Is it orange peel problem?

A problem i always notice on the paint when i start polishing the bodyshell:
I've followed the FAQ tutorials on how to prepare and paint the body but everytme after i sand off the orange peel and start polishing the paint.. i always see some very tiny dents/holes on the surface that takes quite a lot of polishing to take them off ... (sometimes i polish back to primer :( ) so..


1. what is the reason?
2. is it just part of the orange peel?
3. does it indicates there is something wrong with my spray painting skills? (i use automotive spray cans)

thanks :)

I think you may be experienceing pitting. I'm pretty sure it's caused by oils or chemicals left behind under paint. I try to handle a model as little as possible between coats of paint and the clear (if one is used). Maybe that's your problem. Also, if you're applying dust coats before wet coats, then you shouldn't be getting pits that run all the way to the primer. I may be wrong though.

hm. ok. so it's a different problem from the orange peel right? cos i can get rid of the orange peel easily by a little bit of sanding and polishing but these tiny holes there are really the problem

i apply 3-4 dust coats before the final 1-2 wet coat.

Maybe i should wash it using soap water after i applied the primer?

Sounds like "fisheyes". Always wash and dry before painting. Dishwashing soap (not dishwashing machine soap) and a toothbrush to scrub it up. Don't use soap that claims "Spotless dishes" because they have a funny additive that your paint won't like. Towel dry it to get the water beads out and let it dry somewhere warm and dry, like inside a box set out in the sun. Make sure your spray area is clean and you keep it clean. Don't go work on the car to change your oil or spray WD40 on your bike, etc. while the paint is drying or droplets will get in the air and cause fisheye.

Are you using a sanding block of any kind? Just plain sanding with your fingers won't completely flatten out orange peel, at least not easily. Just using fingers is also a good way to rub through the paint.

ok thanks 008. I just did a quick search on the net and it seems i'm having the fisheyes problem. so is that i have to keep the surface clean before and also AFTER painting to avoid this problem? does anyone have a pic of the fisheyes paint so i can make sure it is the problem i got?

no i don't have any sanding block. just use my hands.. i was thinking sanding block may not be a good idea because the models are so small and doesn't have big flat area for sanding blocks but maybe i'm wrong?

Richard

I think it could be fish eyes.
But when you were painting were there already holes.

For me when I ever get fish eyes I notice it immediately.
It never happens to me when I sand orange peel

First off, what kind of papers are you using to color-sand? The block doesn't have to be a block, anything flat and semi-flexible is good. I wrap my sandpaper around a short sanding stick (also known outside the model car world as "nail files") since they're small enough to manipulate around a model car. Sand it dry so you can see exactly what you're doing. The finer grits you can get away with wetsanding, even without a block, since they don't cut as much. The first grits are the important ones because they're the ones that'll level your orange peel. The rest of the grits just remove the scratches from previous ones.

Back to the fisheyes. They do show up immediately most of the time but if it is a small amount of contaminant it may not show up until the paint starts to cure and shrink. I don't have any pics, but fisheye holes look like the paint didn't stick and the primer/plastic is visible. Imagine dripping melted wax onto a table, and then wiping the table with a wet towel. The dry part where the water didn't stick to the wax would be the fisheye. They aren't necessarily "eye" shaped, either. They could be oblong, a long streak, etc.

It could also be dust, but the bottom line is still the same. Clean it before painting and keep everything clean during painting. Wear gloves after washing the car to keep your finger oils off the primer.

i use wet sand paper arond 1000 to start with .. then 1200, 1500 (the finest i can find here)
then polish...

usually it's not until i start polishing and the surface starts become shinny then i notice those small holes... not sure if i didn't pay enough attention before or it's just they are not visible until the surface become shinny.

but still anyone got a pic of fisheyes?? please post it up :)

can anyone tell me what exactly causes orange peel? I want to avoid sanding through my paint again :mad: I've blown money on two spray cans and after the orange peel was gone from the roof on my mopar I noticed some spots with a little primer showing through :newburn:

Bloodhound.

Orange Peel is caused by paricales of paint drying before they land on the subject to correct it. Move your can or airbrush closer to the subject but doing this means you have to move the can or airbrush quicker across the subject so you dont cause runs in the apint.

Ciaran

can't thank you enough for the help. project old school charger is back on the rails! :bigthumb:

your welcome just lets see a pic when your done

Ciaran