Metallic Paint Help ><

Exactly how many layers of clear coat do u need on metallic paint before sanding??? I tried two but it doesnt work as the paint just ends up dull. I'm thinking of just not polishing my paint job as it is taking too much time! I use 1200 wet and dry (the highest i can find right now) but it always ends up dull.

You need a polishing kit; the grits start at 3200 and go up from there.:)

would be a good idea to tell us which paint you use

Yeah. You're not going to get any shine from 1200. A polishing kit consists of 3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12000.

To get a decent shine you at least need 2000 or 3200 and some rubbing compound.

Either way, make sure you applied enough paint to compensate for the sanding.

Oh...the clearcoat. If you decide to clearcoat I apply it the same as the color coat. 2-3 mist coats and 2 wet coats.

Doesn’t matter how any layers of clear you apply so long as you don't cut through it. You need to make sure the paint is totally cured and hard, if you are using enamels or acrylics that could take an awful long time. If 1200 is the finest grade you can find then use a very well worn piece that has very little abrasiveness left. That is what I managed with for years. :) Of course sanding is not a necessity, often just a quick polish can be good enough.

Are you using a liquid compound after wetsanding? Wetsanding alone w/1200 will leave the surface dull, it needs to be buffed out.

Of course sanding is not a necessity, often just a quick polish can be good enough.

I agree........personally when using metallic paint i always rely on the clear coat with regards to the final result. I have shot car paint through my airbrush recently on a project, nice coverage but quite orange peely & totally flat. 3 mist coats of Tamiya pearl clear & one wet coat, next day at least 2 more wet coats, after a couple of weeks the compound comes out. Now, another reason i use so much clear is beacause im a firm beleiver in the more clear you use the more times you can go over a subject with the compound, so depending on the shine im getting i can go through the compounding (boring) process a good 5-6 times leaving some paint left on the car :grinyes: for the meguiars steps 1 & 2 which i use.

Mike

You need a polishing kit; the grits start at 3200 and go up from there.:)
Where can I find grit that fine? All my automotive retailers have 2000. :screwy:

Where can I find grit that fine? All my automotive retailers have 2000. :screwy:

You get them through hobby channels like Micromark or Detail Master, your local hobby shop, plastics suppliers, or Micro Mesh directly.

Here's the Micro Mesh website:
Micro Mesh Website (https://www.micro-surface.com/default.cfm?page_id=96&cat_display=A)

You can also try this place, online or maybe they have a store near you:
Rockler.com (http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?&offerings_id=6456)

Use REGULAR Micro Mesh sheets or pads.

well its a tamiya spray and yes it goes dull after sanding. the shine after the clear coat is good but orange peely. thats why i wanted to sand then compound etc. i will try compound next time but i cant really notice the difference unless i sand it a bit first

Where can I find grit that fine? All my automotive retailers have 2000. :screwy:

Detail Masters offers the whole kit or by singles.

But don't mix those sand papers with polishing cloths, it was explaind before, please search for exact cross reference but I can tell you that with 2000 grit and some automotive schratc remover you will get perfect resoults. You will hardly find any paper finer then 2500 grit and that one almost doesn't need a polish (well allmost :))

I ordered a kit of Micro Mesh and I got varied sheets ranging from 3200 - 12000.

It was really expensive though, and I've not tried it yet. It feels more like cloth then sandpaper. I've been using 1500 for sanding primer, 1200 for sanding before primer and 600 for removing mold lines.

I guess I need to use 3200 - onwards for polishing. From what the rest are saying sounds right, so give this a go.

I ordered a kit of Micro Mesh and I got varied sheets ranging from 3200 - 12000.

It was really expensive though, and I've not tried it yet. It feels more like cloth then sandpaper. I've been using 1500 for sanding primer, 1200 for sanding before primer and 600 for removing mold lines.

I guess I need to use 3200 - onwards for polishing. From what the rest are saying sounds right, so give this a go.

Yes, micro mesh sheets are cloth-backed and are commonly called polishing cloths-they were originally developed for polishing glass and optics. Using automotive sandpaper, one must break the paper in two directions over a sharp edge before sanding to soften the sheet itself...the cloth sheets are much more forgiving. Once you become accustomed to wetsanding models, the benefit of micro mesh and it's cloth-backed nature makes perfect sense...it allows much better control, and fewer chances of the sanding material itself scratching the finish. For rough primer, the 1800-2400 grit are a good start, for color coats, 2400 if it's really orange-peely, or 3200 if it's relatively smooth. You can order separate sheets from Micro Mesh directly.

Agreed. Polishing clothes are so much better than the normal sand paper.

Having tried both the polishing kit (3200-12000) and using 2000 and rubbing compound the results are not the same. The finish is pretty close but not the same.

The only downside of polishing kits is that they are very time consuming. On the other hand, if you don't have patience you shouldn't be modeling.

I definetly think that those hours spent with a polishingkit is worth the effort ( sore fingers and aching arm :) )when u see your paintwork looks like a mirror!

Thanks guys, I have to go purchase a polishing kit now. I was using my basic car products (2000 grit sand paper, Meguires wax, Turtle wax compound) and i was getting some shine, but lots of tiny scratchs.