Painting cars - what is meant by a "wet" coat of paint

Just checking and confirming what I did, or failed to do, as the case may be.

In the process of painting parts of a car this week the directions on the can of paint called for a "medium wet" coat, followed by a "wet coat" after the first was tacky.

On a HVLP gun would you control this by slower movement of the gun or an adjustment to the fluid needle?

JD

A wet coat is a 'full coat' where you lay down alot of paint in one pass.

You'd open up your fluid adjustment on the gun and move slower but not as slow to where you have runs and other issues.

Couple of quick questions..

What kind of gun and what kind of paint?

Is it a metallic color? Those take a different technique.

I have a De Vilbiss FLG 643. Described as a light weight, general purpose...gun.

I was using Acrylic Enamel, non metalic, single stage paint. But the next practice car will have a metalic paint.

Devilbiss is a good gun...

With Acrylic enamel when you do your final coat put it on wet. And you can add a small amount of extra reducer- that will help it flow out better and you'll get less orange peel.

Thanks for the help. This, more than less, confirms what I did.

JD

There is an art to doing a good paint job. The definition of "wet" or "dry" coats is easier to see than it is to describe.

If you put the paint on too thin, or stand back too far, it will go on "dry" with a coarse sandy appearance. When this happens you are more or less screwed. No matter how hard you try it is impossible to bury a "dry" spot without putting on so much paint you get a run.

So, you need "thin wet coats". This is where the art comes in. A correctly applied paint job will have a slightly orange peely but shiny surface. It will not be dead smooth and shiny. The paint has to flow out after you shut the door and turn off the lights.

If you put the paint on beautifully smooth and shiny it will slide down in big runs and hangers sure as you are born.

This is where the art comes in. You have to KNOW the paint is going on evenly without looking at it too close.

One of the best painters I know always takes a couple of belts of rye before starting a paint job. He knows if he concentrates he will do a poor job, if he doesn't care and just "wings it" the job will be perfect.

Some of my best paint jobs were done with straight enamel paint in a one car dirt floor garage with one bare light bulb in the middle of the ceiling. I couldn't see worth a dam and just danced around the car putting the paint where I knew it needed to go, without even being able to see it.

In the morning the dam thing was perfect LOL.

As to how you control your paint....

This is your personal technique. You should hold the gun the correct distance as recommended by its maker. Thin the paint according to directions. Don't thin it too much, you can get a shiny paint job this way but the paint will quickly turn dull and chalky. Of course I am referring to a traditional paint job not base clear.

Then, you adjust your paint flow to accommodate your preferred speed. I used to know a real old time painter who went very slowly, moving the gun side to side about 3 feet. And another who would march the full length of the car spraying as he went. It's all in your preferred technique, and you adjust the gun accordingly.

In any case I find it best to use the lowest pressure I can get away with.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rusty_OToole</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

One of the best painters I know always takes a couple of belts of rye before starting a paint job. </div></div>

This is how I do pinstriping.... Take a few shots of Early Times Whiskey... it helps relax the nerves and I can lay down some lines with no tape or guides........

Keep in mind also different types of paint will have different spray techniques.

What works for me may not work for the average guy, but I paint for a living and have developed a few tricks not covered in any text book or college course.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 31Ford</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rusty_OToole</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

One of the best painters I know always takes a couple of belts of rye before starting a paint job. </div></div>

This is how I do pinstriping.... Take a few shots of Early Times Whiskey... it helps relax the nerves and I can lay down some lines with no tape or guides........

</div></div>

You're suppose to mix the paint 8 to 1, NOT your blood

I wet sanded the car today and saw that I did exactly what was said. On some passes I was too far away and had a lot of overspray. On one spot I was too slow and had some runs. On most the orange peel look was not a problem to wet sand smooth and polish . But you sure have to watch out for the edges.

Here's a look at the current stage. These were taken a bit earlier today:

You get better with practice. Once you get the hang of it you get into a rhythm and sort of dance around the car spraying as you go.