Has anyone done any bodywork using rattle can paint sprays ?
Everyone says you canât get a good finish with them - has anyone tackled, say a boot lid or bonnet and done a half decent job - or is it spray shop only ?
I like to think it could be done if you took your time and did it properly ?.
Cheers
Spokey
it is possible,but i wouldânt recommend it,as the paint you get in cans is cellulose,where as the paint on your car is more than likely two pack paint.What will happen is if you paint with a can on top of the other paint,it will reactâŚthe only way past it is buy either stripping to bare metal,or using a paint isolator to stop it reacting.Buy the time you have done this you might as well have had it done properlyâŚit also depends on the colour of car as wellâŚyou will have more chance of doing it from a can if its a base colour rather than a metallic.aldi are doing cheap compressors at the momentâŚget one of them and a spray gun,go to your local paint motor factors,much better way of doing it!Â
Thanks for that
It looks like someone has already had a go at it with rattle cans previously - usual thin coat of rough matt finish - itâs a 1990 red one ⌠so base colour - the paint is sound so doesnât look like itâs reacted with whatâs underneath - probably faded so the previous owner decided to try to paint it himself - but didnât have enough paint to put a decent coating on -
Tried cutting it back at the weekend, which improved it a little - just wondered if it could be done - done small areas on my old capri wing, and a jetski once in the past ( I found the trick was to polish it before it had properly hardened to get a good finish ) ⌠boot could do with doing as well really ⌠cost is an issue though which is why the rattle cans are more attractive proposition ( and a challenge ) at the moment.
Â
 A friend of mine did a job on one of my cars with a couple of cans BUT he was a sprayer in a former life and got it spot on.
 I have had mixed results with cans, ranging from âOh my God why did I do thisâ to âMmm thatâs really quite professionalâ.
Like all painting, the time spent on  preparation is directly related to the result. If the surface is not perfect before applying the spray, it certainly will not improve with layers of paint. If you take your time into the cost equation it is not worth doing it yourself, but if you have the time and enjoy it as a project you can get quite good results. Time being the key word.Â
Personally I would not invest in spraying equipment unless you have a lot to do - you waste a lot of paint just cleaning the gear, and thinners is not exactly cheap. It also takes some practice before you get the technique of applying a nice even coat, that applies to cans too of course but at least the overall cost and waste is less.
very fine grade wet & dry is essential. Dust free conditions - wet the garage floor.
Make sure ventilation is good, I know a guy who ended up a âblue light jobâ as a result of a collapsed lung!
Have you had a look on utube?
You should only use âpropperâ thinners for mixing with paint and use Standard Thinners for gun cleaning and anything else you want clean. I bought a gallon can of Standard Thinners on Saturday for ÂŁ7.50.
Yes you can with a compressor and a spray gun but bear in mind that when you spray a panel like the boot lid, as all though you may buy the correct colour, it will be brighter and fresher than the rest of the car as the rest of your car will have faded. To see what I mean look at your front bumper against the rest of the car.
well if you are going to do it,going to a paint factors and get them to mix the paint and make you large cans of it,key the paint back with 400 grade wet and dry,then go over it again with 800 then 1000,buy a tin of paint isolator and spray that on.if your doing your boot lid or bonnet,flat back the adjacent wings with 1000s,to get a good key so you can blend in to the wings.
primer the boot and bonnet but not the wings,when dry flat back with 800s and then 1000s,this will give the paint a good key.spray your top coat on lightly,its best to hand the panels up rather than have them on the car if your using cans,give it 5 mins to flash off,it will look powdery but dont worry,apply another coat and give another 5 mins,the trick is not to use the full can,as it starts spitting paintâŚso use about 3/4 of a can,and then get another.give a day to dry. you need to know whether its clear over base paint,or straight base coat.The way to find out,is go to a part of the car you cant see,get some fine wet and dry and rub it,if its show no colour its clear over base,which means it has a laquer on it,if it shows a colour its a straight base coat.
on the wings,after a light rub with 1000s,get some scotch bright and rub over where you have took back,and go a further inch with the scotch bright down the wings,mask off a further inch down the wing.
at ever stage make sure you wipe down with panel wipe,and buy some scat rags,these pick up any contaminates on the panels.
if its a straight base coat,ie no laquer,lightly flick the paint over the edges down the wings down to just over where you have rubbed with scotch brightâŚwhat you will find is where you have not scotch brighted,the paint wont stick and will blend in.
if the car has laquer,fit the bonnet and boot lid,wipe with panel wipe and scat rags,mask under the bonnet and boot,and then laquer the bonnet/boot lid first and flick over the edges of the wings.
allow a day to harden,then buy some fareglade rubbing compound,and apply lightly to wear the edges you have painted up too,use lots of water as you do it,so it does not cut to much.
if you get stuck come back to me on here!if any one needs any advice on anything car or insurance related drop me aline,iâm a motor insurance engineer and am glad to offer advice.
regards
TimÂ
Â
I did a full respray of my MX5 using rattle cans 4 years ago. The satin black didnât react with anything underneath and it still looks as good/bad as it did then. I did the headlight covers in gloss black, and they still look fine too.
I do have a compressor and a spray gun too, I just like rattle cans.