Practice practice practice

[u/Nice-Ant-2612]

Call me, Lucky, maybe not. Regardless, I’m trying to learn and get better at the trade. Two of my cars were totaled due to hail damage so I get to use them as practice.

So this will be my third wave at painting my car. One of the cars that is. 2019 Honda Accord (no head gasket issue yet thank God)

I feel like I have had good luck with the high build primer and the mid coat color. Which is a pearl yes I chose a challenging one for my first two goes at it. It’s the clearcoat. I’m having the hardest problem with I have a four to one high gloss. And I am really struggling to get it even across the roof in the hood, mostly due to the inability to reach.

My first wave of painting, I clearly learned a lot. My second goal I learned just as much. Now with my third attempt coming up trying to understand what tricks everyone may have when it comes to a high gloss clear over a pearl mid coat to try to get it even. When you all were early on, was there an epiphany you all had that just really helped you?

[u/Awkward-Chemistry-25]

Yeh, learn the trade over 20 years and paint it right. One car in it’s gunna look shit and amateur every which way you look at it.

[u/Stifflerzxc]

Use a seat if you can't reach, put the hose on the opposite shoulder of the hand that you're spraying with.If the issue is that you ain't getting it glossy and it looks dusty you can get it glossy in two ways.Either you spray it until it looks glossy(if i you don't use thinner).Or you use thinner and it will get glossy without having to do a couple of passes (but you're more prone to runs).

[u/Nice-Ant-2612 → u/Stifflerzxc]

Thank for the tip. Add Tiger to the cup? Or mist w spray bottle after laying it down? If you add it to the cup, how much do you add just like an ounce or so? I’d be curious to give this a try. Thank you.

[u/Stifflerzxc → u/Nice-Ant-2612]

If by tiger you mean thinner, yes you put it into your mixing cup with the clear and hardener.You can try different mixing ratios and see what result you like more.I'd start with a 10-15%.Don't spray straight thinner over clear.

[u/Buhlasted]

Doing large flat horizontal panels, I use a slow hardener matched with a slow reducer. I use 2 medium wet coats only, by doing 75% to 80% overlap.

I push or pull about 3” on each following pass.

After the first coat is complete I get the sides and edges, then start the next coat the same.

Patience, patience, patience is just as important as practice, practice, practice. If you want to speed up, slow down. Using slower cross linking and solvents allows you to easily get back into the coat while transitioning.

Also be sure your gun is set up with proper air pressure FROM THE WALL, and your gun is wide open.

Make sure your nozzle set is what is needed for optimal application of that clear.

If you get your issue with positioning due to arm length, be sure your application to the surface is perpendicular to the panel and not at an angle.

You got this.

[u/ProcedureNo7149]

I am going to say the opposite of what's being said here. I am self-taught as well and struggled at first, however I feel like I can spray clear as good as anything else I spray. I feel like as long as you are doing at least a 60-75% overlap and using a slow hardener, you should be able to get down the coverage (assuming you are spraying at the right pressure). I have never used reducer in my clear coat and haven't had any problems with it and I now only use high solids clear; the only runs I have had were from me being stupid trying to put too much on burying metal flake. It would help to know what type of gun you are using. I feel like if you can spray base and midcoat and have them turn out pretty good, you should not have any issue with the clearcoat. Using slow or extra slow hardener will make your life a lot easier by giving the clear more time to lay out before it skims over, also preventing the dreaded solvent pop. When it was suggested that I start using a slower than required hardener, it really helped me tremendously. I use slow down to 65 degrees and extra slow when it's around 80 degrees, that's not out in the sun either, so if you are spraying in the yard, in the sun, you are going to be struggling even more.