My rattle can technique finally looks like a real paint job

I've been fighting with spray cans for years at my home shop in Fort Worth, and last week I finally got a hood to come out glossy enough that my buddy asked if I used a gun. The trick was slowing down my sweep and overlapping by half instead of a third. Also I stopped shaking the can like crazy and just rolled it gently for a minute, which cut down on splatter big time. I did three light coats with a 20 minute flash between each, then a heavy wet coat and let it sit in the sun for an hour. It still has a little orange peel but wetsanded with 2000 grit and polished it out smooth. Has anyone else found a specific rattle can brand that lays down better for small spot repairs?

1 comments

1 Comment

derek_schmidt619d ago

I mean, my first rattle can attempt looked less like a car part and more like a giraffe with a skin condition. The orange peel was so bad I could've passed it off as a crinkle finish on purpose. I still can't get over the shaking trick, I was out there doing some weird maraca dance for like five minutes before every coat for years. As for brands, I've had decent luck with the Ace Hardware store brand lately, but I also painted half my toolbox with it so my judgement might be a little skewed. Congrats on getting that hood sorted, though, that's a bigger win than most folks realize.