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Stupid question but is there an "Actual" method to rolling paint?





Once you have worked out 'how much' paint you should have on your roller and the appropriate blend of thinner to paint ratio, there is the actual painting pattern to use when laying on the coats of paint :

When I went to roll each coat on my car, I always followed the same painting pattern.

First I would lay on the horizontal surfaces first : hood, roof and trunk. This way... if there was any drippage or runs, it would dribble to the vertical surfaces.

Once I had my coat on the horizontal surfaces, I would then begin at the drivers rear quarter panel and go to the drivers door, drivers front panel, front bumper area, passenger front panel, passenger door, passenger rear quarter and rear bumper panel.

By following this pattern consistently it allowed me to make sure that all edges were nicely feathered and blended as I transitioned between each panel. But the thing to note is that I completed each panel, going from top to bottom, before moving on to the next panel in the sequence.

The other thought that was always in the back of my mind is this : Normally I was only making small batches of paint, blended with the mineral spirits right in the roller tray. My concern was that the amount of pigment in my paint mix might be slightly higher or lower during a coating, depending on how much mineral spirit I might add to the paint as I rolled. By following the same painting patter each time it ensured that any color transition between panels was so similar that you could not see any color difference between the panels ( even though each panel had been rolled on its own before moving on to the next panel ).

When doing the vertical side surfaces, I always started from the top of the panel. Again the logic being that if there is any running of the paint ( due to me overloading the roller or pushing too hard on the roller ), that gravity would flow it down into the lower areas of the panels which I would next be rolling. So runs never posed a problem because my pattern of painting always took into consideration that 'if' they happened, it would simply be flowing towards where my roller would next be going....

When doing the hood... I usually always started in the center of the hood... I would start by going from the windshield end to the front bumper end. Then I would follow that pattern while working my way out to the side of the hood.

On the trunk... I usually always started from the center of the trunk area nearest to the rear windows AND UNLIKE THE HOOD I would go from one fender side to the other fender side. Then I would follow that pattern while working my way out to the read bumper end.

IF my car had a roof to paint ( its a convertible remember ), I would have started by going from the center front to the center back of the hood. Then I would work my way out following that pattern towards the drivers door side. Then I would go over to the passenger side and work out from the center towards the passenger door.

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Last edited by Marq; 03/21/08 10:25 AM.