How to Mix Car Paint

Having your car painted these days might cost you more than the car itself. So, instead of paying someone else a bunch of money to do it, why don’t you try and do it yourself? You might think its harrowing work if you have not done it before, but if you follow instructions to the letter; you should have no problem in getting it right the first time.

First of all, decide on the type of paint you hope to use on your car. It could be a water based color or solvent based color or even acrylics. You will also need thinner, hardener, stir sticks, a measuring stick, strainer and if necessary mixing additives to get the correct viscosity to give your car a perfect paint job.

If your decision is based on using a water based color, it will be much easier since the paint can be used straight from the tin. However, it would be better if you add at least 10 percent of a mixing additive to help smooth the flow of the paint for ease of application. Tap water should never be used for this purpose and distilled water is also not recommended as a mixer. Make sure you have everything ready before you start your paint job since you would not want to be leaving your car half way painted to run down to the store to get what you are missing.

If your car is being painted with a solvent based paint of a metallic color, you will need a standard base coat thinner to thin down the mixer to a ratio of 2:1. With metallic colors there’s no need to add a hardener. You must make sure that the instructions given on the back of the tin of paint are followed exactly or it could cause you problems.

When you are using metallic paint, attention should be paid to the settings on your paint gun since metallic paint becomes lighter if the pressure is up and darker if its down. The fan as well as the flow of paint in the gun also contribute to this effect.

If you are using two pack Acrylics, you will require a hardener and a fast speed thinner to help with the flow and drying time. A mixing ratio consisting of 2:1:10 made up as 2 parts color, one part hardener and 10 percent thinner will be suitable for this type of paint.

When using clear coatings such as lacquer, it should be mixed at a ratio of 2:1:10 with 2 parts of the lacquer, one part of hardener and 10 percent thinner to assist in the flow of the material.

Once you have your selected paint mix ready, make sure it is thoroughly mixed with the use of a paint stirrer and if necessary, the reducer added before proceeding. Now you are ready to transfer the paint to the paint gun to start spray painting your car.

Photo Credits: aresauburnâ„¢

This post involves:

additives, measuring stick, metallic color, metallic colors, metallic paint, mixer, paint gun, paint job, viscosity

... and focuses on:

Car Paint, Car Tips

Posted by How To Car on February 4, 2012 in Car Paint, Car Tips. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.