#Color sanding rust oleum spray paint how to#

Sanding is definitely required to fix this issue! 5.

If you read the instructions on most spray paint cans, they will actually tell you not to spray paint in direct sunlight.īut I have never paid that much attention, until I started getting this really rough finish in the paint.Īpparently if it’s too hot, the paint dries in the air before it hits the surface and causes these little bumps. Prevent Bumps: Don’t Spray Paint In Direct Sun If you really want a smooth finish, do a light sanding between coats of paint to remove any little bumps. I have also found that painting against the grain with the first coat and then with the grain on the second coat provides really good coverage. Since you can re-coat spray paint in a few minutes, doing a few passes on it doesn’t take that much more time. So the lesson learned is to do at least 2 thin coats of paint (and 3 is even better). Take it from me…they are really hard to get rid of! If you spray the paint on too thick, you might start seeing some cracks in the paint like this one. In this case, I was using an 8′ long plastic drop cloth and my table is only 3′ wide, so I could just fold the end over to cover the area…and that solved my problem! 3. I have found the best way to prevent this, is to put down a fresh piece of plastic whenever you move painted pieces off your work area. Cover wet paint with a fresh sheet of plastic Large pieces of somewhat wet paint will peel off that protective covering and stick to your board (as you can see).Īnd they are really hard to get off cleanly…you usually have to sand them and re-paint. When you are flipping boards over to paint the other side, or setting the boards out for round 2 of painting, be careful where you put them down.Īlthough the paint on the board may have dried well enough for you to touch it, the paint that is sprayed all over the plastic drop sheet (or whatever you were using to protect the surface) probably hasn’t. Eliminate Blobs: Be Careful When You Turn Pieces Over It takes a little longer because sometimes you have to wait for a side to dry before you can turn the item over.īut I think the results are worth it. I spray all of the surfaces that are facing up, and then flip it onto the next side so that I can spray the next set of upward-facing surfaces. You may say, that’s really easy to do it you’re spray painting some boards…but what about a shelf unit like this one that is already put together? On the other hand, as soon as you spray a little too much paint on a vertical surface, you will get drips that are very hard to get rid of! (There’s lots of sanding involved.) That way, even if you spray a little too much, the paint will even itself out. It is much easier to get an even finish when you only spray paint surfaces that are facing up. However, I find it’s almost impossible to avoid them when you are spray painting vertically. Generally speaking, spray paint drips like this one mean that you’ve put on too much paint. Prevent Drips: Don’t Spray Paint Vertically Keep reading to see my spray painting tips and tricks that will produce a smooth finish.

#Color sanding rust oleum spray paint how to#

So I thought I would share what I have learned about how to get a smooth finish with spray paint. I’m sure that some spray-painting gurus will disagree with some of these. I have learned the hard way (by experience) that there are some things to do (and some things not to do) if you want your spray painted projects to be successful. And the surfaces never seem to be as smooth as I would like them. I never seem to be able to get it to go on evenly. The only problem is, I am not very good at using spray paint. Mostly because it is easier to get paint into all of the small crevices when you spray it, and it dries so quickly that your projects get finished much faster. For more information, click here to see our disclosures. But we only recommend products we would use ourselves. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We make a small commission if you buy the products from these links (at no extra cost to you).