Gunning for You: HVLP Gravity-feed Spray
Becoming the industry’s “gun of choice,” HVLP gravity-feed spray guns save you money and do most of the work for you. I recently visited autobody paint shops in far corners of the country. Every single one was using gravity-feed spray guns, most of them high volume, low-pressure (HVLP). How did this style of spray gun
Paint Predictions & Amp; Educated Guesses
Which way is the wind blowing auto paint these days? I recently asked the major paint manufacturers what trends they saw on our near and far horizons. And because refinish paint technology tends to follow original equipment technology by several years and at a lower level of sophistication, they were able to make some pretty
Cured: Let’s Talk About Why the Paint Shop Runs Slower than the Metal Shop
Both departments take their allotted completion times from a published labor time database, so 4.5 hours should pass just as quickly in both shops. But, as you well know, the 4.5 hours of work takes longer to complete in the paint shop. The difference of course, is the dry times. You can hang a new
Get the Gun: HVLP Spray Guns
wo in daily use with no deterioration to the snazzy design. Bear in mind that some paint removers and all abrasive pads will discolor even the best anodizing if you scrub hard enough. Oh Yea … and Read the Directions So what’s my parting shot on today’s HVLP guns? Read the directions that came with
Maintain Profits: A Regular Maintenance Schedule
You can lose thousands of dollars a day if even one piece of equipment goes down. Prevent such costly breakdowns by committing to a regular maintenance schedule.
Inside Your Body Shop Spraybooth
Stumped by what’s going on inside your spraybooth? Can’t figure out why your paint work isn’t premo? You’re not alone. Check out this reader Q&A, and you just might find the answers you need.
What Lies Beneath: Good Surface Prep
Is a poorly prepared surface lurking under that shiny new paint job, just waiting for the right time to peel and to turn your life into comeback hell? If so, you’ve only got yourself to blame. The steps for proper surface prep haven’t changed. You just need to tart following them.
5 Tips to Make the Money Coat Count: Your Spray Gun
You spend hours trying to achieve the perfect paint job only to face a re-do and an irate customer. But don’t go blaming your paint. The culprit is likely your spray gun not being properly adjusted or as clean as you think.
10 Steps For Delivering a Lean, Mean, Clean Machine
When you carefully detail vehicles, customers are reassured the entire repair was equally well done. In fact, their satisfaction will increase by as much as 40 percent if their vehicles are truly sparkling clean on delivery.
The Spraybooth School of Hard Knocks
Everybody makes mistakes. (Trust me, I’ve been party to some big ones.) But if you learn from those mishaps instead of dwelling on them, you’ll come out ahead – and may even avoid a repeat performance.
Back It Up: Crossdraft Booths
The old axiom is that two parts of the car must be flawless – the driver’s door and the hood – because the owner sees both every time he drives the car. Though you can’t change the way a crossdraft booth works, you can change the way you place the car in the booth.
Running With the Big Dogs
“Things have changed with the way smaller body shops are treated by jobbers and product companies.Ten years ago, we saw more product support and received more attention from reps. How can we smaller shops get the same customer service and savings on products as the bigger guys? – GiGi Walker, owner, Walker’s Auto Body, Concord, Calif.