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color sanding before clear coat

by Candida Parker Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

  1. The base should not be sanded before clearing.
  2. The finish job will only look as good as the base. Clear hides nothing so any problems in the base must be corrected first.
  3. The only time you need to wet sand between clear coats is if you wait longer than 24 hours. ...

The base coat is to be wet-sanded before it is allowed to dry. Surfaces become smoother with wet sanding. The clear coating should be smooth and clean before spraying; the application should be made on three or four layers.11-Feb-2022

Full Answer

How long to dry paint before color sanding?

In this ProPaintCorner.com guide, you'll learn:

  • How long it will take the primer to dry
  • How to tell when the primer has dried fully through
  • Factors that can influence your primer’s drying time

Should you sand color coat before applying clearcoat?

How long after paint can I clear coat?

  1. Soak the sandpaper.
  2. Wash your car.
  3. Begin to wet-sand the clear coat.
  4. Continue wet-sanding with higher grit sandpaper.
  5. Tape delicate surfaces.
  6. Prep your sandpaper.
  7. Sand the car.

How to sand a clear coat without sanding the paint?

Phase-3: Buffing

  • Step-1: Choose a rubbing compound. It is recommended that new users use a Dewalt tool. ...
  • Step-2: Start using your buffer. ...
  • Step-3: Apply the Polish. ...
  • Step-4: Buffing with a Soft Pad. ...
  • Step-5: Clean off the Buffed Spot. ...
  • Step-6: Apply a Coat of Wax. ...

How long do you let paint dry before clear coat?

Maximum base coat time before clear?

  • dhutton01. Pretty sure that is the case. ...
  • bmenard. If it never sees sun id do it 6 months later wouldn't bother me. ...
  • Jim C
  • Barry. Some of my restorations because I can only do on Saturday or Sunday, I spray the base Sunday and clear the next Saturday, all i do is a light ...
  • cmfisher4. ...
  • dhutton01. ...
  • Barry. ...
  • orangejuiced86. ...
  • Barry. ...
  • Jim C

More items...

Do you polish paint before clear coat?

Can You Polish Base Coat Before Clear? Upon putting on the clear coat, you cannot polish the base coat. If the surface of your base coat has been contaminated, then it is prone to adhesion problems, so wet sand your base coat gently to remove blemishes.21-Feb-2022

Do you sand before top coat?

2. If you're painting a previously finished project, clean the project well. If the project has a high gloss finish or a clear top coat, lightly sand* the project with a medium grit sanding block. This will enable new paint coats to bond with existing paint coats.

How do you fix base coat before clear?

1:102:59Can You Sand Out Runs In Basecoat and Respray Days Later? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGet it nice and flat. And then I would just wash the rest of the panel down with like a 600 grit. OrMoreGet it nice and flat. And then I would just wash the rest of the panel down with like a 600 grit. Or. So and then coat that whole panel with fresh base coat.

Can you clear coat over 600 grit?

600 grit is aggressive enough to sand it flat without doing any damage to the clear coat. Remember, it is plastic, so too coarse of sandpaper can get very difficult to remove scratches from. Everything must be flat with 600!! Do not leave my texture left over to catch with the next step, it will not be flat enough.23-Apr-2018

What is color sanding?

Color-sanding is where you're smoothing out the clearcoat so when it's time to buff the paint, you get the most mirror-like finish possible. While none of this is hard to do, it does require a fair amount of time, and plenty of patience.15-Apr-2008

Can you sand basecoat before clear coat?

The base coat is to be wet-sanded before it is allowed to dry. Surfaces become smoother with wet sanding. The clear coating should be smooth and clean before spraying; the application should be made on three or four layers.11-Feb-2022

Can you wet sand basecoat before clear?

Wet-sand the base coat before starting the clear coat. Wet sanding makes the surfaces smoother. It is often a step in polishing cars and other items. If you wet-sand the base coat, wash the vehicle with soap and water after this step, not before.

Can you sand base coat before you clear coat?

1) The base should not be sanded before clearing. 2) The finish job will only look as good as the base. Clear hides nothing so any problems in the base must be corrected first. 3) The only time you need to wet sand between clear coats is if you wait longer than 24 hours.25-Apr-2020

ironflippy

Would wet sanding the color coat with 1000 grit paper be wise before spraying on the clear? I'm using dark cranberry dupli color, and while it doesn't say it's metallic, it sure looks it. I've read that you shouldn't sand before the clear, but the surface looks a little rough.

lamia

If you are not happy with the way it looks sand it and add another coat. There's no right or wrong except whether you are happy with the way it looks or not.

djwackfriz

Can anyone elaborate on their methods/ideas regarding sanding the color coat before spraying clear? I'm a bit slow and still a little lost after reading this.

Mon Rominee Inactive

Yeah. I use a semi-hard felt block and razor blade the corner edges off to sand out color coats. I use a real fine grit polishing paper and just enough water to get it cutting without scratching the hell out of it. Nice and level-like.

Mon Rominee Inactive

Hey man, just as it sounds, just CAREFULLY cut the corners off the edges with a standard issue razor blade...even tho it's felt, it can still dig in, and tweak the paper, and I like the paper to float without any chance of gouging if I come at it less than dead flat at first....

Primary TB Assistant

Here are some related products that TB members are talking about. Clicking on a product will take you to TB’s partner, Primary , where you can find links to TB discussions about these products.

What is wet sanding?

Wet sanding makes the surfaces smoother. It is often a step in polishing cars and other items. If you wet-sand the base coat, wash the vehicle with soap and water after this step, not before. Click to see full answer.

Can you spray clear coat over old paint?

If you are spraying clear over old paint, or redoing damaged clear coat on a project, the prep is the same as for any other paint: Wet sand smooth, feathering the edges of any old clear coat.

Can you sand clear coat?

The bad news is, you can't just sand for adhesion and respray clear coat. You can sand for adhesion and spray a new coat of clear over the base, but it will never lock in, and it will always sit on top of the old clear at the edges. The new clear coat will never be as strong as the original and will fail much quicker.

What kind of sanding pad does Jeff use?

For curvy surfaces on body panels, Jeff likes to use a rubber sanding pad because it better conforms to the shape of the panel's surface, ensuring even sanding and preventing you from creating grooves from the edges of the paper or a block. On flat surfaces, Jeff uses a standard sanding block.

How does Jeff use a sanding block?

On flat surfaces, Jeff uses a standard sanding block. He sands in various directions to make sure he sands evenly and reduces the risk of sanding too much in one spot of the clearco at. This step requires you only dip the block in water and use a wet rag to keep the surface lightly wet, not saturated like in future steps.

How to check for high spots after sanding?

After sanding an area, wipe it down with a clean, dry towel to check for high spots. Use an air nozzle to help dry if necessary. After the surface is dry, if you have high spots, which show as the dull areas and low spots which show as the darker or unsanded areas, this is what they'll look like.

What to do after clear coat?

The first thing you'll need to do after you're finished applying the clearcoat (and letting it cure properly) is color-sanding. Color-sanding is where you're smoothing out the clearcoat so when it's time to buff the paint, you get the most mirror-like finish possible. While none of this is hard to do, it does require a fair amount of time, ...

Why use 600 grit for sanding?

The reason Jeff uses 600-grit over 1,500 or 1,200 for the first sanding is to better remove the orange peel or textured surface that's the result of multiple coats of clear that have been sprayed . The more coats of clear you spray, the more orange peel tends to build up.

What is guidecoat primer?

The guidecoat is nothing more than an over-reduced, noncatalyzed primer or nonmetallic base color to help show the scratches left from step one (600-grit wet-sanding) and fill them in to make them more visible for the next step. See all 17 photos.

Can you sand clearcoat with a power sander?

Making sure you've sanded the clearcoat evenly in step one goes a long way toward making sure your paint will look its best after buffing. And don't even think about using a power sander. See all 17 photos.

How long can you wet sand clear coat?

Similarly, it is asked, how soon can you wet sand clear coat? Even if you used high temperature hardener for the clear, 48 hours is plenty of time. Go easy on the sandpaper grit and let the compound to the work for the buffing.

Do you sand before or after clear coat?

Do you wet sand before or after clear coat? But no, you don't sand before clearing unless you wait too long to apply the clear. You can let the base dry and sand before you clear but that is not the way it's meant to be applied. Ideally, you ultra-fine the clear and buff it to a glossy shine after you've applied it to a properly cured, ...

How long does it take to sand a car?

You can sand an entire car within a few hours compared to taking 1-2 days wet sanding by hand. And I’ve dont it MANY times. I remember in my younger days, I was a brute. I would completely sand an entire classic car down by hand in 6-8 hours and by night be ready to start buffing for a few hours.

What grits do you use for sanding?

The Most Common Sand Paper Grits for Color Sanding. The most common sand paper grits for this part of the body work process is 1000 grit, 1200 grit, 1500 grit and you have your 2000 grit papers. I personally don’t use 1000 that much.

Why do you use a wet sander?

If you’re a beginner (even advanced in some cases) wet sanding is preferred. Mostly because it saves on paper and you can cut slower and nice and easy. You will also always have more control when sanding by hand. When I dry sand I like to use the DA ( dual action sander ).

How many discs to sand a car?

From my experience, you’ll use about 3-5 sanding discs to sand a hood of a car down flat. 2-4 for a trunk, and 2-3 per door and quarter panel. Of course this depends on the size of the car, but you get the idea. In total you’ll probably use up 20-30 discs to completely sand out a mid size car or truck.

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