I could use some assistance with a current build of a 1963 Ford Galaxie. I used Tamiya Fine Surface Primer L on the body, sanded it, waited a week and then applied Tamiya Mica Blue (TS-50), in a mist coat followed by a wet coat. (Everything was applied straight from rattle cans, which had been warmed prior to use. Cans were well agitated and were shaken throughout the process. Ambient outside temp was in low 90s with no humidity.) At this point, everything looked fine and I set the body aside for a week. Then I applied Testors Wet Look Clear (1834) in several fine mist coats. Everything was jake at this point. I waited 10 minutes and applied a heavier coat of the clear, but as soon as it hit the plastic I could tell things had gone south. The second coat of clear was orange-peeling and had fine ripples in it (I had the can about 7”-8” inches away from the work and applied it in smooth, continuous strokes).
I then tried to sand out the clear following published articles and tutorials. I wet sanded half of the hood with Micro Mesh pads in the sequence of 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000, and 12000, alternating direction with each successive grit. What I wound up with didn’t match the photos in the articles/tutorials and isn’t satisfactory to me.
The accompanying photos aren’t all that great, but they should provide some idea of what I’m talking about.
I’d appreciate thoughts and suggestions on what did I wrong when applying the clear coat. And as far as the sanding goes, could it be that I needed to spend more time sanding with the initial 3600 grit? Should I have started with a coarser grit to begin with? Thanks for your help!
Thanks - I've never built anything with this kind of decal load, so it should be an "interesting" experience.
