Using A Hot Air Gun For Paintwork

[GLPoomobile 958]

As the cold and damp season beckons, I was wondering if it's OK to use a hot air gun as an aid to doing paintwork at this time of year.

 

I've got a few small rust patches on the 166 that I want to tackle. The car is under cover, but our car park is open in the middle to it's still subject to the cold and damp air. I was thinking of using the hot air gun (at a distance to lower temps if necessary) to heat the panels slightly before applying paint, and again afterwards just to help it dry a little quicker.

 

Any downsides to this or things I need to be careful of? Or would it be a total no no?

[allye 530 3 Cars]

I was going to do something similar with a heat lamp. However the metal needs to be warm through really and the dank/cold air may still make the paint react or not take too good.

 

Can't you do it now with this heatwave!!! or wait till next summer?

[welshpug 1,657]

i believe its raining up there! a lamp would be better as mentioned

[Cameron 16]

I used a hair drier when I painted the front of mine, worked a treat.

[GLPoomobile 958]

I was going to do something similar with a heat lamp. However the metal needs to be warm through really and the dank/cold air may still make the paint react or not take too good.

 

Fair point, but I'm sure it won't take that long to heat an isolated area right through the panel.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Actually I've probably dismissed heat lamps too early.

 

What do you actually mean by a heat lamp though? Would something like this be suitable? Yes it's cheap. But I don't want to spend a lot, and other similar products go up massively in price. It need's to be about 1500 watts max as I don't think my portable generator can supply much more juice than that.

 

At least if I had something like the above I could just leave it next to the panel for a while, and it would provide some heat for me too whilst I'm working, so more benefits than a hot air gun.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I often use a heat gun when painting things with aerosols, you can take the chill off metal panels, warm up the aerosol itself so the paint isn't cold, then use it to flash the paint off when you've sprayed it. Word of caution, don't go too mad drying the paint, it will go dull.

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

I use the wifes hairdryer.

 

She doesn't give permission now, but I still use it.