Sealer, base and clear advice please

Discussion in 'Color is everything!' started by techg8, Aug 8, 2017.

  1. techg8

    techg8 The BS GS

    Picked up some wet dry 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit today. I just don't feel like spraying again if I don't have to.

    Going to do 1000 to knock down the highs in the worst spots, then 1500 to flatten it all out, then 2000 to polish it.

    After that it'll be some buffing.

    I will post some results when I've got them. So far the 1000 has done an easy job trimming the highs. You can feel the papers interaction with the clear smooth out as you go.

    I am using a sprayer of water with a couple drops of dish soap in it.

    20170821_162547.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2017
  2. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    On that light green it will buff up Quick , get some 3M extra cut compound can't remember the # off the top of my head, it's around $55 but we'll worth it in how fast it works, white open cell 3m pad it takes less rpm which = less heat, I use pretty much only foam pads, wool once in a blue moon. The gray 3m polish with the gray pad is my go too
     
  3. techg8

    techg8 The BS GS

    I can use a little guidance here. How deep should I sand before compounding? Can I use the compound in the place of one of the sanding steps?

    I am using the 1000 grit until the panel starts to feel smooth. This is leaving small pockmarks that are the deepest valleys of the orangepeel.

    I figured I would then 1500 grit just until the pockmarks disappear and I have a uniform smooth surface.

    Then I was going to 2000 grit to remove scratches.
     
  4. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    You feel the paper change in how it grabs or slides as you progress, I usually don't use 1000 to often, usually 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 then I start buffing. If you got runs , dry spray , heavy dirt etc then out comes the 800 or 1000.

    But what you describe above is correct, with only two coats of clear don't get to carried away with the 1000, it cuts deeper than you think, you bust thru one layer of clear into the next you will not be a happy camper
     
    techg8 likes this.
  5. techg8

    techg8 The BS GS

    Alright thanks. Gawd my shoulders n arms are tired. Worked the hood and fenders today til I couldn't sand anymore. They're about ready for the 1500.
     
  6. 2001ws6

    2001ws6 last of the v8 interceptors

    Cant wait to see the results. :cool:




    If you want to take a brake from your project, you can stop by and have some "fun" with mine. :)
     
    techg8 likes this.
  7. techg8

    techg8 The BS GS

    "you bust thru one layer of clear into the next you will not be a happy camper"

    How can I tell if I've gone into the underlayer of clear?

    And what is the effect if it happens?

    It's taking a lot of work to get to the totally flat panel. I still have pockmarks. I'd hate to go too far.

    My thinking is so long as I don't go far beyond getting rid of the pockmarks I should be good?
     
  8. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    It will ring out if you go thru, if you see green water you have an even bigger problem IE hitting the base obviously. But yes long as you have an even flat surface with no shiny spots stop there and start working up to finer paper. If you had 4 coats of clear you could really get after it 1200 and level it. But I believe you have 2 coats so you don't have that much mil thickness
     
  9. DasRottweiler

    DasRottweiler -BuickAddict-

    Just wanted to say, Hugger, your advice is greatly appreciated. I am following along with this thread. Curious what you use for a buffer ? Getting closer to paint...
    2017-08-23 19.00.51.jpg
    Jim/Rott
     
  10. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    Harbour freight variable speed now because they have lifetime warranty, when my $300 dewalts and Makitas were only lasting a couple years I quit buying them , I've one of them Chicago electric things from harbour for 4years now other than the variable speed dial acting goofy it's still going strong
     
  11. DasRottweiler

    DasRottweiler -BuickAddict-

    Good, I'll grab one there. I dig this website more n more every day . Thanks again Hugger...Jim
     
  12. DasRottweiler

    DasRottweiler -BuickAddict-

    They have a 7" inch 10 amp variable speed for $47. Is this the one you use?
     
  13. techg8

    techg8 The BS GS

    Thanks. No green water yet.

    I've got most of the hood flat, with a few pockmarks. I may leave it and call it good.

    The hood was a LOT of work. Because the peel was heavy. And there's a lot of contours to beware of.

    I did the drivers fender in under a half hour because the clear was much more smooth.

    I think the rest of the car will go as easily.
     
  14. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    That's sounds like it, and no problem feel free to hit me up via PM anytime
     
  15. techg8

    techg8 The BS GS

    Crapola. Looking at hood this am drinking coffee.

    Found three dimesized sandthroughs. Touched them with wetsand to be sure....green in the water.

    20170825_160243.jpg 20170825_160254.jpg

    Guess I'll be shooting new clear on the hood. At least it'll give me a go at spraying better with reduced clear. Should I rough it up with 800?

    I guess I'll be more careful with the rest of the car.

    Edit.... or maybe I should clear the whole car again. To get better thickness and peel. Save myself some sanding.....you know....just like Ethan suggested a few days ago .....i don't know....
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2017
  16. jzuelly1

    jzuelly1 Jesse Zuelly IV

    I'm following this with much interest. Your doing awesome. sorry to hear about the whoas wit the hood. I think I would do what Ethan said but I don't know crap. Just want to repeat the process one day.
     
  17. techg8

    techg8 The BS GS

    I'm learning as I go. There's bound to be bumps along the way.

    In the end I will work thru and have an end result I am happy with....and the experience of having done it.
     
  18. Jim Weise

    Jim Weise EFI/DIS 482

    Ken,

    You will need to spot in basecoat where you went thru.. you have to blend that spot out with base, or it will show up under the clear. Rule of thumb, spray an area 2X the size of the break thru with base, insure the area is flat, and then clear the whole panel off.

    Not a bad idea to scuff sand and put a couple more coats of clear on the whole car, if your going to sand and buff. YOU WILL go thru other places with just two coats.

    In the shop, we sanded and buffed everything, we were doing show cars for the most part. But every paint job will turn out much better with the after spray work.. I used to think "great, I will spray it today, so it's half done"...

    We would tackle any dirty/rough areas, or runs, with 1000 grit wet, on a rubber block, and then overall sand with 1500 wet on the rubber block, to remove orange peel and other light imperfections. We would sand the whole car and all the painted add on parts, once by hand.

    Then we would move to machines, to really reduce the time and effort to achieve a great finish.. get yourself an inexpensive palm sander with variable speed, and use a soft interface pad and 3M 3000 grit Trizact, to take the 1500 grit scratches out. Real time saver, and produces a very easy surface to buff up, with minimal buff time.

    Here's a video from 3M..



    The trizact is expensive, about $5 a pad if I recall correctly, but worth every penny. Some places do sell it by the pad, get 3 for the whole job.. hopefully you won't have to buy the whole box.. You can take a whole car from 1500 grit, to a ready to buff 3000 grit finish, in an afternoon. Buff time is reduced also, as you can skip the first couple grits of compound. 3000 grit orbital scratches are easy to take out, even in a black car.

    Keep working at it, the results will be worth it. If you skip steps or cut the work off now, and if your like me, every time you look at the car, you will focus on the bad areas..

    JW
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2017
    techg8 likes this.
  19. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    Few things to consider

    1.reclearing won't work by itself, it will have to be rebased and or blended. Because the metallic has been disturbed by the paper it will stick out like a sore thumb and on that color be dark looking more than likely , since it's all the same mix you can just rebase the whole hood if you don't feel comfortable blending. Just mimic how you sprayed it before, especially air psi and distance. But yes 800 grit, if wanna try to blend it you use 1000.

    2. If you put to much on too quick there is a chance it will bust up around the edges of the burn Some BULLDOG adhesion promoter will help prevent this. Nice low psi feather coat on the areas then either blend it out or entire hood.

    3. Put 4 coats on the hood so you have more material to work with.

    4. If you decide to shoot car again, just consider what's on it a proof painting, cut car with 600 or 800 and then since it's green already you can just lay 2 maybe 3 nice even coats of color and the clear will lay much more flat, or just reclear everything but the hood and it will of course be color and clear. 600 if you want to rebase, 800 if just reclear
     
  20. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    If wanna try blending , go get some "mixing clear" of the machine from the paint store, can't remember the # but everyone knows it as such, mix 1 to 1 with reducer and spray a nice even coat on the hood , this serves as what's known as a "wet bed" this will keep the metallic fom doing weird crap out beyond the edge.
     

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