686 Section 5 Refinishing Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Distance A consistent distance—from spray gun to panel— will result in a uniform coat of paint. For conventional spray guns, the ideal distance is 8–10″. For HVLP spray guns, this distance is 4–6″. Most vehicle surfaces are not flat. Therefore, the paint technician must maintain the proper gun distance while following the contour of the panel as it is being painted. If the painter does not follow the changing contour of the panel, the resulting problem is called arcing. See Figure 28-20. Spraying too close to the panel will put too much paint on the surface, causing runs. Some of the solvent is designed to evaporate while the paint is sprayed. Spraying too close will not allow this solvent to evaporate, and instead, it is applied to the surface. Spraying too close also causes orange peel because there is not enough time, due to the short distance, Heeling Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 28-17. Heeling describes a fan pattern that does not strike the panel uniformly. The spray gun is tilted, causing the fan to deposit more paint on one side and less paint on the other side of the fan pattern. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 28-16. This cardboard cutout represents a fan. Notice how the technician’s wrist is bent to properly orient the fan. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 28-18. The painter’s wrist must be bent when spraying a horizontal surface. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 28-19. The bottom of this panel curves under. To maintain a uniform spray pattern, the spray gun must be tilted.