Volvo Owners Club Forum - View Single Post

canis · Jun 5th, 2018, 02:26

Not read the other post, but judging from the reply above it sounds like you want to paint a bonnet. This cannot be achieved with an aerosol and it'll look absolutely rubbish if you try. You can apply primer with an aerosol though.

For taking off paint, a flap-wheel works wonders. They're much more forgiving than a disc sat on a rigid backing pad.

I usually use a P80 grit, because it's faster and any scoring will be taken up by the primer. But if you're using an aerosol to prime it, then you're probably better off with P120 which will be more gentle to the metal and leave smaller scores, for the simple reason that you're probably putting on less primer than a bodyshop normally would.

As said above, you can probably get away with painting some out-of-sight areas using an aerosol, but the finish can never be showroom perfect - you simply cannot get enough paint out of an aerosol fast enough to achieve the flow-out necessary for a professional finish, along with several other mechanical disadvantages.

Second to that said above; I absolutely hate working on other people's preparation. They never get it flat enough, and although they say they're "not fussed if it isn't perfect", what they end up with doesn't match their expectation and their disappointment is obvious. No matter which way you try to hide it, bad prep shows and it's especially obvious on a bonnet. Everyone looks at the bonnet first.

Painting bonnets is actually quite hard to do right. Being horizontal, they're prone to collect dust, and ask any refinisher about bonnet stripes and they'll shudder and pull faces. Silicon spots love bonnets for some reason, which is absolutely heartbreaking. Sinkage is always a worry, which is why I suggest you use a P120 not a P80. And do yourself a favour - leave the primer to cure for DAYS before you try flatting it, or six months down the line, you'll start to see sinkage.

Yes, there's really no way to paint a bonnet with an aerosol. Sorry if this is bad news.

P.S.: If you need any advice, feel free to PM me. By the way, I'm "oldschool" when it comes to prep, which may or may not suit you. Good luck anyway.

Jun 5th, 2018, 02:26	#7
canis Non Fragile Last Online: Oct 13th, 2023 05:46 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Chadderton, Oldham	Not read the other post, but judging from the reply above it sounds like you want to paint a bonnet. This cannot be achieved with an aerosol and it'll look absolutely rubbish if you try. You can apply primer with an aerosol though. For taking off paint, a flap-wheel works wonders. They're much more forgiving than a disc sat on a rigid backing pad. I usually use a P80 grit, because it's faster and any scoring will be taken up by the primer. But if you're using an aerosol to prime it, then you're probably better off with P120 which will be more gentle to the metal and leave smaller scores, for the simple reason that you're probably putting on less primer than a bodyshop normally would. As said above, you can probably get away with painting some out-of-sight areas using an aerosol, but the finish can never be showroom perfect - you simply cannot get enough paint out of an aerosol fast enough to achieve the flow-out necessary for a professional finish, along with several other mechanical disadvantages. Second to that said above; I absolutely hate working on other people's preparation. They never get it flat enough, and although they say they're "not fussed if it isn't perfect", what they end up with doesn't match their expectation and their disappointment is obvious. No matter which way you try to hide it, bad prep shows and it's especially obvious on a bonnet. Everyone looks at the bonnet first. Painting bonnets is actually quite hard to do right. Being horizontal, they're prone to collect dust, and ask any refinisher about bonnet stripes and they'll shudder and pull faces. Silicon spots love bonnets for some reason, which is absolutely heartbreaking. Sinkage is always a worry, which is why I suggest you use a P120 not a P80. And do yourself a favour - leave the primer to cure for DAYS before you try flatting it, or six months down the line, you'll start to see sinkage. Yes, there's really no way to paint a bonnet with an aerosol. Sorry if this is bad news. P.S.: If you need any advice, feel free to PM me. By the way, I'm "oldschool" when it comes to prep, which may or may not suit you. Good luck anyway. Last edited by canis; Jun 5th, 2018 at 02:33.