The Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Painting With Spray Paint

Summary

The presenter explains five common spray-painting mistakes that can cause soft paint, rough finishes, runs, peeling, and other defects. His main advice is to follow the paint’s instructions, test your technique on scrap material, and let paint dry before trying to correct or sand it.

1. Using the Wrong Recoat Timing

Recoating too soon can trap solvents beneath a surface that has already dried, leaving the paint soft and slow or unable to harden properly. The presenter gives the example of a painted guitar developing towel marks after being set down before the paint had cured.

Recoat windows vary by product, so follow the can’s instructions rather than assuming all paints use the same schedule.

2. Applying Coats That Are Too Light or Too Heavy

An overly light coat may dry in the air before reaching the surface, leaving a dusty, rough finish. An overly heavy coat can run or fail to dry properly.

Practice on scrap material first to learn how the paint sprays and how much to apply.

3. Combining Incompatible Paint Types

A color coat and a clear coat are not necessarily compatible, even if they come from the same company. Different paint types—such as enamel, acrylic, and lacquer—may react when layered, causing peeling, ridges, fisheyes, or pockmarks.

Use compatible products or follow a specific method for layering different paint types.

4. Trying to Fix Paint While It Is Wet

Wiping or adjusting wet paint, such as a run, is likely to leave marks or make the defect worse. Let the paint dry, then repair it—for example, by sanding it back as appropriate.

This advice applies to airbrushing as well as spray cans.

5. Skipping Sanding Before Applying Another Coat

Clear coat may not adhere reliably to some dried glossy paints, including certain polyurethane or enamel finishes. It can later peel or flake.

After the paint has dried, lightly scuff it before recoating. The presenter often uses 800-grit sandpaper; the clear coat should fill the fine scratches.

For metal-flake finishes, sanding can disturb the flake. After sanding, apply a very light additional metal-flake coat before adding clear coat. Sand lightly, avoid sanding wet paint, and take care around edges and corners, where paint can be sanded through easily.

Speaker and Source

Brad Angove is the video’s presenter and narrator. No other speakers are featured.