, practice on something unimportant that has a similar finish. Every paint applies slightly differently, while ambient temperature can have a huge impact, as can humidity. Get a feel for the spray nozzle, optimum spraying distance and, well, the ‘vibe’.

The last step before applying the first layer of paint is something that you should do between each and every coat – wipe over the panel with wax and grease remover, allow it to air dry, and then blow off any residual dust, lint or fluff, as anything left on the surface is about to be stuck there for good.

The colour that we have used here is a Glasurit Indischrot (Porsche Guards Red), as it is a high quality product that is easy to use. As an aside, the Glasurit website has some fantastic fault-finding guides for home painters and covers nearly all common painting problems and their remedies.

The first colour coat is important, as it is the best opportunity to make sure that you get proper coverage in all of the nooks and crannies – in this example, inside the edges of all of the remaining ventilation holes.

8
Wet sanding between coats with 1200-grit Wet’n’Dry will remove the build-up of orange peel (the insert in the below image) and unevenness of the paint, and provide the next coat with something to grip to. Just make sure to allow plenty of drying time before you start as sanding semi-wet paint will create an enormous mess! Don’t get too carried away with sanding (unless you have a major calamity to repair) in case you rub right through the paint on the edges or grooves of the panel – in fact, a fairly gentle, even rub-over should result in a smooth surface to continue on with. The main area of the picture should give some indication of what you are trying to achieve – an even amount of slight scuffing on a smooth background.

One rule that many people don’t follow is to wet sand the final colour coat if you are going to apply a layer of clear. Yes, it seems sacrilegious, but it really needs to be done regardless of how good it looks so far! Note that a clear coat is not an absolute necessity, so don’t feel bad if you decide to finish off with the colour instead. That’s what we did!



9
The final coat is always the best coat. Whether it is a colour or a clear coat, this is the one that really matters, and where all of the surface preparation pays off. The aim is to get a smooth even finish, with the least amount of orange peel possible. How do you avoid orange peel? When spraying with an aerosol can it is usually caused by one or a combination of the following:

• Spray can held too far from the surface (however remember that too close will cause runs);
• Poor atomisation of paint (check and clean the spray nozzle, especially if it is spluttering blobs of paint);
• Spray pressure too low (buy another can, you cheapskate!);
• Paint being applied too thinly or thickly.

A mild amount of orange peel is relatively easy to remove by gently wet sanding with a well-used sheet of 1200-grit (so that it is more like P2000), and then polishing out the residual scratches with a cutting compound such as Glasurit Fine Polishing Paste. This takes time and elbow grease to achieve if being done by hand – as opposed to using an electric buff – however the result should be an almost piano-gloss finish with a rich depth of colour.

The final step is to finish off with a deep gloss polish, such as Meguiars Gold Class Liquid Car Wax, and a soft cloth to buff the new paint to maximum shine. Just a word of warning – as well as looking stunning, your case will now be one slippery little sucker so pick it up with care!



Spray painting
Spray across the panel in uninterrupted, even strokes that overlap the previous one, and each stroke should start and finish a few centimetres outside the perimeters of the edges. Don’t be afraid to turn the panel and spray it from different angles, as this will also help to ensure full coverage.

Paint should be applied in light, even coats, and try and keep the surface evenly ‘wet’ as you spray, especially the areas where there is overlap of your strokes. Where possible, avoid runs and orange peel, but don’t panic if this first coat is less than perfect – there is plenty of opportunity to block sand and spray again! In fact, plan on at least two repetitions of this step.