If you have decided to do some repairs on your car perhaps in preparation for painting then you will need to know how to remove the old paint.

To begin with, you will most likely want to use a paint stripper rather than hours of sanding. There are many commercial paint strippers on the market. One thing you must bear in mind is these are chemicals, and most certainly must be treated with respect.

You must put all of the safety precautions in place before you begin to work. First of all, you will want to work in a well ventilated area. The fumes of some of these paint strippers can be pretty strong, and dangerous to breathe for any period of time. Perhaps you may want to consider wearing a mask that is applicable for fumes. In addition don’t bypass the safety goggles, If any of the solution were to splash in your eyes it could cause blindness.

Although there are many commercial strippers on the market, they all will have their own individual instructions on how to use it. Be sure and read the directions carefully before starting.

Ok so now you are ready to start. If possible, remove the body panel so it will be easier to work with. Put it on a stand if you have one and make sure the floor area is protected in case of drips. Now apply the stripper liberally with a brush unless it came with an applicator.

Once you have applied the stripper cover the piece with plastic. This will help to contain the fumes. In addition, it will help the stripper to work faster. Leave it this way for about 20 minutes.

Now remove the plastic and discard carefully. With a putty knife or a scrape start to remove the paint. Once you have scraped off all of the paint you can, rinse the piece with cool water. Be sure to wear you gloves. The cool water helps to neutralize the paint remover.

Once you have reached this point you need to assess the piece. If there isn’t too much paint still there you may want to sand the remainder off. On the other hand, if there is a fair amount still to be removed you may want to re strip it again. Either way you want to be sure, all of the paint has been removed. It wouldn’t hurt to give it a light sanding once you are finished with the stripper.

We have given you the basic steps here on how to work with strippers. One thing you must remember though is to follow the instructions exactly as they are outlined on the product. If you are not sure what you should use, then check with the store where you are buying the product. There may be various types that are used for specific jobs. You want to be sure and get the one that is best for you. Once you have completed the job, make sure everything is disposed of properly.

By: Mario Goldstein

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The smooth shining paint is the beauty of all the cars. You can change the appearance of the car by painting it according to your will. To have your car paint from the professional painters cost you many bucks. The cost varies from several hundred to several thousand bucks depending upon the paint job and its quality. Painting your car is not an impossible task; it is very much doable job. The only thing required is your commitment and precision. Hereunder we are going to discuss some of the useful tips, which help you to paint your car easily.

Items Required

-Masking tape (special type of tape used to protect certain areas when painting)
-Tarpaulin or other covering material
-Paint urethane based
-Sandpaper
-Paint sprayer
-Putty
-Dust mask, gloves, goggles etc
-Sponge
-Urethane Clear coat Kit
-Acrylic Lacquer Clear coat
-Car Painting Clear coat
-Grease remover or wax

Instructions

1. It is important to wash the car before you start with painting process. It is desirable to make the surface of the car free from any dust, mud, scum or dirt in order for paint to adhere properly. Wash the car and make it dry with cotton cloth.

2. The next step involves the sanding down of the rough. This will be done with the help of sandpaper. Use loose and fine grit sandpaper to tough and small areas respectively. Make use of putty to fill out small holes and dips before you can proceed to next step. For if these holes and dips are not given special care they will not let the paint to adhere properly. So, sand down all the affected areas. Be sure that the area you are about to paint is smooth and level.

3. In this step you need to cover all the parts with masking tape and tarpaulin, which you don’t want to get paint on. For instance, mirrors, windows, wheel covers etc.

4. Once you are fully prepared, apply the equal amount of primer to the entire parts, which are to be painted. Primer an important ingredient as it helps paint to adhere properly. After the application of primer, let it dry for some time. Once the primer is dried, sand down the surface again to make it smooth.

5. Now is the time to apply paint to your car. Use urethane based paint and the spray gun to spray the base coat of the paint over the whole surface slickly. Let it dry for about 15-20 minutes. After 20 minutes apply the final coat of the paint evenly over the surface and let it dry for about 90 odd minutes.

6. In the end you are required to apply the clear coat of paint over the surface. Give a gap of 15 minutes after every coat. Repeat this process thrice and after the third coat leave the surface to dry for about 90 minutes. You are done with your paint job.

By: Tauqeer Ul Hassan

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Pinstriping a car can add extra beauty and admiration to it. Pinstriping is a treatment which every spray painted car receives when the primer and other spray paints are applied, making the car to look flashy, classic and great. However, car owners can apply even an extended design called custom car paint pinstriping.

Custom car paint pinstriping can be done on the side of the car by making simple and yet nice designs which can be painted on the body of the car especially at the center of the tailgate like the trunk of a car.

Step one – Wash Your Car Thoroughly.
Before you apply a custom car paint Pinstripe, make sure the car is cleaned thoroughly by washing with water so that the dusts and other particles which settled on the body is erased.

Step Two – Use Wax and Grease to Wipe Areas to be painted
Use wax and grease remove to wipe the areas that need the designs. This is especially useful because it will remove any extra oil and fingerprints which may cause imperfections while applying your custom car paint pinstriping designs.

Step Three – Draw a Specimen Picture to Refer To.
In order to get a nice pinstripe, you need to draw a picture on paper of how you will apply your designs and colors, this is solely because, it is painted with hands with no masking tape. You need to practice and master the act effectively before you head on to a car.

Step Four – Use the Tip of the Brush in a Smooth Steady Motion.
To begin, use the tip of the pinstripe brush to apply the paint. To get a nice job, use a smooth steady motion while painting. Start from the front of the vehicle and halt when you get to the front fender and front door to observe your work.

Step Five – Avoid Distractions In order to get straight pinstriping.
To make sure the line are straight, avoid distractions. Resume your work and stop at the rear end of your car if it is a truck. Your custom car paint pinstripe needs to be straight and professional that is the major reason why you are not rushing it.

Step 6 – Allow Your Car to Dry.
Allow at least 24 hours for your custom car paint pinstriping designs to dry before moving the car.

Step Seven – Safety tips
After pinstriping, do not wax your car for the next 30 days.

By: Michael Chibuzor

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Original factory painted vehicles are thinly coated because it is economical. This is the possible cause that the leads to the paint being faded after some years of getting exposed to atmospheric and various other elements. The vehicles which are lift out in the open weather will eventually fade with time especially on the roof, hood and truck.

Besides this, the oxidation process also causes the paint to deteriorate and ultraviolet light, pollution and even the bird droppings worsen the process. The faded spots on a vehicle give it an old and worn out look. Whether the vehicle has a modern clear coat finish or a traditional single stage paint, the reasons that cause it to fade or discolor are the same.

Old vehicles fade quickly because they do not have coats that are meant for protection of their base paint. If you have faded car, then you have an option to learn to restore faded car paint and make it look shiny and new again. Follow the simple directions.

Materials Needed
- Car soap
- Sponge
- Rag
- Orbital buffer
- Buffing pad
- Polishing pad
- Liquid rubbing compound
- Car polish

Directions

Step 1:
First of all, the car has to be washed with car wash soap and a sponge. Clean it so that all the grime, mud, dirt any type of buildup is removed. Use water and rinse the car, then give it some time to dry completely before proceeding.

Step 2:
Now, apply the liquid rubbing compound to the buffing on the buffer. Start working form the bonnet slowly moving towards the bonnet’s back and then to the top of the car then finally to the car’s trunk. Afterwards, begin from the front fender and move down to the side of the car finally concluding at the back bumper. Repeat this process for the other side of the car. Don’t push down very hard and don’t hard on the buffer because it can burn the car’s paint.

Step 3:
Now, wipe off the whole surplus rubbing compound using a soft and clean rag. Change the buffing pad on the buffer to a polishing pad. Apply the car polish directly to the polishing pad. Start polishing the car’s surface in the same way in which the rubbing compound was applied. Wipe off the surplus polish with a clean and dry rag.

Tips and Warnings

- The vehicle should be parked in a shady area and buff it away from direct sunlight. Sunlight heats the surface of the paint causing the buffer to burn through the paint.
- Don’t use dish soap for washing the vehicle. This soap eats up the protective layers of the paint.
- The best protection against the harmful effects of the sun is the application of a high quality wax after every few months.

By: Tauqeer Ul Hassan

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