Preparing a car for painting is very important, since the result and quality of work depends on this stage.
The first step in preparing the car is washing it. To do this, remove all attachments. Such as bumper, handles, glass and headlights. Otherwise, masking tape and newspapers can be used as paint protection. This point should not be neglected, it is imperative to remove or carefully close all the details that will not be painted.
To prepare the car for painting, you will need a sander or grinder, putty and primer.
The first step is to get rid of the old paint, otherwise the new one will not lie flat, spots will appear on the surface. In addition, the paint may not adhere to the surface, and soon it will begin to come off.
It is best to use a sander to remove old paint. With its help, this process will take place as accurately as possible, and the metal will not suffer. After removing the old paint from the car, you need to wash it. This will help remove all dust and dirt.
Now you need to carefully inspect the car in order to find flaws. Examine the surface for dents, scratches and rust. If rust is found, then we apply a special solvent to these places. We leave it for a few minutes.
If there are irregularities on the car, welding seams, they must be cleaned, leveling with the surface of the body. For this we use sandpaper. In the event that the differences are large and cannot be handled with sandpaper, we use a grinding machine.
Now you need to degrease the metal in order to remove dirt and dust. For this purpose, it is worth using white spirit. The advantage of this solvent is that after degreasing it quickly evaporates from the surface. We put white spirit on a napkin and wipe the entire surface of the body.
The stripping process does little damage to the surface of the body, making it uneven. In order to eliminate irregularities, putty is used. You need to apply it in several layers, after each we grind the surface. Apply the putty to the damaged area using a rubber trowel. We are waiting for the layer to dry, after which we grind this place with sandpaper. Now you can start applying the next layer of putty. Thus, we repeat the steps until a flat surface is reached. Do not forget to remove dust from the surface of the car.
The next important step is priming the body surface. It increases the metal's resistance to corrosion and damage. We apply the prepared primer mixture using a spray gun. We carefully process all the details. If necessary, you can re-prime the surface.
The priming process is the last preparatory step before painting the vehicle.
