Spray Can vs Brush vs Roller Paint Job

[CB7Nub]

This is NOT for a full car but for the bumper and fender not attached to the car. I don't have a paint gun and would like to see if I can get a decent quality job done without spending $500-600 for painting those two panels.

Bumper is painted with a different colour already over an orginal red colour.
Fender is brand new primed black, very smooth seems painted.

I tried spray can for touch up and it was HORRIBLE, it's either it doesn't come out or it's full blast causing paint to drip like nuts and making a mess, for me.

1) Spray can vs brush vs roller? What are you thoughts?
2) Can you even brush panels?
3) For the roller is there any special type roller material other than the standard type that makes auto painting better?

[SOHC-FTW]

Spray bomb:What you get with this is it comes out in balls not like with a spray gun where the paint is even.But i have seen/done some decent spray bomb work take your time if you go this route.
Brush:Will look like shit IMO never seen any good from it.
Roller:Ive also seen ok jobs, but nothing like an actual gun job.
IMO get you a cheap gun and spray it you will get much better results.

[Kboers]

honestly there is no reason why you can do a semi-decent rattle can job. Sand, perfectly clean and dry the area being sprayed and tape off whatever if necessary. Be sure to shake can plenty, hold it around 14 inches away and do short, light, overlapping sprays and be sure to not miss anything. Then let it dry and do it as many times as you like. I've actually had several things I've painted turn out pretty decent looking.

[crazymikey]

Alright, I will provide photograhpic samples of spraybomb paint work on a front bumper.


Stock bumper, with factory paint, in an accident


Repaired scratched and gouges in bumper and repainted, with colour matched spray paint



Stock bumper, factory paint




New bumper, used to be white. Sprayed with colour matched spray paint. Black trim line is also spray painted.



Hard to tell the difference when you take the time to prep and spray them right when doing a rattle can job.

[AUTOMODSGST]

I would never think on using a brush to paint a car part never never never go with the spray can just read the instructions and practice practice you would be able to do a decent job practice makes perfect, after that you would want to buy your self a spray gun.
example of job done with a spray gun

[thepowderblue]

omg

your best bet would be going to harbor fright and getting a pro sprayer they are only $15 and that way you can use the right paint.

[Shadow1]

i used a roller on my last CB. i wish i didnt tho. you have to have a LOT of patience when doing it. prep prep prep!!!! the quality of your paint job is not just determined by the type or quality of the paint but mainly on the amount of prep work you do.

i would get a compressor, paint gun and some actual car paint and do it right or pay MACCO $350 and have them do it.

[Madpol]

ok DONOT brush or roller your car panels bumpers or what ever it will end up looking like your kids were let lose on it or end up looking like a hippy vehicle.

if any thing use spray cans...you might end up with an uneven job but its better than the alternative.

im sure if you ask around or look in the work wanted sections of your local paper you can find someone who will do a backyard spray job for ya and it wont cost you much.

get that brush or roller crap out of your head...BIG no no

[19dabeast85]

For a cheap but good looking job, I've used Duplicolor color match paint with success. Prep work is key. And you'll probably want to sand between coats for the best finish then top off with the Duplicolor clear top coat. Done right, it will look like factory paint anywhere more than 5 feet away to most people, only the professional painters will be able to immediately notice the difference. You can avoid the "paint droplets" by shaking the can ALOT during the paint job and cleaning the tip if it puddles there.

I just stripped and painted my windshield wiper arms to body color using Duplicolor and they look really good, I chose not to use the clear top coat so the arms wouldn't be shinier than the hood, lol.

[crazymikey]

I get my paint mixed up at a local paint & body supplies store. They make it up by the paint code.

That was what I used to paint all my stuff, and it came out quite good. Prep is the biggest factor when doing a paint job like that.


yes, using a spray gun is the ideal way, but I'm able to do both quite well.

With a spray can it just takes patience to do a good job.

[CB7Nub]

My local Carquest who mixed the paint for me said give the fender a 280 grit first which is already factory primered, then re primer it, wait 10 minutes or so, do again, 400 grit, then paint and wait 10, again, then 500 grit to smooth it. Does this sound right? I would be using a can.

[crazymikey]

Can't go wrong with that advice.

If you like, once the paid has dried, between coats you can wetsand with 1000-2000 grit. This will help eliminate any dust or particulate accumulation on the surface. Wipe it off and spray your next coat, and repeat the process.

That's what I did last time I sprayed a metal panel and it came out like glass.

[Madpol]

For a cheap but good looking job, I've used Duplicolor color match paint with success. Prep work is key. And you'll probably want to sand between coats for the best finish then top off with the Duplicolor clear top coat. Done right, it will look like factory paint anywhere more than 5 feet away to most people, only the professional painters will be able to immediately notice the difference. You can avoid the "paint droplets" by shaking the can ALOT during the paint job and cleaning the tip if it puddles there.

I just stripped and painted my windshield wiper arms to body color using Duplicolor and they look really good, I chose not to use the clear top coat so the arms wouldn't be shinier than the hood, lol.

yeah painting small areas like your window wipers are easy to get looking nice using spray cans but with big areas like panels using spray cans can look really really bad here is an example of a big area using spray cans.. it can come out all un even and leaves spray lines

[GhostAccord]

If you get lines that's from improper spaying/overlap technique. Isn't that a fabric headliner? That really doesn't count. Another coat or two using proper overlap would cover those up no problem.

IMO go with the spray bomb, practice on some scrap metal to get the right distance for proper coverage. Different manufactures have different spray nozzles patterns and sizes. Another key is to start your spray off the object and move onto it, also don't stop moving over the object. Do a complete pass from one side to the other and then overlap.

Practice and patience, along with prep work are the keys to a good paint job. if you do get some orange peeling or runs you can always wet sand them once the paint has cured.

[crazymikey]

Rule of thumb when spraying: 50% overlap.

Spray one line, and then on your next pass, overlap the previous one by half. On your first pass, spray left to right, and on the second pass, go from right to left on the overlap. It ends up looking much better because you are continuously spraying, rather than stopping and starting again. When you start and stop, that's when you get uneven coverage at the beginning and end of your pass. You'll have too much when you start and have a dark spot, and you won't have enough on the end, and end up without enough paint.

Also try and be as straight as possible. Nothing is worse than wavy zebra stripes.