deadline

Airbrush : Iwata HP-BH, Custom Micron B
Spray Guns: Iwata LPH400 and Iwata LPH300
Paint Media: PPG, X-Otic and Matrix Systems
Surface Media: Everything I can get paint to stick to.
Masking : Metalflake Spray Mask, Artool Strtch Mask, R-Tape and 3M Masking Tapes
Projector: Artograph
Lighting : Natural and Florescent. Artool Pro Light Box, Spray-Line and Spray King Paint Booths

In the world of custom painting, customers often drop off their job and want it finished in an almost impossible time frame. We will never figure out why customers wait until the last minute to get something custom painted. But our business thrives on compulsive buyers. It's a mystery to me why a boat owner would let his boat sit all winter, and then a week before summer decide to have his boat custom painted. Which they need done right away. We had a window of only four weeks to do it in. There could be no, "Opps, sorry I need a few more days to finish it." The van was scheduled to be on display at the SEMA and NACE shows. It had to have a show winning finish. Which meant double clear coating and bringing the graphics into the door jambs. Even though this was a basic graphics job, I thought it would make an interesting article to show how to do a fast turnaround. I used a few unorthodox procedures to make the time frame, without cutting any corners. With the exception of a helper to get the van ready for paint I ran this job through by myself. If you're planning on making custom auto painting a career you must be able to do graphic layouts as well as airbrushing. As an artist our hopes are that we can just airbrush everyday. Unfortunatly to be successful that very rarely is the case. You must be able to take any job from beginning to end. Why would you want to lose any profits to someone you have to sub contract to do pre piant prep, clear coating or graphic layouts.

#1
My helper prepared the van for primer with 3M 320 grit paper and a DA. We then used 3M red scuff pads to remove any remaining gloss on corners and in grooves. The van was then masked up and sprayed with PPG's DP 48-LF Epoxy Primer. Once the primer cured we applied a guide coat and block sanded with 3M 400 grit wet/dry. After washing the van with soap and water, I began to lay out the graphics with 3M 1/8" Blue Fine Line vinyl tape.

#2
To make a transfer I used roll sketch paper. Trace the design with a #2 pencil. I always pick a few reference points to measure from so I can position the transfer to be in the exact same place on the other side. Using a pounce wheel and a chalk bag I duplicated one side to the next. Once the layout was done I wiped the entire van down with PPG's DX330 Wax & Grease remover.

#3
For the main graphic I wanted something visually striking. I first applied a black base. After giving the base coat sufficiant drying time, I then sprayed a top coat of X-Otic Colours color shifting Ocean Teal. The Ocean Teal shifts from blue to green with purple and gold highlights. For this step I used an Iwata LPH-300

#4
To save time, I masked up the area just painted with transfer tape. This will remain in place and the rest graphics will be built around it. With the blue fine line still in place apply more transfer tape over the flames and cut open with a new razor blade. With a Sata Mini Jet I sprayed a Chrome Yellow Base and top coated it with a mixture Gold Pearl and PPG's DCB500. Next I switched to a Iwata LPH-50 and sprayed a HOK (House Of Kolor) Tangelo Pearl outline and fade in the flames.

#5
This is one of the steps I used to really save time. I masked up the flames with paper and then painted the entire area above the main graphic with a Diamond Pearl White. Within minutes I layed out a scalloped graphic using fine line tape and transfer tape. I used a Light Chrome Yellow this time with the HOK Tangelo Pearl. Next I added white highlights and drop shadows using an Iwata HP-C

#6
To add a checker graphic I masked the upper half once again with transfer tape. With a #2 pencil I drew my checkers out right on the transfer tape and cut them open with a razor blade. This gives a clean edge to the checkers. I then sprayed a Black with Red Pearl base using the Iwata LPH-300. Remember the last step when I sprayed the Diamond Pearl White? Once I unmask it I will have a nice looking pearl checker pattern.

#8
This is a better photo showing the drop shadows. I'm sorry for all the pictures of my hand in this article. But you try airbrushing with one hand and trying to take pictures with the other. Once the drop shadows were done I quickly masked the checkers back up with transfer tape to protect them from overspray.

#10
Now for the "Good Old" Granite effect. Hey, Thats what they wanted! Besides, its still a nice way to get a custom look and help achieve a 3-D effect. I wanted it to be a little more pronounced with bigger speckles. This way it would be visible from a distance. First I streaked the grey with an Iwata HP-C using a weak black and then a weak white. This gives the illustion of an uneven surface by adding shadows and hightlights.

#11
To get the granite effect first I sprayed black speckles using the Sata Mini Jet. Follow that by adding white and purple speckles. To achieve a speckle effect cut off the air pressure at the gun. The less air you use the bigger the dot pattern. Next I airbrushed cracks in the granite with black. Add black shadows to the cracks for definition. Using the Iwata HP-B with the nozzle cap removed, I then added highlights with white to the cracks.

#12
Going back to the Iwata HP-C and black, I added the remaining drop shadows to the flames and bottom of the main graphic. Which by-the-way still has the original masking on it. At this point I am only four days into it. So far it looks like I might beat the deadline.

#13
Now I can unmask all the graphics. At this point I need to clear coat the graphics. The graphics needed to be cleared twice. Once So I can level them before pin striping and then the final clear when I do the entire van. In this picture you will notice that I haven't even completely primered the top half yet. In this step I am going to spray 4 coats of clear and blend it out on the pillars. To clear coat I used the Iwata LPH-400 with PPG's DCB100 clear.

#14
Once the clear coat cured I wet sanded with a Hutchins Jitterbug and a sanding block using 3M 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I used the Jitterbug and block to keep the panels straight and not developing waves. Next I used a 3M red scuff pad for the corners and grooves. This is basically duplicating the initial sanding. This time setting up for the final clear coat.

#15
I'll be the first to admit it, I am not a striper. But we have no good stripers where I live so I had to learn to do it myself. First I start by sucking down a gallon of pepsi to get rid of any shaking. Just kidding, only large 44 ounces. I use all House of Kolor striping urethanes. Mix it with a few drops of what ever catalyst you use for your clear. I've never been good with the sword brushes so I use a "0" round liner brush.

#16
Now at 12 days into the job I'm ready to do the top half. I painted the stripe on top of the checkered flag 1/4". This way I was able to make a trap (overlay) by masking it 1/16" from the checkers. This will keep my 1/16" strips consistent throughout the job and give me the breaking point I need to do the top. You will notice in this picture the bottom half is masked off with plastic. Once the top is painted I can remove the plastic and clear coat the entire van at once.

No matter how good of an air brusher or painter you are, unless you finish the job correctly you will never get the recognition or money you deserve. When it comes down to it, your paint job will be critiqued by its overall finish. There are as many products available for the finishing stages as there are ways in doing it. There is not one particular way to every job. You might have to use different combinations depending on the surface. It is a very time consuming procedure. But if it is not done right it will reflect upon your entire work. To obtain a glass and wet looking finish you must take the time to do it right. You want to remove all the scratches from sanding and not just fill them. If you use a fast procedure that just fills them, marks from sanding will resurface a few months down the road. You should never have to use a swirl remover. This just means you rushed this step and are temporarily filling the scratches. The following depicts several ways to color sand. In this case I used them all. But you can do them individually or in any combination, depending on the job.

I started off by using a Hutchins Jitterbug with 3M 1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper. The Jitterbug is an air powered, water fed sander with blocking pad and a finishing sanding pattern. This is a quick way to remove all the orange peel from clear coating. Add a little dish soap to the water. This helps to keep the sandpaper from sticking and clogging up. As you are sanding, constantly remove the water with a squeegy. Do this on every step of color sanding. When the surface is dry you will be able to see any remaining orange peel or high spots by looking for remaining glossy areas.

When color sanding, you don't want to create any waves in your finish. Always use a flat sanding block. Never use the sandpaper by hand. Your fingers alone will create an uneven surface. In this photo, I'm going back over the surface with 1200 grit and a flat sanding block. Keep water running over the sandpaper at all times. Don't bear down hard, use a lite touch or you will dig deep scratches in the clear. Also never go in one direction. Its best to use a criss-cross pattern. What I am doing here is making sure my surface is straight by removing any waves that might have been created from the Jitterbug. I am also making sure I have completely leveled the any raises from the pin striping.

Here I am using a Mirka Bulldog Finishing Sander with 1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper. This is great for removing orange peel and leveling odd shaped and hard to reach places. It has a finishing cut that is easy to buff. It also helps to eliminate those stubborn areas without digging into the clear coat.

Now comes the monotonous part. I must stress that you don't rush through any of these steps. Its also imperative that you have proper lighting. I always place a light at a 45 degree angle from where I am working. This way you can see any imperfections.
Repeat the entire process working down in your sandpaper grit. This removes the sanding grooves created from the previous process. Repeat the process in Figure #1, Figure #2 and Figure #3, this time with 1500 grit sandpaper. Clean the surface to remove any residue and repeat Figures #1 to #3 with 2000 grit sandpaper. At this point any sanding marks should barely be visible.
Now the final step in sanding make sure any sanding groves are removed and that you will not be buffing to fill scratches but to bring the gloss back. Use the Mirka Bulldog with Abralon pads (this are soft pads made of a special material that is equal to a sandpaper grit with out actually using a course cut material that will leave a groove. With soap and water start with a Abralon 2000 and finish with a Abralon 4000. The surface should almost look polished at this time.

Start buffing with a wool cutting pad. I use 3M's Perfect-It II Micro Finish Compound. Set the buffer at 1400 rpms. If you go any faster you risk creating swirl marks or heating the clear up too much which will cause blisters or burn-through. Put a light on a 45 degree angle so you can see into the clear and make sure any sanding marks are removed. Never stay in one area for too long and move in a vertical and then horizontal motion. What you want to do is make sure you've come with the cutting compound from every angle.

Using the 3M Perfect-It II Compound again, repeat the process with a 3M White Foam Buffing Pad. Keep the buffer at 1400 rpms. This will remove any swirls created from the wool cutting pad. You can also use this pad to remove any imperfections. You can actually heat the clear up enough to move it with this pad without a huge risk of burning into it. By this time you have removed any signs of sanding without filling them or creating swirls marks in the clear coat.

Wash the surface with soap and water. You want to remove all the buffing compound before going any further. The last thing you want is to drag any compound into this step. Switching to a 3M Foam Polishing Pad and 3M Foam Polish, I start by applying small amounts of polish. Set the buffer between 1400 and 1600 rpms. Work the polish into the surface. There should be no polish residue left on the surface when done. Your end result should be an extremely high gloss-glass finish. If your customer takes care of the job the finish should remain looking brand new for years.

Wash the vehicle with a clear coat safe soap and water. I recommend drying it with an Absorber (available at Wal-Mart). Do Not use a terry cloth towel or all your hard work was for nothing. The Absorber is soft and easily removes any water spots. You want your work to look its absolute best when the customer sees it for the first time. Use a spray on hand glaze (make sure it has no silicone in it). I prefer Meguires Quick Detail. Use a soft polishing cloth. This step will help remove any water spots from washing. Don't use any wax. Paint needs at least 30 days to breath and cure before a wax can be applied.

#17
Before clear coating, wipe down the entire vehicle with a wax/grease remover. This will remove any contaminants like finger prints. Go over it again with a tack rag to remove any lint or dust. Some people like to blow the surface off with an air hose. Unfortunatly, this might contaminte the surface before clearing. Your first coat of clear should be a tack coat. Next I applied four wet coats of clear using an Iwata LPH-400.

#18
Now for my least favorite part of the job. But the only way to create a show winning paint job is to continue the graphics into the door jambs. This is a very time consuming step. You have to mask up the outside of the vehicle, but the inside as well. This is the best point of the job to do it at. If any overspray or bleed-through gets on the outside surface, it's easily removed when you color sand.

Steven Craig is the owner and head painter of SKC CUSTOMZ in Lake Havasu City, AZ. In the past Steven has won the House of Kolor Prestigeous Painter Award and was a 1st Place winner of Dupont's Hot Hues Awards. He most recently was awarded the Matrix System's FX Grand Prize Award. Steve paints a wide range
of jobs from guitars to large off shore boats. Visit his web site at