Painting your KitchenAid Stand Mixer | How To Custom Paint Your KitchenAid Stand Mixer
The other day I was at an estate sale. When I had seen a gem hidden among the clutter of aged items. It was a late 70’s KitchenAid mixer.
Although the machine was older it still ran like a champ.
The only issue was there was no possible way to get the color it was to match anything close to my décor in my kitchen.
But, it had me wondering. How hard would it be for me to paint a KitchenAid mixer?
With a question to answer, I decided to scour the internet to see if it had been done and learn about it so I could indeed do it myself.
So if you’re looking to paint your KitchenAid Stand Mixer this is the article for you.
Whether you’re looking to custom paint your KitchenAid mixer or repair some dings you’ve attained over the years you can benefit from my findings!
Painting your KitchenAid Stand Mixer | How to Custom Paint your KitchenAid Stand Mixer
What’s needed
- 2000 grit sandpaper
- 4000 grit sandpaper
- Your spray paint of choice
- Your clear coat of choice
- Painters tape
- Flathead & Phillips head screwdriver
Disassemble
The first step might sound tough and it can be. But to ease you’re through this process I found a video that shows you how to do this step piece by piece. That way you can see exactly what you’re doing and how to do it.
It is imperative that you label pieces as you take them off this can be done by using bowls to separate which screw goes were or even sticking some tape to the parts and writing what it is and where it goes can be great tools in insuring you get this thing back together better than when you found it!
Taping
You’re going to tape your KitchenAid mixer next.
This is a creative process.
Because you have to find a creative way to get everything covered with the tape, so relax and be creative!
Essentially you’re going to tape every part of your mixer that you don’t want the color to change or internal parts.
You do not want to paint your internal parts. So simply use some painters tape to cover them.
Some parts I would keep the same are like the chrome or silver pieces of the machine that don’t remove.
But ultimately if you want them to be painted, paint them. If you don’t, cover them.
Sanding
Now that you’ve got your disassembled mixer, that has been taped. You’re going to sand the heck out of it!
Why are we sanding our KitchenAid mixers?
That’s a great question!
Glad you asked.
We are going to use our 2000 grit sandpaper, now this sandpaper won’t seem rough to you if you’ve ever used sandpaper before. But what we are doing is making small abrasions on the surface of the metal and the other coat of paint that’s on the machine.
In doing this we are giving our new paint plenty of places to attach to.
Because we did this step we will get a great layer of paint on our machine that is way less likely to chip and fall off. So defiantly don’t skip this step!
Painting
Now the part you’ve been waiting for, paint! Defiantly go to your local hardware store to check out the massive selection of paints and colors they have there. For a task like this, I would definably use spray paint.
When painting is sure to step outside or use some cardboard to cover this around your project that you would want to match the color of your newly painted mixer.
Furthermore, be sure to use some distance between your spray paint and the surface of your mixer. If you get to close it can cause the paint to get a runny look and detract from the appearance you’re going for. If this happens you can wipe it down with a damp rag, and sand the area again if need be.
Also, it’s important to be thinking about coats of paint. Now it varies brand to brand and which color you're trying to cover. But I recommend anywhere from 1-3 coats depending on your circumstances.
Re-Sand
What do you mean re-sand? Why would we do extra work? This step could be skipped if you are strapped for time. But I wouldn’t skip it. You want to be proud of your custom painted KitchenAid mixer right?
So put the time in and lightly sand it again with the 4000 grit sandpaper. This sandpaper won’t feel like sandpaper to the touch. But what you’re doing here is just taking off the top layer of film on the newly painted surface. Doing this will get rid of the “sticky” feel the new paint has.
Re-Paint
This step like the one above can be skipped. But if you did the step above you have to do this one! You want to lightly apply a thin layer of paint again to all the painted surfaces of the machine once more.
Doing this really will help you get a really even paint job. Hey, at this point you’re almost ready to repaint your car right? But we will save that for another time.
Clear Coat
Wait overnight before doing this step. We want the paint to be good and dry,
Now we have to make the choice, which clear coat are we going to use.
- Matt coat
- Semi-glossy coat
- Glossy coat
Personally, I really want my machine to shine! So I’m going to go with a nice gloss coat.
Make sure everything is still covered with tape. We don’t want this getting on any of the parts we didn’t want to get our paint on.
Once you’ve decided on which clear coat you want to apply it using the same rules as the spray paint. Keep a little bit of distance and give her a good coat.
Allow 5-10 minutes between coats that way it has plenty of time to dry. And use a minimum of 3 coats. You could do up to 5.
This is important to do because this is your layer of protection. You want to protect your machine from dings and scratches that come with normal wear and tear. Plus you’ve spent time and money on this project and you want it to be the best it can be right?
Re-Assemble
This part should be easy since you hopefully took my advice and did a terrific job of separating and labeling parts.
Be sure to remove all your painter's tape, really there isn’t a right or wrong way to do this. But I always try and remove it slowly and steadily. Not sure if there is any real benefit to doing it this way but that how I was taught and that how I do it.
Lastly, all you’re really doing here is re-assembling the machine being very careful not to scratch your new paint job.
Conclusion
In this article, we learned how to paint a KitchenAid mixer. Topics covered are.
- Disassembly
- Taping
- Sanding
- Painting
- Clearcoat
- Re-assembly
Hopefully, you’ve got your dream color mixer. And if care was put into the project it’s looking fantastic.
Ready to turn heads and mix breads!
Hopefully, this project has been a fun one or reading this has inspired you to take the plunge and get out there and do it!
All I can say is that is a great project and a unique one.
What was the hardest part for you? What was the easiest?
Maybe after reading this, you found out that you don't want to tackle the task of painting your old mixer and would just rather buy yourself a new one. I have linked here a great article that talks about the top 5 KitchenAid mixers on the market today so check it out!
Lastly, I wanted to add one more resource for everyone! I found a video of someone doing this online that I will link here. Some of us love to read about projects some of us want to see someone else do it and there result before we attempt it and I understand that.
Furthermore, in watching that video you can see how amazing a job you yourself can do on a project like this. Not to even mention that you can save so much money rather than buying a whole new mixer!