Wet sanding before clear?

[Flyboy]

I only used 1500 grit on my most recent tank, then 3M Scratch Remover and it came out BEAUTIFULLY!!!

 

[Guest]

Okay great advice from everyone thank you! I have laid down additional coats of primer today and it is looking better. How long do I let the primer cure before laying on the base coat? Do I need to sand the primer coat before base?

 

[kdo58]

wet sand with 400, I use a different color primer coats so I can see low spots, I paint mine when it was dry.

 

[Guest]

Ok, so here is where it stands. Just for fun, I will post the before pics with all the dents and irregularities and then what it looks like after today.

Before:

Currently:

I don't see anymore differences in sheen or tone so I think I'm good to go for the black base coat again. Hopefully this time I get it right. So I will lightly sand the primer with 400 (or is it 600) then base coat it hopefully tomorrow followed by the Spraymax 2k clear. Wish me luck!

 

[kdo58]

wet sand I used 400

 

[Flyboy]

Like Larry suggested, before you sand the primer with 400, spray a very light mist coat of black over the tank, that way, as you sand the primer, any low spots will show up straight away, you can even use a cheap and nasty rattle can for that, as it will be sanded off anyway.
Tank is looking awesome so far.

 

[Guest]

Okay cool, I will do that. Should i use a sanding block for that step or just my hand? if that process reveals any low spots (or high for that matter) then whats the procedure for correcting them at this stage?

Thanks guys, this has really been helpful.

 

[Flyboy]

Should i use a sanding block for that step or just my hand?

I am going to pretend you never asked that question..... hahahaha,
Sci, always use a sanding block, sanding by hand will create grooves, it defeats the object, your fingers will just conform to the low spots, you want something that will ride over them, same with the high spots, you want them to stand out.
I use a small block of high density foam, it is sturdy enough to act as a straight edge but conforms to compound curves nicely.
I never, ever sand by hand, saves your fingers to.
If you do find any????
Well what is the procedure while you are prepping the tank???
Yep, you guessed it hey, no one said it was not a lot of work.
But man, is it all so worth it when it is done and it is flawless.
Can't wait for the pics, I have no doubt they will be stunning.

 

[Flyboy]

Sci, this is what I use, and it works like a charm, most auto paint suppliers will have them, and they are dirt cheap, no more than a buck or two.
It is just a block of high density foam.

 

[Nessism]

You want to finish your primer coat with 600. You can start with 400, but move to 600 before you call it done.

Larry suggested using a guide coat - which is a very light dusting of contracting color on top of your primer. Then you sand off all the guide coat before shooting your base. If there are any low spots you will hit metal before the guide coat is all removed; that forces you to fix all the bad spots before moving forward.

When you have those small low spots, such as on the edge of your bondo, you can lay down extra primer layers on those spots. The idea is to fill the areas with primer, but hopefully, not too thick.

Good luck. Looking good so far.

 

[Mr. Sinister]

If it helps, this tank was painted in a semi-gloss black, with gloss green metallic, then lightly sanded before clear. I applied gloss clear, and this was the result:

The glossiness of your finish is determined by your clear, and nothing else. So long as your color coat is fairly uniform in coverage and free of grease/oil, the clear should even out any mild variations in the color.

 

[Guest]

Wow Bill, that tank looks really nice. I commend you.

I finally got that base coat/clear laid down. The black looks beautiful under the clear. It's a deep black with a very slight metallic to it under the light. I love it. I am also amazed how well that Spraymax 2k clear is from a can. Amazing stuff and I highly recommend it. I got 3 full coats on the tank and front fender out of the one can. Unfortunately It was dark by the time I finished and I had to leave town the next morning so I don't have pics yet and haven't got to see it in the sun. I'm hoping I got all the imperfections out but given this is my first try, I expect a few. I did get one tiny little run but it's not that noticeable. I will get some pics hopefully tomorrow night for all to see.

 

[Flyboy]

Wooo Hooooo sounds like we have a winner.

 

[Guest]

As promised, here are some pics. Unfortunately, there is still no sun out today so these pics don't really do it justice. In the sun or light, it's a deep black color with a very fine metallic layer. It's just gorgeous up close. Overall, I think it came out pretty good. It looks so nice in fact, that I'm going to have to repaint my triple clamps, bars, fork legs and engine covers with this paint. I used just a standard black on those and the tank just over powers them lol. Oh well.

 

[tkent02]

Very nice, you are almost there. Wet sand it lightly with very fine paper, 2000 or maybe 1500, then polish it. If you hear a whistling from the paper as you sand, rinse it off, you have a tiny rock under the paper which will scratch the paint. Google color sanding and polishing, read all about it so you don't go to deep, just take off a tiny amount.
It will look spectacular.

 

[Flyboy]

^^^ What Tom said, a wet sand with 1500 or 2000 to get rid of the orange peel and a good polish, it will look like a mirror.
Keep the paper very wet and well lubricated while sanding, clean it often.
Taking sandpaper to your shiny new clear coat is the scariest thing you will ever do.
But don't b in a hurry, give the clear some time to cure fully first, I would say, hit it in about two weeks time.
Looks awesome, good job.

 

[Guest]

Your right, I do not want to take any sandpaper to that tank. It was hard enough getting to this point and knowing me, I would screw it up haha.

Don't you have to have some kind of buffing wheel to do this? Seems like it would take forever by hand no?

 

[tkent02]

Your right, I do not want to take any sandpaper to that tank. It was hard enough getting to this point and knowing me, I would screw it up haha.

Don't you have to have some kind of buffing wheel to do this? Seems like it would take forever by hand no?

No, it only takes a few minutes. You are only removing the textured finish so the polish can work. Not even all of the textured finish, just the very top layer of it.

Really, Google color sanding. It's easy and the results will be very impressive.
Every good paint job includes this step.

Practice on some other piece if you would feel better than diving right into the tank.

 

[Nessism]

If you are happy with the current finish then leave the tank alone. Sanding the clear can lead to sanding though to the base coat, in which case you will have to reclear. I don't recommend color sanding like that unless you are positive there is a good deal of clear on the tank.

 

[Guest]

Nessism, I agree. I am happy with it as it stands but always open to learning. I'm pretty sure I have enough clear. I was able to get three good coats on it so may take tkent's advice and try it on one of the side panels when I get them painted.

Thanks everyone for all the help and advice. I would never have gotten this far without all the great folks on this site. The GS Resource is the best of the web for sure.