Paintng tips

[Alex7747]

Okay so i finally got around to painting my gst and i ####ed up the clear coat the other day and im in the process of wet sanding it again for some more clear. Any tip for the clear?
I will most likely spray the clear on today when im done sanding. I just want some tips. I painted all the small parts like door caps, spoiler, skirts ect already and they came out good.
Ps. This is in my garage..

 

[SrKegler]

Did you get a run in the first coat?? If it was in the final coat, just wet sand with progressively finer paper until the run is gone. Then use your buffer to get a high gloss.

If you don't have much clear on there, I would sand out the run, then use a white scotch brite pad to scuff up the surface. Most 2 part products have a 2 hour refinish window. Of course, tack the car down good, doing it in your garage I would recommend early morning. Temperatures is down and bugs aren't awake yet. Good luck.

 

[Alex7747]

Yeah i got a couple runs haha. Its already to late to wet sand, i took most of the clear off already... What psi should i run the gun at? Its a hvlp gravity fed gun.

What do you mean by "tack the car down"?

 

[boosteclipse]

I always set pressure to 30 psi, i believe the hvlp set at 30 releases only at 8 psi thus saving material.

 

[Alex7747]

Alright then set it to 30 psi. And paint it in the morning.
Also after the clear is on and dried. I wet sand with like 2000 grit and then like 3000 and i buff and wax it? That should leave it really smooth right?

 

[SrKegler]

After scuffing the clear, use a tack rag to remove sanding residue from the finish. Not sue what pressure to use, 30 PSI sounds right. Check the manufacturers recommended setting. I usually tape a sheet of paper up on the wall and make a few test patterns on it. Shows how thick and how wide a spray pattern I have.

Starting with 2000 grit will take forever to get the orange peel out. I usually start with 1000 lightly to knock the tops off and then 2000, 3000. Keep a water hose running while your sanding to wash off the residue. Otherwise you stand a chance of scratching what you just smoothed out. Don't apply pressure when sanding, just let the weight of the sanding block do the cutting. Use a crisscross pattern on each area, IE do the hood front to back, then next pass go left to right. Eliminates waves in the paint. Try and use the same amount of strokes in each area.

Be very careful with the buffer, it's easy to burn thru the clear, especially on the edges of the hood, doors, etc.

I usually put on 6-8 coats of clear. Gives me a lot of film to work with. About half of it ends up on the floor after sanding and polishing.

Can't think of anymore more hints. Most of my experience comes from my own screwups.

 

[Alex7747]

Wow thanks for the tips!! I will definately use them . Ill be painting tomorrow morning. Thanks again!!

 

[jjrock5]

Great tips here.

 

[B00st3d_Eg0]

i just want to add that most of these tips are very good. you need to use some sort of wax and grease remover or you risk having what are called fish eyes and its when grease from your hands comes to the surface and leaves a hole in the paint. Using a tacking cloth is a must to remove all dust and debris from the surface

 

[boosteclipse]

Yes, prep work is key. Dupont carries a cleaner called 3939, used it back when I did body work.

 

[Janaelen]

Keep us posted on your progress. I'm planning to paint a few panels within the next month and like to see the results of others.

What gun are you using?
What brand products did you go with (base and clear)?

 

[Alex Bland]

i was in a auto body class for 2 years and my teacher use to paint cars from age 16-50. and his best tip for clear coat (that i thought was usefull) was get some kind of wall (we used a big chock board) and use water and paint it with water and use air to dry it off and keep doing it untill you dont get runs in the water then you will be good shooting clear

 

[OerO]

Some really good tips. I only have 6 months of class under my belt but i like what im reading.

i was in a auto body class for 2 years and my teacher use to paint cars from age 16-50. and his best tip for clear coat (that i thought was usefull) was get some kind of wall (we used a big chock board) and use water and paint it with water and use air to dry it off and keep doing it untill you dont get runs in the water then you will be good shooting clear

I can see a lot of people using this trick for practice. Saves time and money in the long run id say.

 

[Alex7747]

Yeah guys the car came out a lot better the i thought . It was my first time painting anything . Sorry i dont know how to post pictures . Pm me and i can send someone a picture of it so they can post it on here.. I used a pretty cheap gun from harbor freight(60$) and treme 5180 fro the clear and some white that i had a shop mix for me. Not sure of the brand.

 

[SrKegler]

Glad to hear that. You picked a good color too. White hides a lot of small imperfections where black, red hilites them.

 

[Alex7747]

I also painted the hood black. It came out great too but you can see the imperfection a lot more. Owell a little wet sand and it should be even better.
Thanks for all the tips . The cars almost one piece again

 

[SVO]

Are you gonna post pics? Did you use 6-8 coats like someone on this thread recommended? Thats WAY too much material IMHO.