Applying clear coat

[smacky-t]

What is the best procedure to apply clear coats?  Should I paint, then wet sand  or clear coat first then wet sand?

[crazyjim]

I wet sand after the clear coat.

[Ace-Garageguy]

If your final color coat is slick and smooth, follow Jim's advice and wetsand after clearing.

If your final color coat is orange-peely or pebbly or gritty or dry-spray-looking, you'll need to sand it before clear coating, because clear will NOT correct problems that are under it.

CAUTION: If your color is a metallic or a pearl, sanding it before clear will SOMETIMES ruin the nice even sparkly look, requiring you to shoot additional paint to even-out the flake dispersion prior to shooting clear.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Snake45]

CAUTION: If your color is a metallic or a pearl, sanding it before clear will SOMETIMES ruin the nice even sparkly look, requiring you to shoot additional paint to even-out the flake dispersion prior to shooting clear.

I would change your "sometimes" in that sentence to "usually." In my experience, wet-sanding or polishing bare/raw metallics or metalflakes will "splotch" them far more often or not. I HAVE pulled it off successfully with a few paints, but I usually count on having to clear-coat metallics.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I would change your "sometimes" in that sentence to "usually." In my experience, wet-sanding or polishing bare/raw metallics or metalflakes will "splotch" them far more often or not. I HAVE pulled it off successfully with a few paints, but I usually count on having to clear-coat metallics.

  I agree entirely. I wrote "sometimes" because I've had so many folks vehemently disagree with me over the years, and insist that I'm seeing something that's not there.

It is indeed USUALLY in my experience as well.  

[jwrass]

 

Snake and Ace are 100 % correct! This would apply to all so called exotic finishes... including Kandies and Colorshift finishes

Jimmy "RASS"

 

[High octane]

Orange peel is caused by spraying too far away from the subject. Hold the nozzle closer to the body and make your pass faster and it should help a lot. I usually wait 24 hours before applying my clear coats and then a week or so before wet sanding. I use lacquer paints.