Car Painting Basics: How Long Do I Wait Between Coats? 

I always laugh when I see the "This generation isn't as handy as the last generation". I can get on RU-vid and learn from some of the best teachers in the world at their craft. I restore boats for a living and couple years ago I knew nothing, now Im rewiring motors, rebuilding motors, fiberglass and body work, upholstery and painting. Literally everything, thanks to people like Brian. I couldn't do any of it without people like him. Dude, thanks a ton. I mean it.

It's clear you put so much effort in making these videos... Just letting you know we appreciate it a lot 🙂

OK. The tape sticky tip was the most valuable tip I've seen in almost all the time I've been trying to learn to paint.

Thanks from Tanzania 🇹🇿 ❤️

Doing my car now. Biggest issues are sweating on the paint and the damn air hose getting in the way. Great tutorials love watching them.

Hi Brian, thanks for another brilliant and super-useful lesson in spray painting. I’ve learnt more in the last four years than in the previous forty! Bless you buddy! 👍

You are a sensational paint sprayer ... Your RU-vid channel has taught me a lot. Thank you and I look forward to seeing more videos. Rafał from Poland

Thanks Brian. Another great video. My project will have a white base which will then be masked and taped to produce a design in a couple of other colours. Then clear coat over the whole thing. A video showing how to tape. When to tape. When to remove tape. And all that good stuff would be great. 👍

Painting my Car rn, and its my first paint job ever. Got a bunch of new tools, and new skills along the way :)

Always so knowledgeable!👍🏽 learn in every video

I always wanted to paint a motorcycle that I built but I’ve never painted before, I’ve watched so many videos and talked to so many people I think I’m ready, I’ve been waiting for a year, I purchased sealer, primer,base coat, clear coat, activator and a half way decent paint gun, I bought tack clothes , cleaners sand paper, I even bought a buffer,so I put plastic up and an exhaust fan in my garage, I just need some good weather and guts to start, thanks for the videos

Best series yet 👍😎👍

Brian, you were a great help and with the help of your clips, I painted my bumper like a pro! Best regards!

Nice job!! Is it okay to spray base coat one day and clear coat the next day?

thanks for doing these videos with the care you give to them. I have learned I have a lot more to learn!

Appreciate the tips Brian, first time doing tri-coat! This video was perfect!

Excellent video. I’m going to stop overthinking it and get ‘er done!

I like these little short videos with tips.

for the advance class, can you go over how to "de-nib" after sealer and before clear coating. very informative video

Been waitting for this so much. thank you

Brian I have a question for you , what type of respirator do you use and how often is it replaced . And what brand of full face respirator-does Pedro use? I wear full hooded PPE outfit when I’m painting, I still have a lot of overspray on my face shield, how do you clean it. Maybe a video on proper use and precaution when painting would be helpful. Thank you and your team for the best videos on painting

awesome info as usual Brian, and yes I learned something, thank you !!

Thank you Brian. Your videos are very helpful and well explained.

Love the concept of these videos.. i might dare to grab a paint gun one of this days..

Great advice again 👍 I agree on the tape trick. On another video can you go over or if have chemical pop when clear is not flashed correctly or applied to heavy?

Always love the vidoes...and all the wealth of information...you're the best...thank you..

Awesome video nice tip

I like these Paint Society Quickies

Your advice is excellent 👍

Hi brian thanks for the information that you bring to us, one question what happens if i dont apply the clear coat the same day that i applied the base coat? Can i apply the clear coat 2 days after i applied the base coat? Thanks

I will be painting my truck in a well protected carport. 1-2 panels or areas at a time. After the body work and sanding primer is finished can I spray white primer sealer and then set it aside for days or a few weeks before painting the color? Thanks for all your videos.

Brian, Another great video, always love learning as a DIYER here on the channel, you do such a great job on these videos. I have a question- how do you know how much paint to mix for the application you are doing?----thanks and have a great day

Thanks for your time and knowledge. Good video 🤘

That’s good technique with the sprayer.

Great tips. I bought superslow reducer but getting cooler so I'm going to use medium. Avg Temps 72-75 here. Is that correct?

Great video Brian

Thanks for the effort. I'm about to paint my first car... I'm terrible with subjective things. I can handle 10 minutes etc.

brian!!! Can you do a video on how to mix paint? How to mix waterbased or solvent based and adding thinners etc!!!

Brian I love what your doing. I’ve vinyl wrapped my van but I feel your videos give me the confidence to do a spray job instead. Can u recommend a spray gun attachment. God bless

From Philippines here. Thankls

Love your videos I always learn something new. Where are you located in Florida?

I presume that you are using solvent base not water base which would need more time between coats. Very good video thank you.

It’s like you made this for me, I’m painting a 19 Lexus bumper just like yours. But I’m doing it from my house

May I ask what tips and cap that you using in dv1 clear gun?..great video by the way..thanks😄👍

Hi I’ve just laid my first coat of 2k high gloss acrylic down but run out of time to do the 2nd coat, will I have to lightly sand it before I do the 2nd coat in the morning ? I’m not sure what the longest time I can go between coats that’s all and the paint supplier takes forever to get back to you 🤷🏼‍♂️ great paint though covers great, I’m in the U.K. and painting in my garage

Why pearl coat instead of clear coat? Is that a softer sheen? Thanks great video.

If you do multiple coats of clear coat the normal flash time is 15 minutes but let's say your second or third coat should you double that like wait 30 minutes in between each coat?

thanks for the video but can you spray sealer 1 day, primer the next day, couple days later do base and another day finish with clear? I just did my 3 wheeler and i just felt rushed thinking i had to do it all one after anoither in a single day. That paint actually turned out good but I used a kandy brandywine with a silver base and man, I didn't realize how fast our Florida sun faded this paint! So no more Kandy lol

Hey this was awesome explanation. But when your doing the whole car. How is the flash time determine since it’s a bigger object to paint

Brian, Thanks for all the videos, you teach us so much. Can I paint my vehicle 2 colors and a clear coat all with the same spray gun?

How did you know I googled this yesterday. Thanks! But what is too long between 2k clear over base before its too late, considering it takes set up time to clean out gun and mix clear.

Now did you use adhesion promoter since your painting on flexible plastic?

Hey Brian … if I need to reapply more clear coat ..can this be done if it’s been more than a day ?

Hey Brian and the paint society, is the clear base or blending additive is what’s also used as a wet bed to blend metallics?..thanks

Thanks from Jamaica

Great tips...

Hi do you have a forum where we can ask questions about things not covered in a video?

This might be the most important video you have done to date. It seems that some things need to cost before it to be completely “dry” or “cured”, not interchangeable terms, while others need to be in that crucial window of tackiness so that the next coating will adhere better. It’s also crucial to have the right temp and especially humidity for the paint you are using. And manufacturer recommendations can sometimes be worthless. I’ve had a recent crisis of touch ups. Such that one tiny mistake requires sanding several coats away to get a good surface for recoat. My questions are: why does it seem that sometimes I can’t prevent “crazing” (cracks in the paint like dried mud cracks even with correct humidity range and temp, yet other times with same conditions it seems I could pile coats on with great results. I’m in Charleston, SC, so very similar conditions to yours, but in a garage, with a window AC, and a dehumidifier rated for 1500 square feet for climate control. Man I have to clean those filters every other day. Black paint and dust gets everywhere. Basically I shoot for less than 60% RH, and it’ll never get below 30%, so mid 40’s is good, 55% is still kinda high, 50% is fine, 30% leaves “dry” finish or runs, one or the other, ugh. Oh, and rattle cans exclusively. I went with Paintscratch.com after you used that in one video, and I’ll say it’s very good paint, but can’t find its makeup, and the MSDS is Greek to me. I’ve really got what I feel is good technique as far as distance, speed, overlap, etc. Regardless of primer or paint or clear, I always do a “mist” cost first. Then second coat a little wetter than that, then third wetter than the second, and so on. Crazy part is I have had good AND bad results with both the expensive, factory code mixed Paintscratch.com paint, and, of all things, out of desperation, Rustoleum. Car is Mercedes ML320, 040, black. The mixed paint has a strong blue tint until a zillion coats finally become black everywhere. But it applies better, with less chance of crazing, yet it’s often splotchy, The pattern is much better though for bigger panels. The Rustoleum Automotive grade goes on nicely, narrow pattern though, so it’s easy to get a run, but goes on glossy, and stays that way, unless it starts to craze. If I can get a solid base coat, let it cure at least six hours, I can then get away with applying clear coat, the SprayMax2K, only. Ok, again the questions. Why does it seem like the expensive stuff takes a million coats, yet when I wet sand for buffing, it gets down to primer too easily. I just don’t get it. 1000 grit, till it glides easily, then 1500, 2000, 3000, maybe 5000, then 3M compound, red print. The fender looks more glossy before even wet sanding than the tailgate looks after. The Rustoleum had only been on the bumpers, but easily got great gloss even before clear, and now the clear has been curing for ten days, still looks great. Oh yeah, temp is usually around 77-82F. On my Brilliant Black Pearl Magnum, paint went on splotchy, and as you said in another older video, don’t worry, the clear will get rid of that and bring out the gloss while wet sanding. It did just that. I do wet sand my primer to 400 grit until it looks and feels perfect when dry. Brilliant Black was splotchy, clear was splotchy, wet sanding several days later gave me a factory finish, I swear the results were enough to make me cry. The wagon is my baby though, so. But on the Merc, same habits, totally different results. Nice smooth 040 paint, nice clear coat, did at least three coats, but not five, can’t get it to shine glossy, even with usually wet sand regimen. And on the hood, same number of base coats, burned right through to primer and/or blue tint during 1000 or 2000 grit, safe, careful wet sanding. I do check for tackiness on a tape line before recoating too. Ok I guess the ultimate question is how many clear coats are too many? Using the SprayMax2K of course. I’ve heard three is where you want to stop. That regardless of cure time between coats, the first may not have cured enough and may not cure with five coats above it. I call BS on that. I’ve had the clear run, but never craze. On the bumpers I did at least four coats, but not six. I say this because a coat isn’t always a coat. Regardless of technique and attention to detail, that spray, combined with inevitable overspray getting on the coat you are still doing, is going to be different mills. Take a side of an SUV for example. You do the fender, then the front door, then the back, then the quarter. The fender gets overspray , dry, from the front door, and so on down the line. The paint bounces off, or even just from the tip, floats around a bit before settling on the paint you just slaved over for countless hours. That’s part of a coat. You see a “dry” spot while doing another section, and if it’s still wet, you do a quick and careful pass just to be sure, only on the third or fourth coat though. And if it’s still flashing off, wait and hit it later. I’ve had situations where all the care in the world, temp, RH, distance, speed, even paint type, have given me bad results that should have been e epic, and good results that should never have been. Right now my ML320 bumpers are being allowed an extended cure time, and got Rustoleum under 2K clear, and still look like they might not even need wet sanding. Yet, my tailgate, which got every detail perfect, won’t gloss no matter what. Why does the clear add gloss and cover splotchyness sometimes and not others? My base coat on the tailgate with proper 040 looked perfect before clear, and I allowed 12 hours before clear. Yet, the result sucks. I haven’t wet sanded the doors or fender yet and they’ve cured for three weeks. Is there really a window of time where the clear is safe to wet sand, but not fully hard, making wet sanding easier, as I’ve heard? I recently wet sanded six hour old 2K clear over crappy Duplicolor Inferno Red and the clear seemed hard as a rock, no problems at all. It also seems like a lot of the manufacture suggestions are motivated by getting you to use their products exclusively , and not best results, as I’ve broken lots of rules and gotten great results while sticking to the rules exactly and getting bad results too. Maybe too many variables for you to answer. To attempt to simplify, how many coats of base and clear, each, are too, many? Do I have to invest in a depth gauge to keep from cutting through what seems like plenty of base coats? And why can’t I just spot respray base over those burns and then recoat clear over that? Damn this shit is so complicated. It seems that using a compressor/gun would just complicate it even more with all the mixing and such. And don’t get me started on blend lines. Uuuuuughhhhh. Why can I still see sandpaper scratches through all the layers after clear when I couldn’t see nor feel them before base? Why does clear sometimes get rid of splotchy base but not other times? All related to this video.

Rattle canning some brackets that go on my car right now. Wish I had a spray gun 😂

Can i wait 1 day for applying 2k clear coat , because i have to apply stickers on bike tank and today the shop is on holiday , and also how much time does it take to cure 2k clear coat because i have to to some electrical works too on bike so can i apply clear coat and take my bike out on the same day

Hi Brian! I am your fan and adore your craftsmanship! I have a question for you: Is the interface water used between the mixed activator and the old and new paint the same material? Greatful!

If I was spraying primer from a spray can would it be ok to leave it overnight then apply colour and clear?

Brian, I paint RC model airplanes. I’ve always used the PPG line of paints. My clear of choice is PPG 2021. Unfortunately it’s to expensive! What would be an alternative cost effective clear? Thanks

Hey friend hopefully you see this what did you mix your pearl with?

How long does it take to paint a car? For example I have a Scion TC and it’s going to get painted to a dark metallic green.

Is blending additive also labeled as “color blender” ?

Subscribed!

Do you apply adhesive promoter on all bumpers or certain ones?

great video ❤

best paint videos

Does Sikkens have a Blending additive? If so can I get the product name and code?

I wish the shop who messed up my burgundy Dodge caravan front bumper watched this episode. The base is to dark and the pearl hardly matched. High end shop who my insurance sent me too. Id love to learn how to paint to eventually fix it but i probably need a little practice first:)

Greetings to you from Morocco Professor Brian I want to ask for paint booth is excellent

Is it really bad if you put 2k clear over 1k base that was sprayed the day before?

Brian, I'm currently trying Debeer HS clear coat. I've been working on painting a hood black, but I seem to keep getting dieback. I'm using slow hardener in the clear and the weather has been around 80-90 degrees. The TDS say 5-10 min between coats of clear. I have tried almost all the minutes within the 10min. It seems to still be somewhat tacky within the 10min. I know some say it should be tacky between coats and some say it should be handslick. I'm not sure if my flash time is causing my problem

Thank for the idea 🙏🙏

Can you spray on Clearcoat after about 3 hours?

Hi Brian How long can I wait between color coats without cleaning the gun. If I wait 30 min can I just leave the gun with paint in it? Thanks.

can i finish spraying clear over the first coat of clear was done yesterday it got dark on me im painting outside

Hi, i'm having a problem with a wheels paint job, my paint it's sticky on only one wheel other it's perfect, same steps applied, i sprayed them 3 days ago, some tip to finish the job?

Very educative

My brother works at a paint shop. He waits 3 minutes between each cost of clear using extra slow reducer. I never heard that before. I always hear from 10-15 minutes

Hi, Brian! A quick question for you: is it possible that when using spray cans, the time between two coats to be shorter than if using a spray gun (in a spray booth)?

Is sealer and epoxy filler same?

Are you air drying in between ? Or just letting it flash on “spray mode”

Nice job 🙏🙏

Good stuff

So I’m kinda confused, is sealer used before base just to not use so much base coat? Or is it’s purpose for something else?

Are those flash times minimums? Can I seal one day, base coat the next, and clear the day after?

What happens to the paint if someone sprays the pearl on and doesn’t wait long enough to clear coat?

What do I do if I get pulled away after the first coat and it completely dries?

Thank you!!!

Thank you

Any chance you'll do a viewers car as video? I could really use a full paint job

do we need to change any setting in paintbooth during flash time ??

Thank you 🙏

Hi Brian, I used two different brands of rattle can on my new bumper, both cans did not match the original paint color on honda civic 2008. Paint code is NH701M grey metallic. Can I order this code somewhere in a quart size ready to spray without having to mix anything? I appreciate your help, thanks.

thanks

why did you use blender additive. It looked as if you where painting the whole bumper and not just blending a spot

I guess you really gave up on the devilbiss GTI pro lite and Sagola extreme for clear coat.