Description
Prepare, prime, paint, and finish vehicle surfaces to OEM or customer specifications, including color matching, blending, and polishing using spray booth equipment and refinish materials.
- • Clean and degrease panels to identify refinish needs.
- • Sand, featheredge, and smooth repaired areas using power and hand tools.
- • Mask adjacent panels, trim, and openings with tape, paper, and plastic sheeting.
- • Mix basecoat, clearcoat, primers, reducers, and hardeners per manufacturer specifications.
- • Set up and operate HVLP spray guns and booth equipment for proper airflow and bake cycles.
- • Apply epoxy, primer-surfacer, and sealer to prepared substrates.
- • Block-sand primer and re-prime as needed for contour and texture.
- • Perform color matching with paint mixing systems, spray-out cards, and tint adjustments.
- • Blend color into adjacent panels and apply full clearcoat for seamless transitions.
- • Apply specialized finishes such as metallics, tricoats, matte, and texture coatings.
- • Use adhesion promoters and flex agents for plastic bumper and trim refinishing.
- • Remove minor trim, emblems, and hardware to ensure clean paint edges; reinstall after curing.
- • De-nib, correct runs or sags, and polish or buff to remove defects and achieve gloss.
- • Maintain spray guns, mix room, and booth; clean equipment and replace filters as required.
- • Document paint codes, mix ratios, and tint changes on repair orders.
- • Follow OEM procedures, technical data sheets, and shop quality standards.
- • Manage material usage and handle hazardous waste in compliance with environmental rules.
- • Use IR lamps or booth bake cycles to cure coatings to specification.
- • Coordinate with body technicians and estimators to plan refinish steps and timelines.
- • Inspect finished surfaces for color match, texture, coverage, and defects before delivery.
- • Apply masking film to prevent overspray and remove tape and residue after curing.
- • Maintain a clean, safe work area and use PPE, respirators, and ventilation per safety guidelines.
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Supply Chain & Transportation
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
