Painting is one of the most frustrating parts of any car restoration job. The smallest mistake can lead to a person having to do their paint job all over again. Each paint problem usually has a cause and solution to correct the problem. The paint problems listed below are often caused by using the paint gun incorrectly, not preparing the surface enough, or not allowing the paint to cure before applying a new coat. Here are five common car paint problems you may encounter while doing auto body work.

Fisheyes: These paint defects occur when you spray a coating of primer or paint. They are crater like openings that appear when you spray paint or primer on a surface that has wax, silicone, grease, or oil. You can avoid fisheyes by applying wax and grease remover when preparing the surface area to paint.

Bleeding: This defect occurs when you have discoloration that appears in your topcoat color. The topcoat’s solvent can dissolve pigment that is still soluble in the old paint. If you end up with paint bleeding, you can repair it by allowing your stained topcoat to fully cure. Spray a sealer over it and then reapply the color.

Crow’s Feet: Common reasons that these cracks appear are using a blowgun to dry your primer, applying too thick of a film coat, not letting the paint dry between coats, and using too much hardener in your primer or paint. Crow’s Feet are a pain to fix. You must strip all of the cracked paint away and start the job all over again.

Sags: These are one of most common paint problems for beginners and do it yourselfers. Holding a paint gun too close to the surface, double coating a spot, or moving the gun too slowly. To avoid sags, keep your paint gun at a perpendicular angle, keep it far enough from the surface and move it in fast, even strokes.

Air Trapping: This problem occurs when tiny air bubbles rise to the surface of your paint and pop. Make sure your spray gun is adjusted properly and use the correct pressure setting. If you end up with air trapping, the best way to fix it is by sanding the area with 1200 grit sandpaper and then polishing it.