Types of Car Paint and Sanding Tips

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_A_Bruce]James A Bruce

So you want to paint or repair your car but don't know where to start? Well, you've come to the right place. Let me introduce you to the world of painting your own car and pass on some helpful pro tips.

Types of Paint:

Nitro-Cellulose - this is the most common type of paint you will find on older, or "classic" cars. It was easy to use and hardwearing, which made it popular with manufacturers at the time. It is toxic, but you can apply it with a basic mask and inexpensive spray equipment. Once sprayed on, you must finish is by polishing a number of times. You can also directly paint it on with a brush if you wish.

Isocyanate Paint - Used during the 1970-1980s, this type of paint is extremely dangerous and toxic, and should be avoided by DIY car painters - even a small amount of inhalation can be fatal. A hardener is required after the initial paint is applied, and must also be left to dry, either naturally or in a commercial oven.

Water based - Universally used by most manufacturers today, water based paints need some kind of clear or laquer coating, but are still more environmentally friendly than any other type of paint here. However, due to varied nature of different water paint systems, repair is difficult.

Sanding and Surface Cleaning:

Before painting or repairing an area of the bodywork, it is imperative that you sand down and take away the previous coat of paint first. The sanding should be carried out with short, light strokes - don't dig into the paint or brazenly scratch away at it. You want to only take away the top layer of paint - not the primer beneath it. You shouldn't place any pressure on the sandpaper - so if you find yourself leaning into it or pushing down, you will almost certainly damage the finish. Hurrying the job is simply not an option if you want good results. A zen-like approach is required.

As for the motion you should use, two school of thought exist - either a circular rotating motion, or short sharp straight line strokes in a cross-hatch pattern. Despite often leading to heated arguments, tests have that either method can produce fantastic results, so with whatever feels most natural to you and enables you to sand down the area without putting pressure on it.

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