Old painter's trick from a retired guy in Memphis made me rethink my whole process

I was talking to a 68 year old retired painter at a parts counter in Memphis last month, and he said my blending method was overthinking it. He told me he used to lay down 3 thin coats with a 15 minute flash time, no heat lamps, and it matched better than my $400 spray gun setup ever did. It hit different because he wasn't selling anything, just passing along what worked for 40 years. Anyone else tried going back to slower, simpler refinishing steps and seen better results?

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troythompson22d ago

Ever notice how the old timers always talk about time like it's free, but we treat it like it costs money? That 15 minute flash might actually be doing more than letting the solvent evaporate, it's letting the clear level out and grab the next coat on its own terms. My guess is your $400 spray gun is fine, the problem is most of us rush the middle steps and then blame the gun or the paint when the match goes sideways. Maybe the real trick isn't slower steps, it's respecting what the paint does when you're not touching it.