completed first paint job,need some advice

[john7821]

Here`s my project.I guess I`m never satisfied but tell me what you think.Hopefully you can see the orange peel in one of these pictures.I should have cleaned the car off before taking these pictures because there`s lots of dust and dirt that has settled on it.There really isn`t much trash in the paint.How bad does this orange peel look and can it be wet sanded and buffed to be really slick?I`m gonna do some searching in the forum to see what products and equipment I need to buy to be able to sand and buff while I`m waiting for your expert advice.

[john7821]

[Len]

Actually it looks pretty good. The dust may have blown out of the gaps but most of it looks like it can be removed. As long as you have good coverage it should be a good looking car when you're finished.

[john7821]

Sorry for the confusion Len.There isn`t any dust in the wet paint.I pulled the car outside after it dried 24 hrs.It got a little dusty sitting out there.My main concern was the orange peel.It looked like an excessive amount to me compared to new vehicle paint,but being a newbie I wasnt` sure.So do ya`ll think that sanding and buffing would remove most of the orange peel.It has 3 coats of clear.I have to admit I`m a little scared of the wet sandng and buffing.Len I think I`m going to order your video for some pointers on this as well.

[All Dry]

Sorry for the confusion Len.There isn`t any dust in the wet paint.I pulled the car outside after it dried 24 hrs.It got a little dusty sitting out there.My main concern was the orange peel.It looked like an excessive amount to me compared to new vehicle paint,but being a newbie I wasnt` sure.So do ya`ll think that sanding and buffing would remove most of the orange peel.It has 3 coats of clear.I have to admit I`m a little scared of the wet sandng and buffing.Len I think I`m going to order your video for some pointers on this as well.

I think you will be very happy once you wet sand and buff the car.Just start on a small area and dont go any further until you are confident with your wet sanding, once you have the result you want in the small area you will be ready to finish the entire car just remember when wet sanding use great care on the body lines and edges you can burn thru much quicker on these areas, other than that you will find out its pretty easy and fun when you see how nice it looks.Mike

[Barry]

Just an idea from someone who's "been there-done that"...If you've never wet sanded or buffed before, you'll end up with sand thrus and burn't edges...why? just because you've never done it before and you don't know what to look/watch for. I think noobs should have a different set of rules as compared to the pro's. I now know how to cut/buff but i'm pretty sure i'll never produce a "show car finish" just because i don't do it enough. I'm a hobbiest, an experienced amature.

To lessen the mistakes I'd start with 1200 wet, if your real unsure, make it 1500, then 2000, then trizact. I'd use "sure finish" (a polish. not a compound) and an orange foam pad...once your done, you can look it over and see if you like it. This process is to prevent the mistakes...not produce a "show car finish" If you don't like it, you still have enough clear on your vehicle to knock it down the "show car way",,, and buff it out like Robert does. But remember, Robert buffs 100,000 dollar plus vehicles.
Point being, if you wanna learn on your first "new" paint job, do it with products that you almost have to go out of your way with to damage the paint....that means, no wool pad...no compound. You can remove orange peel this way..will it be perfectly flat? nope...will it win any shows? nope...will it look like Roberts buff jobs? nope...but,,,,,,it will look a ton better any any car off the assembly line today.
Just my idea of how a newb should go about cut/buffing his first paint. Good luck!

BTW...the paint job looks excellent!!!

Barry

[john7821]

I appreciate all the compliments guys.Makes me feel better about it.Barry I was thinking along the same lines you are.Would a first timer be better off wet sanding by hand or using a airvantage sander?Also would a Makita 9227c polisher be all that`s needed for buffing and polishing?I read through lots of info that I found through a search.There`s a wealth of info so please forgive me for asking some of the same questions over again.It just seems that every job requires a little different technique.If wet sanding by hand is the recommended method then what type of blocks should I be using with what grit.I think I`ll tape off the edges to hopefully keep from burning through the clear.

[Georgia1974]

Hi

I just finished my first paint job last week on my project vette, it turned out good with just a small amount of orange peel and a few dust nibs. I also did not want to burn thru or make mistakes. I wetsanded starting with 1500 grit
then went over again using 2000 grit. It took me all of 16 hours so plan a couple days for wetsanding, I was able to get out all the peel and dust and it is satin smooth now. I will be using the sure finish polish and I have the orange and black pad, I also got the wool pad.

My wife called a little while ago and told me the polish and pads were delivered today, so excited to start this weekend.

[Barry]

John:

I use an air vantage and finish film just because its not so labor intense. Hand wet sanding a car is a big job, but i've done it both ways. If you go the air vantage way, you'll need an intermediate pad. It will give you some flex on the non flat surfaces. I knock mine down with 1500 finish film, hand wet sand the 2000, and finish with trizact. The makita is an excellent choice. If you go the air vantage way, you can also use it as a swirl remover in a pinch. I use the porter cable random orbit polisher for swirl remover. I've never been able to remove swirls with the makita.

If you hand sand, anything flat will work, i use a paint stick, a balsa block also works well. You can start with a 1000 grit and work your way thru. You don't need to remove all the peel with the 1000. If you've done this before, you could be more aggressive, but being your first, in my world its easier to go back over it then it is to do touch up repair work. Polish and an orange pad will remove 1500 grit scratch marks...just make sure you end higher than 1500.

Barry

[john7821]

Alright I`m making a list of items to order from Len.How does this sound.

1200,1500,2000,2500 grit sandpaper
I was thinking of getting one stiff,one soft 3m sanding sponges
Makita 9227 c whick comes with a wool pad
orange foam pad,black foam pad,6" backing plate
buffing spur
spray painting 101 video
gallon of surefinish

I`ll make some different sanding blocks out of balsa wood and teflon

Does this sound like everything I need?

[Len]

Alright I`m making a list of items to order from Len.How does this sound.

1200,1500,2000,2500 grit sandpaper
I was thinking of getting one stiff,one soft 3m sanding sponges
Makita 9227 c whick comes with a wool pad
orange foam pad,black foam pad,6" backing plate
buffing spur
spray painting 101 video
gallon of surefinish

I`ll make some different sanding blocks out of balsa wood and teflon

Does this sound like everything I need?

Yes, those are good choices for color sanding and polishing. You should use a squeeze bottle for applying the Sure Finish to the painted surface.

LINK