Professional model builder Gordon Smuder shares tips for achieving great results with spray paints.
- Spray paints come in a wide assortment of colors and are a fast, easy and neat way to paint items.
- Many plastics and metals can be spray painted without primer. Use a primer for porous surfaces such as terra cotta, wood or plaster. Otherwise the paint will not have a smooth finish. Fortunately, primers are also available in spray cans.
- Shake paints for at least a minute before painting. That metallic rattling sound is a metal or glass ball inside the can that mixes up the paint and solvents, ensuring a smooth coat.
- Use short, light bursts of paint and apply several coats, allowing paint to dry between coats.
- Spray paint outdoors if possible. If that's not possible, make sure to work in a well-ventilated area. Open a window and turn on a fan.
- Spray paints come in many styles and finishes, including metallic, glossy, flat, matte and textured.
- Small, detailed items such as a small wooden rocking horse are much easier to paint with spray paint.
- Spray paint can also be used with a brush. Just spray some paint on an old piece of cardboard and dip a brush in it as you would any other paint.
- Save the nozzles from empty cans. Should a nozzle clog while you're painting, just remove an unclogged nozzle from another spray can.
