First paint job help!!!

[Mick]

I have base coated in black, applied 2 coats of clear, and wetsanded with 600g sandpaper. My probelm is that now my paint job looks very dull. Is this correct. My next step is to tape out my flames, spay the falmes and then clear coat again correct??

After sanding my two initial coats of clear with 600g sandpaper, I am afraid that my tanks wont look a glossy as they did before I sanded. Is this the typical outcome after saning before the flame painting??

 

[DaveK]

You're right on with both assumptions. You sand the clear and its dull..... very dull. Tape out and paint flames and the clear over all again. That's really the short of it. You can sand out the last clear again and clear (again) over that. The last steps I do is sand at 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000 and then compound and polish with a buffer..... you'll be amazed at how shiny it gets.

Dave

 

[ezrider]

sanding with 3000 your pretty much wasting time money and energy. final sanding with 2000 is fine enough just hitting 2000 lightly with the buffer will bring out a superior shine with no sand marks showing.

 

[Mick]

I basically started over. I think I was too aggressive with the sanding and went all the through to the base coat.

Now I have three coats of base and two coats of clear. I am waiting two days before sanding this time.

When I do sand, do I use 600g or 1500g paper? When I am done with the sanding, do I simply wash off with soap & water, or do I need to use rubbing compound and polish to bring back to the original shine and then tape off the flames.

Since this is my first time, I am having a hard time seeing that the tanks will look as glossy as before I sanded them down. I guess I just need to trust the process

 

[alienboy]

Sounds like your doing a great job. If you are planning on putting flames on sand with a 600 untill the clear is completely dull. Tape out your flames, shoot them and then reclear. After you clear sand (my preference) with 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit. Then (i'm assuming you don't have a buffer) hand buff (or machine buff) with 3m perfect it rubbing compound and then machine glaze. You'll be very happy on how well it turns out. Don't be afraid of the dull clear after you sand it, thats what ya gotta do to make it look right. I generally wait 24 hours to sand my clear out.

 

[Mick]

Thank you for all the helpful advice. I will keep everyone posted

 

[rex]

Next time you 600 it just lnock the gloss off it and monitor the progress.If you're just going to buff it it's easier to just knock out anything nasty like a big chunk with 1500 lightly then 2000 it to buff.EZ's right on on the 3000,it's more for a factory defect and a light polish.

 

[Bornhard]

HEY Mick! I noticed on thing you said in your last comment about polishing the clear back to a shine before laying out your flames....don't do that! Leave the clear dull...gives more tooth for the tape to adhere to & the paint to bond to...then shoot a few coats of clear on the bury your flames well

 

[Mick]

So I started sanidng today. Just to make sure I understand everything, I am supposed to sand it down to completely dull. No shiny spots at all, correct???

And no buffing or polishing so that the flames will adhear

 

[Bornhard]

You got it....use 500-600 grit sandpaper to gently sand down the clear after 24 hours or more....in warmer weather 24 is fine, in cooler weather the longer the better. Use worn out sand paper on the edges of your parts to keep from going through the clear quickly. Leave it dull....lay out your flames, do whatever graphics etc you want and read the paint can for flash times and then spray some coats of clear on. After you put a couple coats of clear on, let them cure for 24 hrs or more and then wet sand where the graphic edges raise the clear. DO a total sanding if you intend on spraying more clear.

 

[nooshie]

Hey Mick, it sounds like when your done you will have the process whipped. When you cut and buff I have found not to use the same pad for all buffing material, and use foam pads. I burned a car door up pretty good with lambs wool once.

Good Luck
Nooshie

 

[DaveK]

Ok.... I can't resist but, 3000 grit works for me. I would rather sand it out then, buff it out. After 3000, I spend 1 second buffing. At 2000, I work it a little harder and am honestly afraid of buffing through a job. I think that using sand paper to do my work rather than buffing is my prefernce. But hey.... if 2000 is good for you then fine. Never buffed through anything and may just too cautiuos

DaveK

 

[Mick]

I am done. I put four coats of clear on Friday evening. On Sunday afternoon I wet sanded with 1500, rubbed with compund, rubbed with machine polish, and then rubber with hand galze. It looks great. The only problem I had was I encountered some clear coat runs or sags. Is there any way to get rid of these??

And... how do I avoid then on my next job???

 

[Bornhard]

2 ways to get rid of runs and sags....sand aggresively with 500-600 grit sandpaper, but YOU WILL HAVE TO reclear. Or you can patiently sand away with 1500 grit on the runs until you can't feel them anymore....about avoiding runs....knowing and adjusting your spray gun settings help, putting on a thin tack coat of clear on first will help and the best solution is simply pratice.

 

[Bornhard]

oh yeah...I wouldn't load too many heavy wet coats of clear on back to back....read your product can to see if there are recoating and flash times on there and spary on many coats, but not all at once....just wanted to "clear" that up in case you shot all four coats on back to back . the weight of the other coats will makes the first few coats shift and sag.

 

[rex]

Unless the paint line says to lay down a tack coat I don't subscribe to that philosophy at all.My fist coat is thiner but it's still wet,I just turn up the pressure a touch and just wet it.Then I go a normal coat or 3 but I work the flash time.If your first coat is over base you shouldn't get a run,the base will suck up part of it to hold it.If it's happening with your 2nd and other coats you're either getting real heavy in those spots or you're pushing the flash time and/or major overlaps are sliding.There's a trick for runs with a blade but I won't repeat it,you'll have to search under 'razor blades' and earn this one.

 

[Mick]

I think I will take the apitent route and sand with 1500, then rubbing compund, then polish, then hand glaze.

I think I started out too thick with my initial coats. From what I hear, you need to start clearing with a thin coat and then build up your thickness each additional coat.

 

[Bornhard]

rex...sounds like you've had a bad experience with tack coats. I was wondering if you would explain why you don't go the tack coat way (it there's something I should know)

I use HoK Klear and saw John Kosmoski in person demonstarting claer coat techniques. He went over the tack coat deal.

I general don't lay a super thin film of clear down, but more like a thin wet coat & call it my tack coat. probably the wrong term...

I might see you up in Ybor later this month. I'm going to try to go early Saturday morning to beat some of the crowd.

 

[rex]

It sounds like we do it roughly the same Joe.I think of a tack coat as back in the 80s when it was like a 1/2 coat.Back then coats ate into each other over the process-like early urethanes and acrylic enamels.Today it's to the point where a 'dry' tack coat will screw you unless it's clearly specified.I gather HOK clear is tolerant of this but PPG sure doesn't like it.If I have to be carefull about grafix or something I just back off some and throw a little pressure to it to just put a thin wet coat on,no knobbly coats.I usually use a little more clear for that coat than the rest because you're blowing a little more overspray but it's a safe bet over a grafix slide and a redo.I'll get your e-mail from Scott this weekend (or you grab mine if you don't hear from me by Fri).I've got 3 guys definately going and hope to get a few more friends to go Sat.Bad time of year for us paint/body pukes now but I'm going if I can get my scooter to charge my damn battery long enough for the ride.Be in touch man.

 

[ezrider]

if using HOK UC 35 tack coats are necessary, this clear still has " old school " characteristics but Rex is right on most of the others not requiring tack coats, you will just end up with more peel