How to paint a car torpedo with your own hands, step by step instructions
Torpedo is a plastic dashboard located in the front of the car interior. It is regularly exposed to mechanical stress, due to which its coating is abraded and covered with scratches. Torpedo - the "face" of the car, to bring the appearance in order, it is painted. With the help of painting the original gloss is returned to the torpedo of the car, the procedure is easy to do with your own hands.
How can you restore a car torpedo
The following methods are used to make the car dashboard attractive:
- acrylic painting and subsequent varnishing;
- painting with matte stain;
- painting with liquid rubber;
- vinyl film coating;
- faux leather or natural leather upholstery.
The most common and economical way to make a device look good again is to paint and then varnish. Most often, the coating is made glossy, although a matte panel is preferable for some motorists. The thing is, sunlight falling on a shiny surface creates glare that hits the eyes and makes it difficult to follow the road while driving.
Materials choice
Before you start painting, it is necessary to prepare the material so that later you do not bother, do not run to hardware stores.
To paint a torpedo, you need to take:
- detergent for cleaning plastic panels;
- a degreasing compound that does not act aggressively on plastic (white spirit is suitable);
- sanding skins;
- putty;
- a primer suitable for plastic;
- paint (in a box or box);
- finishing varnish (preferably 2-component polyurethane);
- a fine mesh to filter the coloring composition and the primer.
Instead of sanding the skins, you can use a clipper. But to machine a torpedo, the worker must have a lot of experience. The plastic panel is embossed and rather flexible, unprofessional actions may damage the surface, worsen the condition of the product. A sander running at high speed can melt the plastic surface. Therefore, with a lack of experience, it is better to use abrasive skins.
Instrument preparation
Purchased materials and tools must be placed in advance in a room specially equipped for painting the torpedo. Usually a garage is suitable for paint jobs.
The room should be dust-free, well-lit, without drafts, with the optimum temperature values indicated on the paint can. In addition to materials for preparing and painting a torpedo, you need to purchase tools:
- paint roller or primer brush;
- spray gun - manual or compressor spray gun for dye application;
- putty spatula;
- different screwdrivers to disassemble the torpedo and then put it back in place.
A spray gun is required if you purchased pot paint. If a dye in a spray can is used for painting, it is not necessary to buy a spray bottle.
Disassembly and preparation of the torpedo
The torpedo must be disassembled before painting. If the employee has not done this work before, he is advised to review the dashboard technical manual. It indicates where the fasteners are, as they are usually hidden. If the employee does not find at least one hidden part, trying to tear off the panel with effort, he can damage it beyond repair.
After studying the manual, the employee first dismantles the steering wheel and switches, if this possibility is provided for by design. Then he removes the instrument block with disconnection of the wiring. Removes the caps that hide the fasteners. Then he unscrews the parts themselves, carefully unfolds. On the top floor, he separates the torpedo, takes it out of the car through the driver's door.
The disassembled torpedo should be thoroughly washed with detergent, dirt and dust deposits should be removed. Further remove scratches and other minor defects formed during operation. For grinding, abrasive skins are used: first coarse-grained, then medium-grained and finally fine-grained.
Large cracks detected must be welded. After sanding, it remains to brush off the dust, degrease the surface of the panel using a degreaser that does not corrode the plastic.
Work steps
When self-updating a car torpedo, paint is most often used. For high quality paint, it is important to properly prepare the surface. They paint the torpedo with their own hands in 3 stages: primer, paint, varnish.
Padding
The first step in painting a torpedo is applying a primer. The coating improves grip and makes the surface smoother. To coat the car torpedo, use a primer that is sold in spray cans. To apply 2-3 coats to the panel, a single standard can is sufficient.
The soil is sprayed from a distance of 20-30 cm in a thin layer, unless otherwise specified in the instructions on the manufacturer's container.
Each layer must dry before applying the next. It is important to carefully monitor the quality of the surface to be coated, to avoid the formation of defects and uncoated areas, immediately remove stains with a napkin.
Paint application
To paint a high-quality car torpedo, paint is usually used in spray cans. Two standard spray cans are enough to paint the panel.
The torpedo is painted in several stages:
- Apply the first thin layer. Spray from a considerable distance.
- After spraying, check if there are any defects left after sanding and priming. On the first layer, they become clearly visible. They are sanded, primed.
- Apply the second and third coats. They are made denser, sprayed from a closer distance specified in the instructions, but do not allow staining.
- The torpedo is left to dry. If defects appear after painting, they are immediately removed until the surface is dry and the stain is reapplied.
Finishing varnishing
To create a gloss, the torpedo is varnished. The work is simple, it is carried out in 2 stages. For varnishing, it is advisable to choose a varnish from the same manufacturer as the stain with a primer.In this case, you can not be afraid that the compositions will negatively affect each other, weaken the coating.
At the first stage, a thin layer of varnish is applied, sprayed from a distance. The second layer is made dense, sprayed tightly. Since the composition is transparent, it is necessary to examine the varnished surface very carefully for spots and uncoated areas.
How to handle liquid rubber with your own hands
Rubber paint is often used to cover a car's torpedo. The composition creates a matte, slightly rough coating, pleasant to the touch. The applied paint dries quickly, does not emit a pungent odor, does not form bubbles or butts. The only drawback is the high probability of scratching the coating. To reduce it, you can cover the torpedo with 2-3 layers of varnish.
Rubber paint, sold in jars, is sprayed in 3 layers: each subsequent one - after the previous one has completely dried. To paint a torpedo, a can of 400 ml is usually enough. The preparatory measures are the same as for painting with ordinary paint.
Liquid vinyl application
Vinyl paint, like rubber paint, is sold in spray cans, suitable for painting a car torpedo. It is enough to apply a single thin layer of vinyl to protect the panel from mechanical damage. The coating is durable, not sensitive to direct ultraviolet light, negative temperatures and strong temperature fluctuations.
Painting should be carried out in an absolutely clean room free from dust and dirt, so that dust particles do not get on the freshly painted surface.
Paint the torpedo with vinyl like this:
- The box is shaken vigorously for about a minute to make the composition homogeneous inside.
- The first thin layer is created.
- After waiting half an hour for the first coat to dry, spray the second coat.
- At similar intervals, another 2 coats of paint are sprayed.
- The finished surface is left to dry for 4-5 hours.
Features of working with domestic models
Domestic car panels are painted the same as imported ones. The torpedo is cleaned of dirt and dust, polished and degreased with the utmost care. Then the panel is primed, left to dry, and then painted in layers. The last stage of the work is the varnishing. When the torpedo is completely dry, reinsert it.
You should not save on paint for a torpedo. Low-quality composition often forms bubbles on the surface, exfoliates. It is advisable, just in case, to buy a few more boxes than recommended, so as not to run to the store, throwing away an unpainted panel, if suddenly there is not enough dye.