Page 56 - Australasian Paint & Panel magazine Jul-Aug 2021

PRODUCT FOCUS
56
PAINT&PANEL JULY / AUGUST 2021
WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
56 PAINT SHOP PRODUCTS • 72 PAINT TECH SURVEY RESULTS • 74 SPRAY GUNS & COMPRESSORS
BUILDING BLOCKS OF
THE PERFECT PAINTER
IN HIS ROLE AS PPG BUSINESS SUPPORT MANAGER, JOHN HRISTIAS MEETS PLENTY OF PAINTERS. HE RECKONS IT’S POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY ELITE PAINTERS BECAUSE THEY TEND TO SHARE COMMON TRAITS.
IKE ANYTHING IN LIFE, BEING
a top-class refinish spray painter takes effort. The com- mon traits they have are all rela- tively straightforward but these individu- als make a commitment to stick to them all day, every day. You might see some painters with some of these traits but the
best of them have the complete package.
1TOOLS OF TRADE Premier painters typi- cally invest in the best spray gun tech- nology and they look after their guns as if they are precious metal because, that way, they know the guns will look after them. As well as being thoroughly and religiously cleaned after each job, they are maintained with replacement parts whenever required to keep them in tip- top condition. In the same way, all their other equipment and workplace is kept clean, maintained and ready for action.
2PLAN TO SUCCEED By taking a little time to plan each job out before they start, the best painters understand where the pitfalls might be and are prepared with the most efficient solutions. As well as selecting the right spectral grey groundcoat to suit the basecoat colour, this includes things like making final checks to ensure the colour is absolutely correct and there are no defects that might have slipped through – better to spend five minutes of extra preparation time than waste hours on a rework.
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they follow those same processes in order to achieve repeatable performance. This means they set their gun up correctly for each coatings product, they use the right RFU mixing ratios, rather than simply guessing, and they follow the recommend- ed application process to the letter. It’s here in particular that PPG provides paint- ers with close support, including specific gun setups for SATA guns, detailed pro- cesses for every step of the refinish path- way and the PAINTMANAGER XI soft- ware system which is packed with information, such as the correct RFUs and spectral grey groundcoat shades.
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painters are open minded when it comes to change. If they are unsure at any point, they are not afraid to ask questions and they listen because they understand that they don’t know everything. They are particularly open to learning about new products, new processes or tips and tech- niques that will help them to do their job better and more efficiently. Another key point is that, if they do happen to make a mistake, they take ownership of it – they don’t try to deflect blame.
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The best painters combine all of the traits in this article and are totally consistent.
CREATE A QUALITY RESULT AND REPEAT Our
leading painters know what works so
TRAINING Although they are typically
ATTITUDE Rather than ‘this is the way
we have always done it’, top-notch
the above traits together, it’s no sur- prise there are not a lot of outstanding painters out there. However, what you do tend to find is that they are the ones who end up progressing in their ca- reer. Because they are able to apply those traits as a painter, there is a good chance they can apply them to their next role in management. If you are a painter with ambitions to go further in the industry you need to be honest with yourself, get to work on any weaknesses and be the best painter that you can be while, at the same time, showing ‘management’ what you are capable of.
very knowledgeable, exceptional painters are always keen to learn more and improve their skillset. As a result, they are happy to get guidance to help deal with something they are not 100% sure of, such as a new OEM colour or type of finish. They also work on their weaknesses to turn them into strengths. For decades, PPG’s region wide network of dedicated training managers has supported painters with valuable train- ing and guidance, both at the work- place or at a PPG training centre.
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LEAD BY EXAMPLE When you put all