Dust in the Paint

Hi guys,

I always manage to get some dust particles in the wet coats no matter how hard I try to protect it. I always put the parts in sealed boxes and wipe the body parts right before the wet coats, but there's always some dust left in it :shakehead

Now, I read in the FAQ about wet sanding before polishing. Can I really sand the final wet coat and then polish? Or do I have to sand, then put some new paint on, and later polish?
A bit confused...

Cheers,
Fred

Now, I read in the FAQ about wet sanding before polishing. Can I really sand the final wet coat and then polish? Or do I have to sand, then put some new paint on, and later polish?
A bit confused...

Cheers,
Fred

Hi Fred,

It's perfectly normal for me to get a few dirt nibs/dust whatever you wish to call it into my paint. You can always guarantee that it's in the final coats as well..!! There is no problem at all with wet sanding the final coat and then polishing, in fact this is the normal procedure I follow on every build. I usually use Micromesh cloths for the sanding 6000, 8000, and 12000 grades, always used with plenty of clean water for lubrication. Once the surface is to your satisfaction then you can polish to a final finish and wax etc.

Example of some dirt nibs in wing

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Lola T93/LolaT93022.jpg

But after Micromesh, polishing and decals, a lot better

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Lola T93/LolaT93011.jpg

Unless you paint in an operating theater, you will always get some minor imperfections in the paint finish. With a little practice and the right tools, you can remedy almost any thing back to perfection.

That's exactly what my surface looks like. Awesome help as always, thank you so much for the pictures and the info!:)

Btw, how long do you usually leave it to dry before you sand it?

Btw, how long do you usually leave it to dry before you sand it?

It depends on the paint that you are using. With the Zero 2K clear (that's what I used on the wing) I left it overnight and into the next day, I'd say timescale about 24hrs. I like to leave it a couple of days with lacquers like Tamiya TS sprays.

Try going to your local Automotive Paint supplier, and ask them for some paint strainers. Doing this will also help.

Try going to your local Automotive Paint supplier, and ask them for some paint strainers. Doing this will also help.

Good suggestion. You can also get some pre paint wipes or Panel Wipe, which clean the area before painting, it's like a spirit based product. Also a tack rag used between coats would be of benefit as well.

I know this will sound strange, but if you use Sprayaway glass cleaner as a final clean before you apply the paint that will help as well. Sprayaway is the only one that works, if you can't find it don't use anything else...

I usually "spray" some air straight from the airbrush :rofl: I know it sounds stupid but it really helps to remove any dust right before painting... Any cloth I tried leaves some kind of dust or particels on the parts even these special tack cloths or whatever they are called.

...if you use Sprayaway glass cleaner as a final clean before you apply the paint that will help as well.

Does Sprayaway leave a residue? Can I spray it on a model I'm photographing to minimize dust?

Ddms

im with you dude i often have the same problem.i always have something in the paint..some hair or something..i usually use those air cans that blow dust and stuff from computer.no a/brsh.ive tried a testors tack cloth and it left some kind of residue or something it left more stuff on car then it picked up..

what I use is a HEPA air filter to help minimize the dust in the air around my spray booth.

At a local electronics store, I tried spraying some anti-static spray-can stuff on its own cap. Left a nasty residue. So much for that.

I bought a StaticWisk from Samy's Cameras today. It's a fairly soft brush about 3/4" wide that's supposed to reduce the static charge on photographic negatives and other stuff.

Tried it on the model I'm photographing and it worked great. It didn't leave any marks on the finish. A little dust landed on the model after brushing, but not nearly as much as before. The effect seemed to last a few hours.

I'll also try it on models that I'm prepping for paint. It may not eliminate dust specks entirely, but it should help a lot.

Samy's is a reputable store; many of their customers are pros. They have a good rep to uphold, so I have high expectations that the StaticWisk will last a long time. It cost $7.99; not bad compared to nearly $100 for the Polonium-powered StaticMaster. Probably not as effective over many years, but it did a good job today.

I think they're available on line, too.

Ddms

Some dust comes from our own clothes or hair so, try not to wear sweaters and things that produce a lot of static. If you are using an airbrush you can blow air from it without paint and clean the model before painting begins. Another thing to do is after you first put your light mist coat on look the model over closely for dust. The first layer of paint seems to be the most likely to have dust on it in my case. I leave my model in the booth until the last coat gets put on and that keeps it from traveling back and forth through dusty areas.


TW