Automotive World

Auto body Repairs Using Sand Blasting Equipment
A restoration requires you to make a choice as to which method you are going to use. In order to do this you really need to categorize the levels of restoration.

Category One – Light to Medium fix ups
Mechanical repairs and repainting
The basic mechanical work is done first to ensure safety of the vehicle components. This followed by minor body works and refinishing touch ups.

Mechanical repairs with replacements and refinishing
Some mechanical parts are replaced as needed. Little more detail is required in the bodywork.

Category Two – In Depth Restoration
Similar to the mechanical repairs with replacements with the refinishing more in depth. Some taking apart of the vehicle is required to attend to rust and corrosion of key parts. Items have to cleaned, refurbished or replaced such as drive train parts, suspension and underbody parts. Close color match of body is required and trim may need replacing. Cars restored under this category are often pampered and not used on a daily basis.

Category Three – Just off the Assembly Line
Restoration here entails making the car look like it’s just been manufactured. Showroom quality. No body fill can be used in these restorations as well as fiberglass body panels except for some Corvettes.

Category Four – Show Piece
This is the museum category and is really not applicable because they are those that are only found in the Museums.

Getting Down to Sandblasting
Sandblasters work off of compressed air and are either pressure feed or suction feed which are the cheaper of the two. The only drawback is that part of their energy goes into drawing up the material however; they don’t require an expensive pressure tank.
Pressure feeds do require a pressurized tank, but they work extremely well.

Sandblasting is effective cost saving and messy. Should only be done outdoors. With the right grade of sand the results taking it right down to the metal and removing the rust pits. It works effectively on other parts as well. Make sure you apply a flash rust treatment to prevent rust till you get the primer on.

The one thing to remember about sandblasting is do not over do it. As soon as you hit the bare metal stop.

You can use silica sand for various other grades just be sure to be careful with what you use. For light touches, you can use the ground or English walnut shells.

The siphon blasters are a lot less expensive than the pressure blasters. Remember to remove the hardware and trim before blasting and make sure you wear the proper body protection as well ensuring you have a proper hood and gloves. Preferably, a supplied air hood would be ideal.

Sandblasting can be extremely effective provided the right techniques, tools and materials are used in a safe environment. Many individuals are against sand blasting because of the damage it can cause. They are right it can work against you but only if you go beyond what is required. The whole key to success is stopping when you hit the bare metal.

Look sharp in cut rate auto body shop or you may lose more than you gain. A good paint job to spruce up your SUV up truck may lose you more than you gain. A good job takes time, skill and equipment.

Why should you pay big dollars to have your SUV repainted when you can get the job done for much less cost? After all for appearances if you place both of these jobs side by side they may well look fine.

In fact, one may be actually be as good as the other – and you will be in the chips with the cheaper job. A low overhead , a low margin of profit and a volume business can make it possible for one shop to charge bargain basement prices and turn out a job that will stand up for years.

But cutting pries may also mean cutting corners. If you have ever painted a car or even a fence you know that a job takes time, patience and a good degree of skill. There are many chances for cutting corners. Failing to sand off rust for instance. Or skipping various steps in the process.

Here are some defects that might show up over time in a corner cutting paint job.

The most common defect is “Peeling”. Peeling is what happens most often. Sometimes the entire paint film lifts off right down to bare metal and you can see rust that was not removed. Or the sealing has not stuck to the primer coat or finish stuck to sealer.

Next in line is wrinkling. Wrinkling is a condition that you can almost always blame on the man or women who did the job. Perhaps too heavy a coat of paint was applied. Or the painter may have used a thinner that dried too fast. In warm weather this will produce a very heavy coat that will surface dry too rapidly. Insufficient thinner is another cause of wrinkling.

Cracking and checking may come from too much haste in turning out the job. Applying finish coasts before the coats underneath dry may well have occurred. Sudden temperature changes or the movement of body panels may cause fine cracks.

Should you take back a defective job like this – the painter may tell you that that “spotting in” would fix it up. It will not. The entire panel must be completely refinished.

Blistering of paint can be caused by a variety of conditions but if it happens soon after the car comes from the auto body shop you can almost always blame the painter.

Poor preparation of the metal always causes blisters and bubbles. Perhaps various steps were missed or fudged. Grease oil or dirt may have been left on the surface before painting began. Moisture or oil in the air line of the spray gun can cause blisters as well.

But if the job is done at a time of high temperature and humidity, be cautious about blaming the shop. These conditions may blister the very best paint job. Even nearby chemical plants or pollution can cause this as well.

How can you avoid such defects and problems? True in even in a full high priced job, some of these defects some or even all of these defects can show up. But your chances of missing them are far better.

Above all, know the shop and its reputation. If you are doubtful stand around awhile and watch. You might well do this while awaiting your estimate.

After all it is your SUV. Your vehicle is the best representation of you. Being careful and thorough is always the best policy.

Respraying your car means you are prepared to devote some time and money to complete this project. There is no reason why you can’t do this yourself, but you are going to need some guidelines. Unless of course you are already a professional car painter.

First of all make up your mind to accept that you are not going to get the same professional looking job by using spray paints from a can. That’s not to say you can’t use them and get decent results. Just don’t raise your expectations to high. Respraying your car will take some getting used to.

First Step:
Do all of your sanding of the rough spots, and filling of the holes. There is no point in doing this after you have cleaned the car you will just be defeating the purpose of washing the car in the first place.

Second step:
You must start with a clean car. If you don’t then your final paint finish will be a mess. Every bit of debris that you left on the car will be evident after the respraying.

Hint: If your car is wet and you shine a light on it you will clearly see any imperfections that you didn’t catch in the first or second step

Third Step
Now you have to mask off all of the areas where you do not want paint. If you aren’t really diligent in this step you could end up being really sorry that you didn’t. It would be a shame to have a beautiful paint finish, but half the paint is on the windows or chrome.

Fourth Step
Practice a little bit with your spray. There is a bit of a technique to it. Remember we said that respraying your car does take some time. Practice on a piece of cardboard. That way you are not as likely to get squirts or blobs of paint. Keep the spray moving continuously, and in very light coats. Several light coats of paint are far superior to two thick ones, that will look really uneven.

Fifth Step
Allow the coats of paint to dry at least one hour in between. Then apply the finishing coat. Again this should be applied just like the paint. A flowing motion with just a very light coating.

By taking your time to do the job right and following these respraying instructions you should end up with a very acceptable completed project. If you try and take short cuts then this is where your problems will start.

Make sure you use good quality equipment and products. Take your time, because when you start to rush a stage then that’s where mistakes take place. Remember to use the proper safety measures such as the right protective gear.

Ideally it helps to be able to respray your car on a warm sunny day, as it helps to set or bake the paint on, giving it a nicer finish.

So remember before you start, do your research on the how to’s and have all your equipment and supplies at hand, and you are ready to go for it.