How soon to sand/buff clear

[Albert]

Hello all,
In Len's video he mentions that it is harder to buff &sand clear coat after it has fully cured. And I have found that to be true!
When is it the right time to do this without messing up the clear??
In my current case, I am using a Matrix clear that says it is dry in 16 to 24 hours. I just need to sand out a few dust nibs and two small runs.
Thanks all for your advice

[Len]

Hello all,
In Len's video he mentions that it is harder to buff &sand clear coat after it has fully cured. And I have found that to be true!
When is it the right time to do this without messing up the clear??
In my current case, I am using a Matrix clear that says it is dry in 16 to 24 hours. I just need to sand out a few dust nibs and two small runs.
Thanks all for your advice

At 70 degrees F my clear is ready to sand and polish after about 12 hours but different hardeners in different paints under different conditions can cause this time to vary. I would recommend that you press your thumb against the surface for about 10 seconds then remove it and wipe off the surface, if the thumb print is still there then it's still a little too soon to sand and polish but if it goes away when you wipe it then it's good to go.

When I sand and polish within the first 24 hours it's usually much easier than if the paint if fully cured but I'll usually go back several days later and polish it again to get a harder shine.

[Albert]

Thanks Len!! I'll do that..
Still learning this "painting" thing, but this clear coat job turned out better than previous ones, so I am gaining on it!! Still need to find that fine line between a run or too dry. Like they say, practice makes perfect!!

[Len]

Thanks Len!! I'll do that..
Still learning this "painting" thing, but this clear coat job turned out better than previous ones, so I am gaining on it!! Still need to find that fine line between a run or too dry. Like they say, practice makes perfect!!

Run are almost always generated by applying too much, too fast. If you have a spray gun that atomizes well then the layer of wet paint is thinner and less likely to run and if you allow the first coat to DRY TO THE TOUCH before you apply the next coat it is also less likely to run. It's better to error on the side of a little too dry than to jump the gun and spray your second coat too soon after the first. I usually recommend leaving the room so you won't be tempted to start spraying too soon.

:0

[Albert]

I caused the run when I slightly stumbled and pushed the gun a little too close I compiled a small notebook of "posts" to refresh my self before a job and one was "to wait for the first coat to dry to the touch before applying the second coat". I did that this time and will do it from now on. I used to go by the flash time recommended by the mfr.
I have a nice Sharpe gun I got from you a couple years ago and just started to use it for every job instead of only the more important jobs. That way I can master it.
Because I only do two or three paint jobs a year, I have a few variables that I need to get stable. I thought I had my lighting pretty good, but as I get older(more blind!!) I need to add more.
I have been switching product lines too, so I will stop that also. That wasn't always by choice tho. Everything is always changing so I have to go with the flow. I do always use PPG on the real important stuff (mine), but most of my jobs require the less expensive brands, for now anyway...
As always, I appreciate all the suggestions that people share here, I have, and continue to learn a lot.