Paint booth prep is overrated - here is why I changed my mind

I used to be the guy who would spend 2 hours masking and taping off a car before painting. Thought it was the only way to get clean lines. Then a veteran painter at a shop in Phoenix told me I was wasting time and that paper and tape are just crutches. He showed me his method of laying down tape in 20 minutes max and using a steady hand for the rest. I tried it on a 2014 Honda Civic last month and my edges came out cleaner than ever. Now I save about 90 minutes per car. Has anyone else found that less prep actually gives better results?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea24616d agoProlific Poster

Honestly I thought the same way until I tried it on an old beater and realized half my prep time was just me being scared to mess up. Now I do way less taping and my lines are actually straighter.

hugoj8615d ago

@thea246 would you say your taping time got cut in half or more like a third? I ask because my main hangup isn't really the taping itself, it's the cleanup afterward when I peel it off and find bleed-through or the tape pulling off fresh paint. Did you notice any difference in bleed-through with less tape, or does that just come with practice and a steady hand?