Spraying the hood

[Roch_Greg]

I'm getting ready to get back into the game and want to improve some on my spraying techniques from my last project.

I can get the vertical (doors/fenders/quarter panels) to lay very well and can get the horizontal (roof/truck lid, bumpers) pretty good tool. But my nemesis is the hood.

I'm only a little guy (5'9") and can't seem to get the paint to lay down without making lines showing where the passes are. I mentioned my height cause it's hard for me to lean over towards the center when spraying in a north to south direction.

TIA

Roch_Greg

[Dennis N. Schmidt]

One thing that might help is chasing the wet edge. In other words if you stop in the middle of the hood when you're on one side. Start in the middle and go from there to the edge of the hood from the other side. Don't start at the side since if you do this the paint in the middle from the first side will already have flashed so that you will be able to see the overspray.

[compositejunky]

You need to make sure your gun distance is consistent, your overlap is 50%, your spray pattern needs to be set properly too, as well as spraying wet coats. I used to have problems spraying horizontal parts but discovered that i wasn't overlapping enough , and was spraying too dry, causing tiger stripes. Maybe you could spray the hood vertical off the car and spray it like you would a door or something..

good luck

[Steve g]

I was making that same mistake, For some reason I wanted to start in the middle and work towards me on both sides. After reading it hear I started working from one side and moving across to the other side. Of course I have to sprint around to the opposite side to continue once I reach the center, but I have no problems with dry edges anymore.
Steve

[Roch_Greg]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yep that's how I was painting, I would start at the one side the hood and work toward the center, then go around to the other side start at that side and work towarded the middle again.

I'm pretty sure my gun (Sharpe Platinum) set up was okay cause the rest of the panels came out alright in this regard.

I think I'm leaning to far over and as such it's difficult for me to judge the distance of the tip from the panel.

I read somewhere that you should lean to paint a panel or parts of it. Everything should be within easy reach.

I thought about taking the hood of to paint but seems like more work and (on that car) was worried that the Gold Metallic flake would match the rest of the car.

I think I need some cheap paint and a couple of trips to the bone yard for some practice.

Thanks Again all

[Chris L]

If your only painting a hood and have dry edges or flashing when starting int he center working out,then continueing from the center working the other way,you need tow ork on reducer/hardner issues to slow your paint down.Paint on a hood shouldnt flash that fast.

[Roch_Greg]

Chris L:

Nope actually that was a full body job. I started with the roof, then come down one door, move foward to that fender, start one side of the hood, do the bumper, and move around the other side till I'm back at the first door.

The next project will only be the front end though without the fenders, so I may be able to lean over further as I won't be worried so much about hitting wet paint.

[Len]

If you can step up on something it may help, I use a step on larger vehicles.

[Chris L]

ROch,i see what your saying now.I still would not start painting on the hood.It will be most visible to the driver.I like to start on driver roof,pillars..passenger roof,jump to the passenger quarter and work my way counter clockwise back to the passenger rear.