There is no need to buy a professional paint spray gun. Aerosol sprays are available for all bumper repair materials.
A damaged bumper brings the value of a vehicle down, but it can be restored at home with some cleaning, sanding, filling, mending and painting. All of the supplies needed to complete a home bumper repair can be found at most auto supply stores. Bumper color coat matches can be made at auto supply stores as well.
Instructions
1. Wash the bumper with liquid soap and water, then wash again with a car degreaser solution. Rinse well until the rinse water runs off smoothly instead of beading up.
2. Scrape off any sharp snags around the damage with a carbide burr and then sand the front of the bumper with 80-grit sandpaper. Blow all of the sanding debris away with an air compressor before taping over the back of any gouges and closing up any cracks with plastic repair reinforcing tape.
3. Brush a layer of adhesion promoter onto the back of the damaged areas with a paintbrush and allow 10 minutes for it to dry.
4. Cut wire mesh with wire cutters to cover the back of the damage. Make the mesh large enough to extend 2 inches around the damage on all sides.
5. Apply a bonding adhesive to the back of the damage with a putty knife, and cover it with wire mesh. Apply another layer of bonding adhesive over the wire mesh.
6. Scrape halfway through the bumper along the damaged area with a carbide burr, creating a 1-inch-wide groove. Blow the scraps away with compressed air. Paint adhesion promoter into the groove and let it dry for 10 minutes.
7. Completely fill the prepared groove with body filler. Press the air bubbles out and then smooth it with a putty knife. Allow 30 minutes for it to dry.
8. Sand the area with 80-grit sandpaper once it has completely dried. Blow the sanding dust away with compressed air.
9. Apply a coat of aerosol flexible bumper sealer to the entire bumper. Sealer is applied to promote primer paint adhesion and to keep the repairs from feathering out into the paint. Coat the front of the bumper with textured bumper spray if necessary.
10. Prime the bumper with an aerosol can of flexible bumper primer surfacer to help the paint adhere to the bumper properly.
11. Spray the bumper with aerosol bumper color coat. Once it is dry, wet-sand the bumper with 320-grit sandpaper and then rinse the bumper clean. Let dry.
12. Repeat the previous step five times, replacing the 320-grit sandpaper with 400-grit sandpaper to finish the last coat. Spray the bumper one final time with bumper color coat, and let dry for 12 hours.
Tags: bumper with, away with, color coat, wire mesh, 320-grit sandpaper, 80-grit sandpaper, adhesion promoter
