It may start to run if you apply too much paint.Too much running paint can lead to drips, which can make a beautiful paint job look sloppy.It is fairly easy to fix paint drips on metal.Fixing running paint may affect the paint in the surrounding area.You may need to repaint the area after you finish touching it up and correct the mistake.
Step 1: If you spot a mistake, wipe the drips with a lint-free rag.
If you see a drip, the first thing you should do is grab a rag and wipe it away.If you spot the running paint while it is still wet, you can do this, but you have to use a lint-free cloth.Re-paint the area after Blotting the dripping paint to make it uniform.If you use a wet, dirty, or thick-napped cloth, the fibers may get stuck in your paint job.If you want to spread the excess paint out, you can try moving the brush back and forth over the area.You can use a cloth for drips.It is a sign that you are overloading the roller in the paint tray.This is a very easy thing to fix.Move the roller over the area a few times.It will remove drips.
Step 2: If the metal has been skinned, use a small amount of paint thinner.
The rag won't remove all of the paint if you spot a drip.Put a small amount of paint thinner in the cup.Use a small artist's brush to dip the bristles into the paint thinner.The paint thinner should be brushed over the center of the drips.If you need to keep brushing, give it a few brush strokes and wait a second.Thin the hardened paint with the paint thinner.If you use too much of the solvent, you may expose the metal underneath the paint.If it happens, you can fix it, but don't go crazy with the paint thinner.If there is still an outline after your first few strokes, trace it with your brush and dip it in a little more solvent.Continue doing this until the paint is gone.If you are painting a vehicle, use a lacquer thinner.
Step 3: Use the artist's brush to blend the drips into the paint.
When the paint is weakened, reload your brush with less solvent.Move your brush back and forth to spread out the weakened paint and get it back into the metal.Continue until you have a uniform and coat.This is more of an art than a science.If you can not get it to look the way you want, don't get frustrated.You can always repaint the area if necessary.
Step 4: Once the touched-up area is dry, re paint your metal surface.
If the surrounding paint is still wet, you can apply a new coat of paint.Wait 24 hours for the paint to dry out completely if most of it has dried out.Repaint the discolored area with your brush, roller, or spray paint.If you want to blend the paint together, paint a little further away.If you used solvent to brush out a 5 by 5 in (13 by 13 cm) section of drips, you should repaint the area roughly 8 by 8 inches (20 by 20 cm).This will help cover the edges where you were working.You may need to repaint the entire item to blend it in if the area ends up looking like a mess.
Step 5: You can remove the drips with some fine-grit sandpaper.
This should be done with anything around 1000-grit sandpaper.Depending on what you have laying around, you can use a sheet or a sponge.Don't use a orbital sander.An orbital sander is very likely to reveal the primer or metal underneath the paint, and you don't need a ton of friction to remove dried drips.
Step 6: Remove excess paint from the metal by gently sanding it down.
Rub your sandpaper back and forth over the drips to wear it down.If it isn't wearing away, increase the pressure slowly.The appearance of a single, uniform layer of paint can be created if you stop once you have stripped the paint away.If the paint is very hard to remove, use a coarse piece of sandpaper.You can always fix it if you end up scratching the paint.
Step 7: Dust can be wiped away with a clean cloth.
There will be dust and paint on the metal once you have sanded it down.Dust can be removed by wiping the area down with a dry, lint-free cloth.If you use a combination of back-and-forth strokes and circular wipes, you will be able to wipe away any remnants of your sandpaper.If you use a dirty rag or cloth with a nap that comes off, you could end up with dirt and small fabric sticking to your paint.After you have wiped the dirt away, you can stop if the paint looks uniform.If you restored the original paint job, there is no need to repaint.
Step 8: If the metal is discolored, you should re paint it.
It is worth repainting the area if you removed too much paint.Grab your paint sprayer, spray paint, or brush and repaint the area the same way you did before.There will be marks from the sandpaper.You might not need to do a lot of work here.The spray paint or brush should cover the area.Wait a day or two to see how it looks when it is dry.Since sanding literally removes a layer of paint, putting that layer back should blend it in fairly well.Wait at least 24 hours and repaint the entire object or surface again if the repainted area doesn't match the rest of your paint job.A second coat will protect your work.
Step 9: If you are spraying metal, hold the nozzle away from you.
If you hold the nozzle too close to the surface, it will lead to drips.Holding the can too far away will lead to an even coat.The nozzle should be kept away from the surface at all times.You will have control over the can, you will get an even coat, and the paint won't run while you work.If it's windy, don't paint outside.It is difficult to avoid drips if you hold the can that close to the metal.
Step 10: The can should be kept moving while spray painting.
Don't hold the nozzle down without moving it if you're using a spray gun.Holding a steady stream of paint in one place for more than a second will cause the paint to build up, which can lead to dripping.A bunch of quick, thin layers will always result in a cleaner finish than a heavy, continuous stream of paint.If you're worried about getting paint all over the place when you move the can back and forth quickly, use a drop cloth or painter's tape to cover any areas you want to keep dry.
Step 11: If you are brush painting, load the very tip of the bristles.
Don't dip the bristles all the way into the paint if you're using a paint brush.You should only dip the bottom of the bristles into the paint before you start working.You only use the tip of the bristles to apply paint, and loading them up all the way will cause the paint to fall down.If you overload the bristles, you are less likely to get an even coat of paint.Even if you don't end up with drips, your paint job will not look uniform.
Step 12: Before painting with a brush, make sure the brush is on the side of the can.
After you load the bristles, tap the end of the handle against the side of your paint tray or can.It will knock off any paint that is going to cause the paint to run on the wall.You don't need to hit the brush very hard.A small number of taps should be enough to keep your paint from running.
Step 13: To avoid loading them with paint, brush away from corners.
Paint can run if it builds up fast corners and sharp angles.If you want to avoid this, brush away from corners.Pull the bristles away from your corner when you start 4–2 in.If you repeat this process three times, the paint will cover the edge of the corner and you'll be able to get a drip-free finish.You should get an angle brush if you haven't started painting yet.If you're painting something that isn't perfectly flat, it's harder to use a flat brush.
Step 14: If you use a roller, overlap each stroke.
Paint up and down in columns when using a roller.The paint will run from the bottom of the roller if it is moved horizontally.If you want the center of the roller to run over the edges of previous lines, cover them after each stroke.This will prevent paint from building up on the edges of your roller strokes.It is unlikely that you will end up with a ton of drips.It is a sign that you are dunking the roller in paint and not using the ridges in the paint tray.You can clear the excess paint by moving the roller along the empty ridges on the top half of the paint tray.