Spray Painting Application, Finishing, and Defect Correction
Application
Spray gun settings: fluid, air, and fan pattern. Hold the gun perpendicular to the surface at a consistent distance (typically 15–20 cm). Overlap strokes by about 50%. Maintain consistent speed to avoid runs or dry spray. Understand that distance too close causes runs; too far causes dry spray/orange peel.
Finishing
Apply coats per the data sheet with proper flash-off time between coats. Clear coat seals and adds gloss. Know that flash-off allows solvent to escape; skipping it traps solvent and causes solvent pop or blisters.
Defect correction
Common defects: runs (too much material), orange peel (poor atomization or too fast reducer), solvent pop (trapped solvent), fish eyes (surface contamination, especially silicone/oil), and dry spray (too far or too fast). Correction: sand and polish runs; wet-sand and polish orange peel; remove fish-eye contamination before recoating.
Traps and rule of thumb
Trap: assuming orange peel is a gun fault only - it can come from reducer choice, temperature, or technique. Trap: polishing too soon before the finish fully cures. Rule of thumb: distance, speed, and overlap are the three variables - change one at a time when troubleshooting.