*Wet Sanding*

[Zippi]

First time wet sanding so looking for advise.  I painted a couple spoons the other day with a couple coats of Rust-Oleum Flat Black, then 5 coats of Anita's Glossy Black Acrylic paint, then shot 5 coats of Rust-Oleum Cear Gloss over that.  I wet sanded this morning using 2000, 4000, 8000, 12000 grit sand paper then rubbed it down with some Meguiar's Liquid wax. Does it look there is still some orange peel in the paint?  Did I not wet sand enough?  

 

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Zippi

[TransAmMike]

Bob, there are "experts" on here that can answer the question better than I, but it could be the orange peel is in the color coat.

[Zippi]

52 minutes ago, TransAmMike said:

Bob, there are "experts" on here that can answer the question better than I, but it could be the orange peel is in the color coat.

Mike you could be right.  Didn't even know you had to sand the color coat.  Guess that's why I'm asking.  

Edited April 19, 2021 by Zippi

[Pete J.]

I wrote an article on painting for the Tamiya website many years ago, unfortunately it is no longer there.  Here is my brief explanation that may help you.  Clear hides nothing.   Clear can give you a perfectly smooth and polished surface, but the light passes through it like glass on a mirror.  If you put sandpaper under glass, you still see the sandpaper. The glass doesn't make it glossy.  You need a smooth surface under the clear to get a good reflective surface.  Consider this.  If you had a piece of fuzz in the surface of your color coat, would you expect clear paint to make it go away?

  You don't need to polish the substrate to a high gloss but you do need to have it as level as you can get it. I would say wet sand it down to at least a 3000 grit before clear coating. It can be slightly dull because most paints slightly dissolve the surface of the substrate to bind to them. That deals with micro scratches but you still need to get rid of all the imperfections. 

   In all cases you need enough paint on the surface to sand it without sanding through to your base coat,  primer or plastic but not so much that you hide the engraved details of model.  It is all a matter for practice and learning how the paint you choose and the tools you apply it with work.  

There are no mistakes.  Only lessons and the lessons continue until they are learned.

[Zippi]

Pete, thanks for the explanation.  Makes a lot of since. What grit should I start with and after wet sanding the color do I just rinse the body off and let it dry and then shoot the gloss clear? 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Zippi

[TransAmMike]

9 minutes ago, Zippi said:

Pete, thanks for the explanation.  Makes a lot of since. What grit should I start with and after wet sanding the color do I just rinse the body off and let it dry and then shoot the gloss clear? 

What Pete said is a great explanation BUT, don't wet sand the acrylic craft paint.  You can use super fine (#0000) steel wool. It's available at a lot of places (maybe WallyWorld, Hobby Lobby, Lowes, etc.).

 

[Zippi]

33 minutes ago, TransAmMike said:

What Pete said is a great explanation BUT, don't wet sand the acrylic craft paint.  You can use super fine (#0000) steel wool. It's available at a lot of places (maybe WallyWorld, Hobby Lobby, Lowes, etc.).

Yeah I got to thinking about that and thought the acrylic paint might flake off so I've already decided to just spray the gloss over it like I did yesterday.  I'll still have some testing to do before the next build. 

 

[Dave G.]

Don't forget your primer coat too. You want everything smooth from the body shell on up. I just dry scuff acrylics including my Stynylrez primer. But the starting grip or steel wool as the case may be ( I have both the little 2x2 pads and steel wool) depends how rough your surface is. If you start too coarse on the other hand, you will sand through as sure as I'm typing here. Or I will anyway.

[TransAmMike]

26 minutes ago, Zippi said:

 

 

 

15 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

Don't forget your primer coat too. You want everything smooth from the body shell on up. I just dry scuff acrylics including my Stynylrez primer. But the starting grip or steel wool as the case may be ( I have both the little 2x2 pads and steel wool) depends how rough your surface is. If you start too coarse on the other hand, you will sand through as sure as I'm typing here. Or I will anyway.

Dave has kinda been my "mentor" with the painting process.  He has the right advice and answers.

[Zippi]

Thanks for the info Dave.  Primer went down smooth and so did the acrylic paint.  Maybe I'm expecting to much out of this acrylic paint.    

[Dave G.]

24 minutes ago, Zippi said:

Thanks for the info Dave.  Primer went down smooth and so did the acrylic paint.  Maybe I'm expecting to much out of this acrylic paint.    

No I don't think so. Acrylics do have their own ways though, you just have to be committed as to what those ways are and learn them.. Keep practicing.

[Dan Hay]

I don't sand the color coat, too much chance for it to look uneven, or wear through to plastic which will then show when you clear it. Put LOTS of coats of clear on it. Mostly light coats, then end with a couple heavy ones trying your best to not have any runs. 

Then you can wet sand it. That thick layer of clear will flatten out nicely, then polish. 

When I polish I use 3M Perfect-it 3 stage. Good stuff, but pricey.

[Zippi]

Thanks for the help fellows.  Just sprayed the Gloss on the body.  I'll wax it this afternoon.    

[Rick L]

I have to ask, when applying the clear coats did you finish with a wet coat or were they all light coats?

[Dave G.]

41 minutes ago, Zippi said:

Thanks for the help fellows.  Just sprayed the Gloss on the body.  I'll wax it this afternoon.    

I can't think of any paint ready for wax the same day as it was sprayed. Even if I use a dehydrator and force dry I will wait before polishing at the least till the next day but usually 2-3.. After polishing then Wax comes sometimes weeks later. And if your paint still smells like fresh paint it isn't ready to do anything to. Could be just me ( I do come out of the days of enamel everything lol ). Just sayin.

[Snake45]

First thing you need to do is forget you ever heard the word "wax." 

[TransAmMike]

3 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

I can't think of any paint ready for wax the same day as it was sprayed. Even if I use a dehydrator and force dry I will wait before polishing at the least till the next day but usually 2-3.. After polishing then Wax comes sometimes weeks later. And if your paint still smells like fresh paint it isn't ready to do anything to. Could be just me ( I do come out of the days of enamel everything lol ). Just sayin.

Glad you pointed that out to Bob. Went to get our 2d Covid Shot so couldn't reply fast enough to point that out.

[Zippi]

Why no wax???  On my test piece I used Meguiar's polished and liquid wax.  It brought out the shine.  I'm new to all this so don't kick me to much when I'm down ☺ 

[Dave G.]

1 minute ago, Zippi said:

Why no wax???  On my test piece I used Meguiar's polished and liquid wax.  It brought out the shine.  I'm new to all this so don't kick me to much when I'm down ☺ 

Wax is ok after the paint is fully cured/out gassed etc. That doesn't happen over night and wax will seal in that process if done too soon. Polishing ( not with wax) leaves the paint still open to air though. Now I don't know about no wax but that's why I said what I did about waxing  later on rather than sooner.

[Zippi]

I hear ya Dave and thanks.  This craft paint drys pretty fast but I give it 24 hrs.  24 hrs on the Rust-Oleum Gloss as well.  At least on my test spoons it worked out ok that way.  

[Dave G.]

5 minutes ago, Zippi said:

I hear ya Dave and thanks.  This craft paint drys pretty fast but I give it 24 hrs.  24 hrs on the Rust-Oleum Gloss as well.  At least on my test spoons it worked out ok that way.  

But wax doesn't really polish, it seals/protects.. Something like Formula One Scratch out polishes.

[Zippi]

I get you dude.  This is what I've used on my full size 49 Chevy 5 window pickup for years and it works great.  The Polish repairs the surface and the wax protects and shines the surface.  Polish helps with small scratches,  spots, etc.  I always polish my truck before I wax it.  If this process is different on plastic model then I stand corrected.

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Zippi

[Dave G.]

You should do as you wish if it's meeting your goal.

Nice truck !

[Zippi]

11 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

You should do as you wish if it's meeting your goal.

Nice truck !

Thanks for the comment. I just figured if it works on my 49 it should work on the Chevelle.  

[Dave G.]

39 minutes ago, Zippi said:

Thanks for the comment. I just figured if it works on my 49 it should work on the Chevelle.  

Just suggesting if you want to wax then do it later, not a day after you painted. But you certainly are free to do as you wish. That said, I doubt you painted your 49 this morning and moved on to waxing it this afternoon......

You do keep it immaculate. We have one in town here too. I assume it's a small block but is green ( actually more mid to dark teal). We have a Ford around too but that may be original flathead in that, it's just a nicely done restoration for a business .