@PopularMechanics _ April 2019 47PH
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- DON’T
FORGET TO CLEAN.
The smoother the surface
of the item you’re painting,
the smoother the coat of paint
will be. After scraping and
sanding a surface, don’t forget
the most important step:
Remove all dust with a
vacuum, followed by
a tack cloth. - SPIN YOUR WORK.
Put the item you’re
painting on a lazy
Susan, then rotate it
as you paint to ensure
even coverage.
Eight Tips
for Better
Spray Painting
Some of the most important
instructions aren’t written on the can.
/ BY ROY BERENDSOHN /- GET YOUR HANDS
OUT OF THE WAY.
To paint small items,
like fasteners, stick
them through a sheet
of cardboard.
industry is the scouring
pastes that clean
and abrade a sur-
face at the same time.
They’re especially
helpful when preparing
an irregularly curved
surface for paint.- HIDE KNOTS
WITH SHELLAC...
To prevent sappy tree
knots from bleeding
through a top coat of
varnish or paint, use
sprayable clear shel-
lac or a primer (usually
white) that contains
shellac. Shellac is a
natural plastic that seals
in odors and stains,
including the sappy dis-
coloration surrounding a
tree knot. - ...AND GRAIN WITH
HIGH-BUILD PRIMER.
Grainy textures in wood
tend to show through
with most spray paints,
leaving you with a still-
rough and unfinished-
looking surface. If
you’re painting some-
thing like fir plywood,
use primers and top
coats labeled “high
build.” They’re thicker
and still dry quickly, so
that you can apply mul-
tiple coats. If you really
want to cover the grain,
you can always use a
thick coating such as
Plasti Dip.- PERFECT
YOUR OVAL.
Glossy surfaces and
hammered textures
show imperfections in a
way that matte surfaces
don’t, so make sure you
apply paint perfectly to
them. What does that
mean? First, use a spray-
can holder like Can-
Gun 1, which holds the
can in a pistol grip and
permits a more natural
sweeping motion as
you spray. Also, make a
few trial passes over a
scrap piece of wood to
determine how quickly
to move the paint and
how far away to hold it.
The ideal positioning will
leave you with a distinct
and consistent oval of
paint across the surface. - USE TOUGHER
PRODUCTS.
When you need a
high-gloss coating that
resists rust and chemi-
cals, take a tip from the
auto-body industry and
use a 2K (or two-com-
ponent) spray paint.
Like epoxy, the resin
and solvents stay sepa-
rate until you’re ready
to paint. - CLEAN WHILE
YOU PAINT.
Another great cross-
over from the auto-body