Posts Tagged ‘auto bodywork’


If you have decided to do some repairs on your car perhaps in preparation for painting then you will need to know how to remove the old paint.

To begin with, you will most likely want to use a paint stripper rather than hours of sanding. There are many commercial paint strippers on the market. One thing you must bear in mind is these are chemicals, and most certainly must be treated with respect.

You must put all of the safety precautions in place before you begin to work. First of all, you will want to work in a well ventilated area. The fumes of some of these paint strippers can be pretty strong, and dangerous to breathe for any period of time. Perhaps you may want to consider wearing a mask that is applicable for fumes. In addition don?t bypass the safety goggles, If any of the solution were to splash in your eyes it could cause blindness.

Although there are many commercial strippers on the market, they all will have their own individual instructions on how to use it. Be sure and read the directions carefully before starting.

Ok so now you are ready to start. If possible, remove the body panel so it will be easier to work with. Put it on a stand if you have one and make sure the floor area is protected in case of drips. Now apply the stripper liberally with a brush unless it came with an applicator.

Once you have applied the stripper cover the piece with plastic. This will help to contain the fumes. In addition, it will help the stripper to work faster. Leave it this way for about 20 minutes.

Now remove the plastic and discard carefully. With a putty knife or a scrape start to remove the paint. Once you have scraped off all of the paint you can, rinse the piece with cool water. Be sure to wear you gloves. The cool water helps to neutralize the paint remover.

Once you have reached this point you need to assess the piece. If there isn?t too much paint still there you may want to sand the remainder off. On the other hand, if there is a fair amount still to be removed you may want to re strip it again. Either way you want to be sure, all of the paint has been removed. It wouldn?t hurt to give it a light sanding once you are finished with the stripper.

We have given you the basic steps here on how to work with strippers. One thing you must remember though is to follow the instructions exactly as they are outlined on the product. If you are not sure what you should use, then check with the store where you are buying the product. There may be various types that are used for specific jobs. You want to be sure and get the one that is best for you. Once you have completed the job, make sure everything is disposed of properly.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 May 2009 05:22

When was the last time you bought your car only to realize that your neighbor has the same make or color? This doesn?t make you feel that you have had an exclusive buy, does it? You probably had a choice of some basic colors, which resulted in you picking up probably the same thing your neighbor got a day back! This is where the concept of automotive paints gained impetus.

There was a time when automotive paints were very limited as far as the shades of colors were available. Cars in the earlier days were available either in basic white or black shades. But as the demand for the colors grew, so did the experimentation of the colors begin, as far as car manufacturers were concerned. Today, the custom car painting does not mean choosing only the right shade for the 4-wheeled beauties. One has to consider factors whether the paints are rust free or scratch proof.

There are many different qualities of automotive paints available for custom car painting. Here, cost is also an important factor. For example, the poly utheranes available are generally at a higher end. There are also lower grade qualities available of this kind. This is because of a certain pigment used in them that makes it a tad expensive. The bottommost quality is the acrylic enamels. The difference between them, apart from the price factor, is the durability of the paint.

If you take a trip through any company that specializes in custom car paint jobs, you can get a variety of such paints available with their various categories and prices. Every painter has his/her own recipe for custom car painting. People have even known to change the basic look of the car or even the performance of the car (By replacing the engine) if they want a custom car as per their desire. This always adds a personal touch to the model. Once the basic body structure is changed, the custom paint job always remains to be the most important step.

The 1960s saw the use of transparent wildly colored candy apple paint applied atop a metallic coat. There was also an addition of glitter and the use of multiple coats that produced a sparkling effect. These custom car enthusiasts were also known to add decorative coats of paint in the shape of flames, pinstripes etc., over these coats. Apart from long flames on the car, automotive paint jobs also got a new twist in the story. Today, there is a growing demand for automotive logo designs. These are mainly popular amongst most car and bike enthusiasts as they can change the entire look of a plain car, to a very eye catching one.

Many people use these logos as a representation of the company or for personal use. Here, the painter has to take care that the color scheme used for the logo should match the basic color and look of the car. Most people today, love to go in for a fiery car paint color that is bold and makes a statement. These can even be seen at a longer distance. Serif fonts or delicate fonts are generally avoidable when it comes to custom car painting. This is because they may not always be visible at a distance.

If the reasons are professional and you need to display a website address, always consider the font and use contrasting colors for better readability. When it comes to automotive logo designs, one has to consider the objective of the design, the quality required and the extent to which your creativity can be unleashed. Sometimes, the designers use the various components of the car such as the handles, steering wheels etc., to display some more creative logos. Some of them break the traditional norms and implement trendy designs that can certainly look very creative and bring a ?designer? touch to the car.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 May 2009 05:26