how to paint your dash

i was reading back and noticed alot of people posted on how to properly paint ur dash the past 4 cars i have owned i have painted something on the interior and or engine bay and it always came out beautiful smooth and always lasted through summer and winter. obviously if it lasts my steps and procedures work so heres what i do and some picutres of my work. this may seem like alot of steps but they are all quick and easy so the process is actualy very quick.


**MAKE SURE THE PAINT, CLEAR COAT AND PLASTIC ARE ALL OF ROOM TEMPERATURE**

~remove the piece from the car
~find a place thats well ventilated and NO AIR MOVEMENT (wind). for paints with glitter or metallic this will blow the metallic away and not on the piece
~wash the piece with some kind of degreaser. i like to use dish soap.
~throughly dry the piece.. leaving no water AT ALL
~***not required but recommended***take a high number or grit sand paper like 120 or higher and give the entire piece a quick run. this helps to get rid of all the tiny bumps or things that might be stuck to the plastic. leaving a smoother glossier finish..rinse off all dust with water.
~MAKE SURE THE PAINT, CLEAR COAT AND PLASTIC ARE ALL OF ROOM TEMPERATURE
~take ur paint and shake it really well. if it has metallic shake it a lil more.
~ give it a light spray over the whole piece. for mirage paints te more coats you give it the more color changing affect youll get let it dry for about 10-20 minutes. should be dry to touch BUT NOT TO HANDLE
~another light coat, dry to touch
~another light coat, dry to touch
~one medium/heavy coat. on this coat you want it to look glossy and wet but DO NOT LET IT RUN.
****IF IT DOES RUN. let the run/drip dry. after it does lightyl sand down the area and about and 1-2 inches surrounind it feathering it out. then respray the area. DONT WIPE RUN, LET IT DRY
~let it dry to where you can handle it. uslay 2-4 hours depending on how heavy the last coat was.
~follow the same procedures for clear coating as you did for painting
~let it dry overnight to ensure it dries and hardens properly...

things ive done wrong and to watch out for

~if the area is not dry, clean or warm enough. you will find that it leaves little spots where the paint wont cling to the item being painted. no matter how thick or how many coats you put on it wont stick

~ the more time you let each layer of paint dry between coats the faster it actualy dries.

~many light coats turn out better then fewer heavier coats

~ make sure its fully DRY in the end. i thought it was fully dry and it felt dry. i grabbed it put it in. no problems but when i had my hand on it for about 2 minutes putting it in place...took my finger off...and it left a finger print. AND IT SHOWS.

heres some pictures of my work

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/96talt1/engine-2.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/96talt1/grandamint.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/96talt1/grandam2.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/96talt1/grandam3.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/96talt1/interior1.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/96talt1/interior2.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/96talt1/clear.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j170/96talt1/paint.jpg

-What kind of paint did u use? flat or with gloss
-did u throw some clear coat after painting in the photo with red paint?
-for the area in red,what number of sand paper did u use?
-Do u use as shown on pic. the paint is not interior like the ones for vinyl & plastic?

Thanks and sorry for to much question...lol

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