Skill explained

Car painters remove, mark out and replace vehicle body parts, prepare vehicle surfaces, treat the vehicle with protection chemicals, apply prime coats and remove rust. They use workshop tools such as sanding machines and know different sanding techniques and materials, fillers, primers and rustproofing chemicals, and insulating, sanding and filling paints. They prepare the surface to be sprayed and make sure that the paint they use has been mixed and prepared properly to produce or match the right colour for the vehicle. Car painters adhere to health and safety regulations and apply economical working practices. They also understand consumer laws, terms and conditions for repairs and customer service requirements.

Required skills

Communications, customer relation skills, reading, mathematics, critical thinking, good eyesight, attention to detail, problem-solving skills, work under supervision and training.

What the Competitors do at the Competition

Competitors will be judged on the following activities

Preparing, cleaning, and degreasing OEM surfaces including plastics, and fibreglass/composite materials.

Masking areas not to be processed

Bringing bodywork back to its original shape by filling and sanding

Applying primer and filler or a mixture of both

Sanding and masking

Mixing the finishing paint, applying the correct colour formula; preparing a colour sample

Sanding and polishing defects

Applying decoration such as stripes, bands and shades

Spraying of finishing paint;

2K solid colour acrylic urethane

Clear over base metallic, pearl

2 and 3 layer pearl

HS clear

Waterborne base coats

Special decorative paints such as chromaflare and tinted clearcoat

Metal panels (bare, pre-painted or OEM)

Plastic parts including fibreglass/composite materials