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Question for paint experienced people [whew]

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regularman

regularman

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Well, I finally got off my butt and put on my final basecoats and looked it over and could not see any more light streaks in the metallic and proceded with the clear. I manged to clear it off pretty well with pretty good shine and I am happy with it all but one run in the clear on one fender and about 4 or 5 spots where I got clear overspray on clear that had already began to set and I have a cople places where I can see some orange peel that I would like to get out somehow. What is ya'lls advice on this?
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

I believe the traditional thing would be wet sanding with 1500 or 2000 grit paper followed by buffing with some of the 3M compounds. I've used Finesse-It and Perfect-It products on problem areas with good results.

Depending on how bad the run is, it may require some additional steps. Eastwood used to sell a razor blade holder designed specifically to shave down runs prior to wet sanding. They also used to sell something I believe they called a "nib file" to do the same thing.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

I used traditional 3M buffing compounds for years, but lately I've been using some of the stuff that breaks down as it is used. I find that I used more product, but the overall amount of final polishing is greatly reduced. I've used the Mirror Glaze line. I'd give the base a few days to cure before sanding, but do not wait for several months because it will be a lot harder to sand. But, as Doug mentions, block sand with 1500 or 2000. On big runs you might want to carefully cut with some 600/1000, but do not get carried away. BTW, I've never had any luck with the razor blade "run cutter" blocks.

MOST OF ALL, DO NOT USE CHEAP BUFFING PADS.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

I will now post some pictures I took. You cannot see the run from the pic or the overspray/orange peel, really. I took some pics with the flash and some without. Its called nuclear yellow and really does show the metallic under bright lights.
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Re: Question for paint experts.

I have had luck with a run cutting file with is a small file on a block of wood sanding with 600 works too but wrap the paper around a short wood block and be careful as you can sand thru the good stuff real fast.
I usually D-A the paint with 1200, then D-A with 1500 then wet sand by hand with 2000. 2 grades of 3M compound and a final foam pad buff with swirl mark remover.
I just did this today with the red Midget I painted the other night. It takes all day but it's worth it in the end.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

Kim, that's really looking nice!

Take your time, work it slowly & it will reward you in the end.

Man, that's going to be so cool when you take that out for the first time!
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

One drawback. I used a limco black for the stripe on the sill. I painted it before I did the yellow and waited the proper amount of time for it to dry and taped it up. The tape messed up the piant /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif and the newspaper even stuck to it in one place. Bottom line, I not only need to remove a run and several hand size patches of orange peel in the clear. I have to repaint the black again and then clear it.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

I hope to have this car drivable by next spring, but I still have a loooong way to go. Windshield,dash, door glass, carpet, panels, seats, top, etc. I have had it taped up so long uner the hood and inside that I hope the battery is still good
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

I have some 600 grit and some 1000 grit to get the run down. I know nothing of buffing though. I have one of those buffers that looks like a steering wheel with a terrycloth thing on it. Is that the kind of buffer I need. Dang I wish I had had more light. I know I could have avoided most of the orange peel /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

OK... you need to pause and do a bit of research. It sounds like you have never buffed paint. You might not want to make your new paint job you first job. You need a variable speed buffer. Usually auto parts store sell cheap units that are good for occasional use. Then you need to go get advice/support from a auto paint store. They will set you up with the pads/products you need for your job. They can also explain the basics about using only one product per pad, cutting angle/direction vs polishing angle/direction, protecting edges, and so forth. Then go practice on an old daily driver. Finally, you can do the Midget.

I've spent many hours behind a buffer when I was a teenager because my dad always bought "beaters" for the kids to drive and we had to buff them all out.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

BTW, Don't kick yourself over the orange peel and runs. It happens to us all. Paint jobs are rarely uniform, so you almost always have spots that look worse than others. Buffing helps "normalize" the paint and give a nice uniform appearance. Don't try to sand out all the orange peel. Take it down to an acceptable level then buff it out. You can always sand and buff more later if needed.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

If the run area is small hand buffing would work best.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

regularman said:
I know nothing of buffing though.
Click to expand...

First off .. The paint looks really nice. With the proper wet sand, buffing and wax it's going to look great!

I would be very cautious about wet sanding and machine buffing since you don't have any experience. It's very easy to go too far, especially on edges and burn through the clear coat. It would be worth it to find someone who has experience to do it for you and/or to teach you what to do. It would probably be cheaper to have someone else do it than to buy the correct machine, pads, compounds, etc. to do it yourself.

I'm not saying you can't learn to do it yourself but please make sure you really learn what to do before you start!

Cheers,
John
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

Owning buffing tools, supplies, and SKILLS, is a true asset to anyone that has an old car hobby. So I suggest you do it yourself, but practice on some other cars. And like John said, it would be immensely helpful if you could find someone to teach you.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

Ok, today I repainted the black and clearcoated it and it seemed to go quite well. I then proceded to try and sand down the run. I used 600 grit until I got close to the run dissappearing and then used 1000 grit and it was removed. I then took some rubbing compound that I had and went over that area and it worked out well. Still a little dull there but not bad. I then found another small sag on the drivers side and got rid of it. I was feeling really sure of myself and decided to sand down a larger place on the passender lower fender where I had major orange peal because I oversprayed that area when I was almost done and had a little clear left over and decided to do the fender edges :shrug:. I did that with 600, then 1000 and then compunded it and it is nice and smooth but needs something else for more shine but the orange peel is gone. I then noticed a tiny place near the radius on the fender where I had gone through to the primer. It was a small bump. Time to stop that for now. I am fairly happy with it as it is. I removed all the tape and paper and put the wheels and steering wheel back on and backed it out. I then got to tear down all that plastic that had been hanging for months. The car needs a good wash under the hood and underneath. I took a few more pictures outside. Man it felt good to drive the midget again.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

Kim, use finer rubbing compound by hand to make it shine.

I not the body shops when doing this use several different compounds.
 
Re: Question for paint experts.

There was a thread running last month in either the Triumph portion of this board that went into some nice detail on buffing techniques, supplies, and tools. See:
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/337108/fpart/1

I posted one bit on that thread that may help you a bit. While I have a compressor I don't like the idea of using it to power a D-A for sanding and buffing. I have a 5" Bosch electrical random orbit sander. I use it exclusively for sanding and buffing. You can buy small wool bonnets to work with it. Those work well with the polishing and buffing compounds. I have also made an adapter plate for it that allows me to use foam pads. Its small size means that it takes longer to buff out paint but that also gives you more control over what you're doing. It also has more power than the terry cloth wax polisher you were mentioning earlier. The 5" random orbit electrical sanders are a good compromise between professional air tools and hand rubbing.
 
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