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question about wetsanding

C

cobaltdog

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 23, 2005
Messages
163
After watching a bunch of videos and thread post, I tried out wet sanding. But the paint comes out looking greyish like theres a layor of dust on it. If I wipe it down with a wet cloth it looks shiny but turns dull again when it dries. Should I be spraying another coat of paint on it? Or is it supposed to look dull and the clearcoat brings out the shine? Based off of what I've seen im thinking the latter but after having to sand the first paintjob off and redoin it I really dont want to have to start over again. Thx
 
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cobaltdog said:
After watching a bunch of videos and thread post, I tried out wet sanding. But the paint comes out looking greyish like theres a layor of dust on it. If I wipe it diwn with a wet cloth it looks ll shiny but turns dull again when it dries. Should I be spraying another coat of paint on it? Or I it supposed to look dull anthe clearcoat brings out the shine? Based off of whst ivr seen im thinking the latter but after having to sand the first paintjob off and redoin it I really don want to have to start over again. Thx
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There are two steps to wetsanding. The sanding, and then the polishing. The sanding just evens out the surface and removes "orange peel". You'll need to polish/buff the paint to bring out the shine again.
 
criccio said:
There are two steps to wetsanding. The sanding, and then the polishing. The sanding just evens out the surface and removes "orange peel". You'll need to polish/buff the paint to bring out the shine again.
Click to expand...

so there is polishing going on between coats. what is used during the polishing stage(s)?
 
You will want to put a coat of clearcoat over top of your final wetsand. Then its sand and polish on the clear to get the shine
 
Ok kewl so after finishing it with the 1500 grit i should be ready for polish. that will remove the grayish effect then, right?
think i still have some polish from a kit i bought a few years ago.
 
Pretty much it's like sanding>priming>sanding>cleaning>painting(depends on how many coats)>sanding(or wetsanding?)>cleaning>clearcoating>wetsanding>polishing.

Polishing gives the shine. The final sanding (wetsanding) should be 1500grit to 2000grit. Don't sand too hard might break clearcoat.
 
aphasia said:
gotcha. what materials / methods are used for polishing?
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If the clearcoat is relatively grit/dirt free I would stick to using a compound, no need to wetsand. Do not be aggressive with the compound as there is still enough grit to burn through the paint. Finish it with a nice coat of wax and youre done!
 
Polishing using POLISHING compound after wetsanding can be tedious if your doing it by hand.
Your best bet on a painted panel is to complete the wetsanding (I finish with 2000 grit always on a sanding block if possible - local automotive detailing shop). The only non-clearcoated stuff I have polished has been metal, but I would assume if your surface is not clearcoated/epoxied then you definately want to correct as much as you need to - dont over sand/compound/polish; check the surface often.

Then I hit it with some rubbing/cutting compound (heavier grit). By hand, you can use a microfiber cloth to polish but it will take longer. Go in circles at a quick rate of speed. The key is rotations and NOT pressure (let the compound do the work, apply light to medium-light pressure). After ~5 mins I clean the panel off with a 50/50 mix of distilled water and rubbing alcohol + a clean microfiber to inspect the surface. If you can still see the grain from sanding go at it again with the rubbing/cutting compound.

Then, using a finishing polish again using a clean microfiber and mediumish pressure, polish it for 5+ mins - going in circles at a slightly slower speed than before. Then, clean the panel with the iso alcohol mix and examine using a light and various angles.

If the surface is adequate then finish using a sealant/glaze and a topcoat of wax. Multiple layers of both of these is recommended for optimal shine :D

That is at least how I do it on automotive paint. Hand polishing, I feel like it will be hard to burn through the paint unless your are way over polishing. Be sensible and only polish as much as you need to. Some steps may be omitted but this is the basic way to hand polish a painted item.
 
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thanks for the tips guys & investinwaffles. my apologies to cobaltdog for hijacking.

been looking around the forums and the consensus is automotive spray is better than hardware store spray-paint b/c it dries quicker (30-40mins for auto paint vs hours for standard spray-paint), it this correct investinwaffles?

gotta admit, not looking forward to my case painting job. at least the majority of the surfaces are bare aluminium thus not requiring a lot of prep work. fumes (despite outside + mask) give me a major head-ache.
 
Definitely use automotive spray paint, and be sure to use a primer (esp when going from bare silver metal to color), and a clearcoat.
Duplicolor is my favorite, pick pretty much any color you want and go at it :)

Done some damn fine work with a duplicolor rattle can and plastic as well (computer hardware, xbox hardware, controllers that are 3 years old and still look great).

My formula for a really smooth finish (no orange peel) is to scuff/sand bare surface with 1000 grit, Primer, 1500 grit, primer, 1500 grit, then 2 layers of paint and let dry for 24hrs. Wetsand with 1500-2000 grit, and then 2 more coats. Dry 24 hrs, and wetsand with 2000+ grit.

I then usually let the paint cure for 48hrs to a week before I compound and polish it, and about a week or 2 before I put any wax on it (proper automotive paint cure process).
Detail spray + a microfiber is awesome for removing fingerprints from the install.

I have most of this stuff already from detailing cars, but much of the stuff you need to polish, compound, and in general shine things applies to lots of shit in the house. I use detail spray to get fingerprints off tv bezels and shiny plastic, wax for pretty much anything plastic (helps keep the dust from sticking), etc.
Klasse All-In-One is an amazing synthetic wax (acrylic polymer) that will put a shine on anything from metal to glass to plastic.

Have fun :)
 
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