W

PAINT TIPS AND TRICKS FROM A

PRO

Show-quality paint from prep to the spray gun

By Angelo Van Bogart

e followed the Mustang fastback featured elsewhere in this issue to
Townsend Auto Body in Waupaca, Wis., where it was sprayed a
metallic maroon base coat/clear coat, and we picked up some paint tips
and tricks from pro Mark Townsend. Townsend’s shop boasts a modern
spray booth for professional-quality paint jobs, and the pointers he
shared revolved around the equipment and products he used in the
Mustang project. Even if you don’t have all the professional equipment
of a full-time body shop, there are plenty of things to learn from this
master of his craft, so let’s dig in.

Pre-paint prep

When the Mustang arrived at Townsend Auto Body, the metal work
had been completed, which included replacing and fitting metal all the
way to the final pre-paint finishing. As it arrived, the Mustang’s floors
had already been painted and only the outer body, which was about to
receive color, needed final sanding before paint.

Final   sanding before  paint   should  be  completed   in  angled  strokes,    

not vertical    or  horizontal  strokes.