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painted mirror like surface...how?

E

Everfalling

Gawd
Joined
Jul 12, 2005
Messages
676
i was wondering what type of technique you'd use to paint something and have it end up with a mirror finish, and i mean like with a near perfect reflection. some cases i see that they're shiney and reflective, but up close you can see the iamge being reflected is a little bumpy. i wanna have to so that when i put something that's streight up to the case, the reflection stays streight as well, and doesn't get bumpy... is this possible? or is bumpy as close as i'll get with paint?
 
Sand orignal coat down flat with wetsand, primer, wetsand, coat of laquer, wait a day to dry, wetsand, laquer, wetsand, laquer, wetsand, laquer, clear coat, wetsand, clearcoat and maybe polish somewhere.
 
what's wetsand... and laquer... sorry...i'm new to the whole painting thing....

and do i start out the origonal coat of paint with an air brush or what?
 
ok.. reading the tutorial on the mirror shine. now there's the thing, the metal i'm going to paint is already mirror finished stainless steel, i just wanna make it black now. can someone thumb through that tutorial real quick and tell me what steps i dont need to do? there's a lot of sanding i see in the very beginning to remove the paint, but i can't tell at what point all the pant is fully removed and you can start applying the new stuff.
 
your going to have to sand no matter what you do. Spraying paint with spraypaint cans will not yeild decent gloss results untill you wet sand, then using rubbing compound as the paint goes on a bit hazy. It is litterally amazing how the paint surface transforms in a matter of minutes after wet sanding and using rubbing compound. You go from a non reflective surface to seeing your face in the paint in short order :)
 
Everfalling said:
ok.. reading the tutorial on the mirror shine. now there's the thing, the metal i'm going to paint is already mirror finished stainless steel, i just wanna make it black now. can someone thumb through that tutorial real quick and tell me what steps i dont need to do? there's a lot of sanding i see in the very beginning to remove the paint, but i can't tell at what point all the pant is fully removed and you can start applying the new stuff.
Click to expand...

You can't paint over shiny metal and expect it to either look good or stay on.

You sand it all down, you primer, you sand, you paint, you sand, you paint, you sand, you paint, you sand, you paint, you sand, you paint, you sand, you paint...........

For it to look good you have to at least give yourself at least a solid weekend of doing nothing but working on your case.
 
no no, i understand that once the paint and stuff goes on you gotta sand to get rid of the 'orange peel' look the spray paint makes, but i mean the initial prep in the tutorial where the guy is getting rid of old paint and sanding away the bumpy texture of the metal and plastic surface, do i have to do THAT part? i'm thinking, if my surface is already clean and smooth, the only sanding i'll have to worry about is when i put on the paint and primer and such. am i right or no?
 
you'll need to sand the original surface a bit so that the paint has something to grab onto. just a quick buff over with 400grit would work fine if it's already pretty smooth.
 
Suggestion: practice on a scrap piece of metal. I am in the process of getting a mirror-like black surface and have run into a lot of problems.

Most of them have been sanding through the color coat to primer in small areas due to uneven coats, uneven surface, and uneven pressure applied.

Take your time and apply several light coats. I cannot stress this enough.

Oh yeah, in the linear1 guide he applies 2 clearcoats and sands those down to get a very nice finish. I've tried that several times, but for some reason, I can never get a uniform surface after applying the clearcoat. Some areas appear more "sparkly" than others and it is very easy to sand through, even with 1000 grit and applying little pressure.

Maybe I just suck at painting...

It would probably work just fine as long as you applied 4 coats or so total of clearcoat.

In the end, I just skipped the clearcoat. I got fed up with inconsistancies in the surface. I am also pressed for time because I move back on campus in a week or so, and I doubt I'll be able to paint there.

I am happy with the results, though. Here is a link with some pictures in my worklog if you are interested in what it looks like http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=915156&page=2&pp=20.
 
so ok..

i got the mirror finish with mothers wax/ polishing cream.
Now what kind of procedure do i do next to get a bad ass clear coat job on there?
I know the clear coat will fall off the aluminum plate if a paint ahesive isnt applied.
So before I gave the plate a clear coat. I sprayed BULLDOG adhesive on there. so after that i evenly coated the plate with laquer spray paint clear coat. Now the clear coat isnt quite giving the finish I expected. So do I sand the clear coat thats on there to , say maybe 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper.


any Ideas.. help
 
i should also mention, this paint job will be on my sphere mod, so the entire surface area i'm going to shine is curved. I'm wondreing if it would be better to take the sand paper in hand and sand that way, allowing the paper to curve around the shell, instead of trying to put it on one of those sanding blocks or w/e to do it.
 
Everfalling said:
i should also mention, this paint job will be on my sphere mod, so the entire surface area i'm going to shine is curved. I'm wondreing if it would be better to take the sand paper in hand and sand that way, allowing the paper to curve around the shell, instead of trying to put it on one of those sanding blocks or w/e to do it.
Click to expand...

You will need to either get a curved sanding block (if they even exist) or do it by hand. It will probably be easier to get a nice finish by hand, but be prepared to get some tired fingers :)
 
how much do you think it'd cost to just take it to some place like a bike shop and have them paint it for me? i'm willing to do the work, it's messing up with the sanding or something that i'm afraid of... kinda wanna leave it to the pros...but i wonder what it'd run me...
 
Everfalling said:
how much do you think it'd cost to just take it to some place like a bike shop and have them paint it for me? i'm willing to do the work, it's messing up with the sanding or something that i'm afraid of... kinda wanna leave it to the pros...but i wonder what it'd run me...
Click to expand...

I don't know. I think the best thing you can do is experiment on a practice curved metal sheet first, and judge from that.
 
look for a sanding block that is somewhat flexible (like a thinner (1/4"), flat rectangle - made of rubber). the purpose of using a sanding block is to provide even pressure across the entire area of the abrasive surface. if you try to sand by hand, you will likely apply more pressure immediately under your fingers but not in the spaces between - although with enough practice, it can be done pretty easily. with a flexible, rubber sanding block, the sandpaper can bend around the sphere (cup your hand around it to flatten it to the curved surface).

to get the orange peel look to go away on the clear coat, use the same wet sanding technique (1500 to 2000 grit paper and water).
 
sadvocate said:
look for a sanding block that is somewhat flexible (like a thinner (1/4"), flat rectangle - made of rubber). the purpose of using a sanding block is to provide even pressure across the entire area of the abrasive surface. if you try to sand by hand, you will likely apply more pressure immediately under your fingers but not in the spaces between - although with enough practice, it can be done pretty easily. with a flexible, rubber sanding block, the sandpaper can bend around the sphere (cup your hand around it to flatten it to the curved surface).

to get the orange peel look to go away on the clear coat, use the same wet sanding technique (1500 to 2000 grit paper and water).
Click to expand...

Yeah, use a higher grit than the linear1 guide says. I'd start with 1000 or 1500.
 
ok, use the automotive painting technique with wetsanding like everyone already mentioned. That works really good. If you want some gooooood quality automotive paint in any color (OEM colors), go here. www.paintscratch.com
Order the kit that comes with primer, paint, clearcoat, sandpaper, and rubbing compound. After its done, that should look show quality.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here I'll help with my little instructions for painting.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Remember, take your time on everything if you want it to turn out nice. NEVER touch the paint to see if it is tacky or pull any fuzz/dust/bugs off, just WAIT for it to dry if you are not sure. (wetsand any dust/bugs off in the sanding stages--you'll see later)

--Chose a clean, non-humid environment thats well ventilated. Get some fans and a bright light. (fans are for AFTER you are done spraying the paint and the lights are to see what you are painting and help the paint dry better)

***SAFETY*** Use a paper respirator so you don't breathe in any overspray when painting. Put on some crumby clothes you aren't worried about getting paint on. (yes, those Abercrombie pre-stained and pre-paint spattered pants will work fine ;) )

--Clean and prep all surfaces of your object you are painting free of oils and dirt.

--Rough up the surface with 500 grit sandpaper and wipe off any dust again with a damp rag.

--Lay down some newspapers in the area you will be working in. Sometimes I even build a little paint booth out of the computer boxes I receive from other computer parts. (contains the overspray since I sometimes paint small stuff in my basement in the winter) :p

--Shake your can of primer really good (5 minutes should be enough). Make the marble travel in fast circles on the bottom, make it go up/down, etc..

***IMPORTANT*** Make sure when you spray your project, stay about 12in or so away from it. Start spraying PAST the edge of what you are painting, slowly go across it, and end your spray pattern past the opposite edge. This ensures a nice even spray pattern across the whole object. Do each coat at a different angle so your coverage is sprayed more evenly.

--Spray a thin coat of primer on the surface and let it dry. Go back 15 mins later (or when its mostly dry) and spray a few more thin coats of primer, letting it dry inbetween coats. (if dust or something lands on it, or you put the coats on too thick and it runs, don't worry, the next step will take care of it.) Usually 3 or 4 thin coats are enough. After done with spraying primer, let it dry for 2 hours or so, just to make sure.

--Use 800 grit sandpaper to wetsand out any imperfections and make it semi-smooth. Then dry it off good with a rag. Try not to get the oils from your fingers on it.

--Shake your can of desired paint really good (5 minutes should be enough). Make the marble travel in fast circles on the bottom, make it go up/down, etc..

--Next, spray a thin layer of your desired color onto the surface you should be able to barely see the primer through it. Let dry, then go back and spray a few more thin coats, letting it dry inbetween coats. There should be around 4 or 5 good coats if you want the color to look nice and solid. Let the paint dry for a few hours. Maybe even come back tomorrow.

--Use something like 1000 grit sandpaper to wetsand the color painted surface so it looks nice and smooth. Don't apply too much pressure so you rub through the paint on accident. There shouldn't really be any imperfections on the surface in the first place since you eliminated them in the surface prep and primer stages. Dry the surface with a rag and make sure there are no oils on it from your fingers.

--Now you are ready for the hardest part.. clearcoat. :eek: Clearcoat must be sprayed on in really light coats. It runs very easy. So take your time.

--Shake your can of clearcoat really good (5 minutes should be enough). Make the marble travel in fast circles on the bottom, make it go up/down, etc..

--Spray down one thin coat of clearcoat. Let it become pretty tacky before you spray down the next few coats. Don't touch it, but if you want to get an idea of how long it takes to become that way, spray a little bit on the newspaper or cardboard sitting around your project so you can touch it to see when it gets tacky. Put down about 5 nice coats of clearcoat on your project. (This stuff sticks to everything, including your fingers, so be careful. Its almost like superglue.)

--Let the clearcoat dry for 3 DAYS! That stuff stays tacky for a long time. Make sure you have light and fans (low speed) facing it too. A dehumidifier set on low sometimes helps too.

--After the 3 DAY drying period for the clearcoat, you are ready to give this thing a nice mirror glossy finish. Get out your 1500 and 2000 grit sandpaper. Lightly use the 1500 grit sandpaper and wetsand the surface entirely so you feel it is gliding pretty smoothly under your fingers. When you wetsand this clearcoat, you almost want it to feel like there is a layer of water underneath your sandpaper, floating it across the surface when you sand. Press VERY lightly to achieve this.

--Next move onto the 2000 grit sandpaper. Wetsand very lightly, just floating the sandpaper over the surface like you have a thin layer of water between the two. You will feel it and know what I'm talking about. Sand the entire surface until everything feels really smooth under the sandpaper. (this is the KEY step into removing that nasty orange-peel wavy look in the paint)

--Dry off the surface well with a rag now. You are ready to start buffing the surface so it looks really nice.

--Use 3M rubbing compound that comes in the paintscratch.com kit. (or any other form of very lightly abrasive rubbing compound- I find 3m works the best). Get a car waxing pad (usually cotton) and use the rubbing compound to buff the surface really nice. You might have to put some muscle into it and go kinda fast to get the surface looking pretty shiney. Try not to bend the surface too much which could crack the paint. Also avoid using electronic buffers, since the paint is very fresh and would most likely burn through. It will take a while to buff the surface really nicely by hand, but take your time. You will see it getting shinier and shinier. Flip over the wax/buffing pad and remove the rubbing compound you applied to reveal the semi-shiney paintjob. It should look 90% the way you want it now.

--Ok, this is 2nd to last step. Use a wax that is good at removing small abrasions from a car paintjob. (I like meguiars products) Wax on one complete coat with another new wax/buffing pad (of course rubbing in small circles with medium pressure) , then wax off with a microfiber towel. Maybe repeat this one more time.

--Last step. Polish. Use your favorite car polish to give the paint a near perfect mirror-finish. Use the same wax-on wax-off technique. Use new buff pads and microfiber towel. There.. it should be done and come out looking like a brand new car paintjob off the showroom floor.


:::::problem Areas:::::

-If dust (big pieces of fuzz or hair) or bugs land on your project inbetween coats, let that coat dry and then you might want to try removing them instead of going over it with another coat. If its a bug, use a fine point sewing needle to remove it by disturbing as little of the paint as possible. If its dust, use a needle to get underneath an end of it, and pull it off carefully. Maybe try a little bit of sanding on the area if it gets messed up, then proceed with the next coat of paint/primer. Don't attempt to sand the clearcoat, it will turn out worse. Try to keep your work area clean to prevent such occurances.

-Temperature and humidity. Try working in lower humidity condition and something around room temperature or a little warmer. Keep the area also well ventilated so you don't kill youself or get sick from the fumes. Also, they fumes are very explosive. Careful.

-Sanding. Like stated in an earlier post, if you are doing a large flat surface, use sanding blocks to prevent uneven pressure, which causes you to wear through the layer you are working on.

:::::end:::::

That is the technique I use, and it works perfect for me every time. If you have something to add or modify, please feel free to create another message stating so. Good luck with painting.
 
Maybe, if everyone agrees, we could make a new thread and devote it to sticky as a "Paint: How To" thread?
 
sadvocate said:
look for a sanding block that is somewhat flexible (like a thinner (1/4"), flat rectangle - made of rubber). the purpose of using a sanding block is to provide even pressure across the entire area of the abrasive surface. if you try to sand by hand, you will likely apply more pressure immediately under your fingers but not in the spaces between - although with enough practice, it can be done pretty easily. with a flexible, rubber sanding block, the sandpaper can bend around the sphere (cup your hand around it to flatten it to the curved surface).

to get the orange peel look to go away on the clear coat, use the same wet sanding technique (1500 to 2000 grit paper and water).
Click to expand...


WHAT .. .WHAT WHAT??
ok .. so after a coat or 2 of clearcoat.. .. wetsand again(1500 - 2000 grit) .. and paint it maybe once or twice more..
im assuming.. then resand it.. and wax .. and your done?
well what kind of Wax or cream do yall recommend? I have an aluminum plates .. mirror polished..
with mothers cream/polish..
then i clear coated it.. but .. like stated earlier has the orance peel effect. what wax to use after clear coat is ready to be buffed?
 
ok.. you guy's must not have read my LONG post at the end of page 1 explaining step by step how to do the whole thing and make it turn out perfect. ;)
 
I was under the impression that wax (not polish) should not be applied until after a month (or more in higher humidity situations) because it takes that long for the paint to fully cure.

Is this true?

Oh, wiretap, excellent painting guide. I do have one question, though - how long should I wait between the thin coats of the color coat (enamel in my case)? Cans say something along the lines of "apply several thin coats...recoat within 1 hour, or after 48 hours." Do you suggest waiting say...5 minutes, 20, or closer to an hour?

The reason I ask is because I frequently have problems with orange peel. Perhaps I am applying too much paint per coat.

Another thing to add to the painting...I suggest changing the angle at which your paint up and down your surface. More specifically, start out going across what you are painting with a sweeping slow yet steady back and forth motion. You also want to start and stopp off of your target and slightly overlap each previous sweep.

I like to paint the object diagonally. It tends to help get a more uniform coat overall if I adjust my angle.
 
Everfalling:
---Just go look at whatever cars you like (of course in a specific color) and you can order the color you want. They are available in every OEM paintjob that comes on cars. Its actual automotive paint, so its good quality. (and of course thats why the paint is kinda expensive.) Order the 12.5oz spray cans. You might need two of each if you are doing a huge area, but I doubt it. Make sure to order the basecoat (color you choose), clearcoat, and primer. Or you can look near the top of the ordering chart where the drop down menu is and just choose "Spray Can Kit w/ Primer". Then you can just remove the laquer thinner and grease remover from the chart below, because you really don't need it.

Darken Reaper:
--Yea, I usually wait a little while before I put on my next thin coats of paint. I spray my first coat down and have the fan on it for 15 to 20 mins at a distance, then come back and do my next coat.. put the fan on it for 20 mins, etc... until I get 4 nice looking coats.
---Yes, you are also correct with the spray method of changing angles, the sweeping motion, etc.. And you gatta be careful to spray like 12'' or so away from your target. If you get too close, the air blast from the can will make ripples in the paint. Also be careful that the little nossle on the can doesn't get clogged a little and cause the paint to spatter or drip on your project. To avoid that, turn the can upside down after you are done painting your coats, and spray the rest of the paint out of the tube until it just has air come out.
---And waxing or rubbing compound.. I found it worked fine for me after about 3 or 4 days of the clearcoat being dry. Doing it by hand is safe, I think they just mean not to use electric buffers, since it will burn thru the paint. If you feel better though waiting a while, go ahead and do so. Better to be safe than sorry.
---And as far as the orangepeel look.. Thats all in the wetsanding technique. If you get the surface wetsanded really nice, you won't get orange peel. If you just spray coats of primer, basecoat, and clearcoat onto your project, without wetsanding, it will turn out wavy and have the orange peel look. It can also be from too thick of coats too in severe cases, so the best way is nice thin coats. Thin coats and proper wetsanding are the very most important steps to getting that mirror finish.

Oh, and I forgot to add: Shake each one of your spray cans like 5 or 10 minutes before you start spraying. *important* Shake up and down, make the little marble go around in circles in the bottom, etc..
 
Alright. I edited my painting guide instructions at the end of page one to include the stuff you guys added. I also put a little safety section that says to wear a little paper respirator when painting. :D
 
I'd like to add a thin paintstick or ruler works well when sanding curved surfaces. Wrap the stick in the paper you're using in that step, and go to town.
 
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