Abstract: A method for six-sided painting of parts, such as boards, the parts having a top, bottom, sides, and ends, in a vacuum painting system having a feed conveyor, a vacuum painting chamber, and a take-out conveyor wherein the a first part is placed end-to-end with a second part on the feed conveyor, each part having a leading end and a trailing end, and the first part and second part enter the vacuum painting chamber end-to-end, the parts exiting the vacuum painting chamber onto the take-out conveyor end-to-end with the leading end of each part exiting the vacuum painting chamber first, consisting of the steps of:(a) sensing the presence of the leading end of the first part along the take-out conveyor while the trailing end of the first part is within the vacuum painting chamber;(b) moving a movable carriage along the take-out conveyor toward the vacuum painting chamber to a position intermediate the leading end and trailing end of the first part;(c) moving the movable carriage a short distance along the take-out