sanding & polishing question

[Sixx]

I've seen so many awesome paint jobs here on the A/F and I've been struggling with mine still.

I can lay a fairly decent paint job down but I struggle with keeping the clear realisitc looking.

I've been using urethane clearcoat and I've at times just left them as is and they look good, but at other times I've had a few pieces of dust that I've had to sand out. It seems after I sand, I've tried different grades and types of compounds from Megiuars to Tamiya (Coarse, Fine, Finish) to get the shine back with no luck. I then use a 3M swirl remover to try to work the shine back in the areas sanded with no luck.

At this point, I have finished a body and I'm trying a new procedure, I've sanded the whole body including the cleared decals with 3000 grit sandpaper, washed the body down of any residual debris and I'm going to re-spray it with clear.

My questions are:

1. Because the car looks dull from the surface sanding, will a new layer of clear cover up the dullness?

2. should each layer of paint be sanded prior to the next layer going down except on metallics & pearls and such with a flake?

3. Should clear, regardless of type, laquer, urethane, acrylic, etc. be sanded to smooth it out and what is the proper way of bringing back the shine without leaving haze, swirl, or dullness to the clear?

thanks!

[MidMazar]

1: yes
2: no (but you can sometimes creates better paint job) although takes longer
3: In my opinion you should sand it only if you can't rub out the orange peel with compound. I tend not to sand my clear as it does leave some swirl marks in the end that sometimes can't be removed. Also try micro mesh sanding pads and sand paper as they go up to 12000.

[Sixx]

I never thought of the micromesh sanding pads! great idea, man!

I talked to my paint rep out my way who told me that instead of adding thinner to my two part urethane clear, that I should use a reducer instead of a thinner.

he said a slow reducer for the summer and a fast reducer for winter.
to help smooth things out more.

[Doc305]

what midmazar said....

To polish I;

*(sometimes) sand in between layers
*1500 grit (if needed)
*2000 always
*Maguire's polishing compound (there's a few they make but I'm unsure as to which. It comes in a gallon. I didnt buy it but the place where I took my real car to get painted had alot of this stuff and I asked for a bit, they gave me about 10oz. which will last a lont time) (kinda white, pasty consistency)
*3M compund/glaze (it's a grey, high viscosity liquid)
*Pinacle wax (shit's expensive but I'm sure there are cheaper/good waxes out there) But this stuff is amazing. I bought it for the real car since its black but it works perfect for my models too.

If you really wanna know what stuff I use let me know and I'll check the specifics of each item (compound, glaze, wax).. As for '2part clear' idk. I use tamiya clear (for larger, more visible areas) and a Duplicolor for things barely seen... Hope it helps.

[Enilder]

little bit OT but where can i but high grit sandpapers? i tried walmart, home depot, lowes but no luck...they sell 400grits though

[Entau]

Originally Posted by Sixx

It seems after I sand, I've tried different grades and types of compounds from Megiuars to Tamiya (Coarse, Fine, Finish) to get the shine back with no luck.

what do you mean by no luck? the paint still fades or dull? or still some textures?

usually after topcoat with clear, i sanded with 1500 or 2000, then start to compound with TAMIYA's coarse, fine and finish.

see here:
http://z12.invisionfree.com/ScaleMod...722&st=0&#last

[Didymus]

Keep in mind that even 12000 grit MicroMesh is sandpaper. It "smooths" the finish by making a pattern of scratches.

So I only compound, never sand, the final coat of clear. If I have to sand it to remove a defect, it is no longer the final coat. I put another coat of U-POL on top of it, sometimes just in that area to keep thickness to an absolute minimum.

Ddms

[Didymus]

Originally Posted by Enilder

...where can i but high grit sandpapers?

I get mine at Finishmasters, an automotive paint supply house. If you can't find an automotive paint store nearby, ask at a local body shop.

Ddms