Learning to paint....
Ok, folks. Just a couple of simple questions, with a ton of not-so-simple answers.....
How did you learn to paint cars?
How have you evolved as a painter since your "early" days?
I want to learn to paint and although I don't think it's beyond me, I know there's more that I don't know, than I do and nothing will replace experience.
I plan on "fixing" a dented truck fender and practicing on it. But aside from that, if you were ever wanting to teach someone to paint, well, here's your chance.
-=C
Cuda416
Start small and work your way up. Read a lot. Take a night school course if you can. Find a mentor willing to take you on. Practice, practice, practice and practice some more. Learn bodywork too because they go hand in hand, I've taught many painters in my time and the one's with desire to paint are the ones who excel at automotive spray painting. Refinish paint reps are a good source of reliable info too. The experience will come if you make it happen.
I started in the trade when I was 13 years old, going to school I passed a body/paint shop on the way to and from public and high school. One day I stopped in and asked if they needed a kid to clean up and wash cars, etc. I worked there some days after school, on Saturdays, civic holidays and summer holidays. When I went to university I only worked for them during the summer holidays. In my off-time at home I must have painted everything I could get my hands on. At the the bump shop they had me paining everything from a new football helmets, appliances , house shutters, steel railings to the insides of a milk trucks. I did a **** ton of prep work before they let me paint a used car. My own first car I think I painted it at least 6 times. I read every custom painting magazine I could find. My mentor was probably the best painter around, or at least I thought so (RIP Keith). One day during summer vacation time their painter didn't show up for work (he was a drunk) so the manager threw me into paint a used pick up truck. I had only painted a few cars including my own. The truck turned out pretty good. I painted a bunch more cars that day and the manager (Keith) loved them. Their regular painter got the boot and I painted cars the rest of the summer. My record for a day painting cars was 9 completes and 3 partials.
When I asked the manager of the paint shop if I could apprentice for my automotive spray painter's license he said you already have the hours and education, you just need to write the exam. He filled out the paperwork, I wrote and aced the test, got my diploma May 1973.
After I graduated from university I didn't land an engineering job for about 6-8 months so I worked at the bump shop until such time as an engineering job came around. Even working as an automotive mechanical engineer my heart was still in the paint booth. After 3 years working in an non paint related engineering role I landed a paint manufacturing engineering job at Ford and worked for them for 3+ long years, then got offered a technical service manager job for the world's largest OEM paint manufacturer and after 12 years worked my way up to director level. Seeing the opportunities I then went into OEM Paint Process Consulting to the OEM's and have loved it. I'm semi-retired now and pick and choose my clients. This career has also afforded me the opportunity to build and own my dream cars and pay for 3 kids to attend university.
My suggestion is; grab yourself a book or books on automotive refinishing. Learn the basics and build from there.
FYI - To this day I still get pumped when I'm about to apply color to a car or motorcycle parts.
I've made the same offer to a few others on this site. I'm on this site every so often and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me at any time. I will help you an way I can.
One last thing; in the auto spray painting industry you are working with very harmful chemicals, please protect yourself, use every precaution when working in that environment. You will thank me when you are retired.
sscuda
