Painting advise needed

[slayer]

OK, I'm just finishing off my sub and need some advise. The enclosure is an Ash veneer with a Red Mahogany finish. I have a baffle piece that I'm doing in Gloss Black with a accent wood trim around the front face to cover the edges. My question is on the Gloss black. I put two coats of sandable primer on. Wet sanded both coats with 600 grit. Then 2 coats of gloss black with the wet sand 600 grit between and after both coats. Now I have a can of clear to put on. It will be able to get at least 2 good coats on it and will get another can if needed for maybe 4 coats. I will use 600 grit between the first and second coat. After that, I have 1500 grit paper to wet sand with. Any advise on how I should finish off the last coat to get that polished finish? What is finer, 1500 grit or OOOO steel wool?
After the last coat of clear, should I wet sand with the 1500 and then put on a wax or polish? Thanks in advance for the help.

[seattle_ice]

I Usually wet sand with 1500, then 2000, then buff it with polish.

[yousuredo2]

what polish do you use ?

[seattle_ice]

I think the stuff I use is a PPG product. I usually just stop by the Autobody supply place and tell them what I am doing, and get their advice on products. The one I go to is Wesco, but not sure what is available where you are.

[chasw98]

Rubbing compound is equivalent to 1500 grit. I like Meguiar's (sp?) for a polish.

[slayer]

Do I need a buffer to do it? Or can I just wet sand down to 2000 and then run on a polish with my hand?

[jonathanb3478]

I like Meguiar's (sp?) for a polish.

That is what I got. :T

[yousuredo2]

I haven't got good results using Miguiers...
hmmm, maybe I am doing something wrong...
do you get a piano finish with it...?
I just get a shine, but not a high gloss...

[seattle_ice]

Which polish specifically are you using?

[dyazdani]

I sanded with 1500 grit then used some #0000 steel wool. After that, I polished with Meguiar's 3 step system. It came out pretty nice - I think it could have been better, but I (my arm) was tired of sanding a polishing.

I tried using a buffer and found that it turned out much better by hand.

[slayer]

So #0000 steel wool is finer than 1500 grit?
And is a polish(liquid) better than a paste wax? I don't have a buffer so I will be working it on by hand, letting it dry, then buff it by hand. Any suggestions on what wax or polish to use?

[PMazz]

For the final buffing, try a polishing compound to really bring up the shine.

Pete

[slayer]

I thought the polishing compound is an abrasive???

[PMazz]

I thought the polishing compound is an abrasive???

It is. You can add a wax afterwards if you want.

Pete

[slayer]

Wax or polish?

[PMazz]

Wax or polish?

Either. I like the Guardsman furniture polish.

Pete

[chasw98]

What polishing compound do you prefer and where can you get it? I have looked locally and am not sure where to find good polishing formulas. Thanks.

Chuck

[PMazz]

I use the auto polishing compounds. Can't say I've seen any difference amongst brands. I do use a buffer tho.

Pete

[yousuredo2]

I haven't got good results using Miguiers...
hmmm, maybe I am doing something wrong...
do you get a piano finish with it...?
I just get a shine, but not a high gloss...

So, Noone is stepping up, and saying if they get an Auto/piano finish with there results...does anyone have pics of there results ?

[BobEllis]

If you are after the elusive piano gloss, I suggest starting your wet sanding at 400 grit (320 if you have a lot of orange peel) and working your way up through the grits. A really good black finis is about getting rid of the orange peel and making your surfaces absolutely flat.

Wet sanding is just what the name implies - dip your sanding block (a block is a must for a piano gloss finish) in water with a few drops of dish washing detergent to help prevent clogging the paper. When the paper clogs and you can't clean it, replace it.

Certainly do 400 before you clear coat it - the flatter your black surface (levelness, not sheen) the better it will look under the clear. Clean up thoroughly after each grit - replace the drop cloth/newspaper or whatever you were working on. Spend as much time with each grit as you did the previous.

Let your finish cure for several weeks before you try to bring it up to a good gloss. You don't NEED a clear coat depending on the black. Black lacquer polishes up quite nicely if you let it harden first. The harder the finish, the better it will polish. Use a power polisher for best results.

[Brian Walter]

I agree with all of what Bob says except it really isn't necessary to sand at all between the color coat and clear coat. They never do on cars. If you do your prepwork correctly before the color, you can apply the color and go right to the clear without sanding. But you do need to use paints that are meant be applied over oneanother. I'd recommend buying your paint from an autobody supply store and get their recommendation for the particular product to use. Some of them require that you have supplied air for applying (not just a resperator, but forced fresh air into your face mask. Others aren't quite so dangerous and you can get by with a normal paint spray resporator. Follow their recommendations.

I have brother that used to have his own body shop and my son-in-law works in one, so I have a little insight into this, but I'm certainly not an expert.

Brian Walter

[BobEllis]

I suggested flattening out the color coat specifically because it wasn't done on my car and you can see the orange peel quite easily under a smooth clear coat. My feeling is a well polished black will look blacker than clearcoated black, althogh the clearcoat will have more of a "wet look"

You CANNOT sand a metallic or pearl type finish without making the tops of the flakes more obvious, which is why the majority of automotive paints are not sanded between color and clear (not to mention the cost and most people are perfectly happy with the results) But, a solid color you can sand.

You brother and son in law probably used what us hobbyists would consider megabuck guns that spray out beautifully with hardly any orange peel in their experienced hands. Hobby level guns need a bit more help. As far as I can tell the main difference is the fit and finish of the fluid nozzle and needle and associated air ports. This produces better atomization than a cheapo.

Definitely follow manufacturers recommendations for respirators. If you need a forced air respirator, I'd leave it to the pros. Even if you fork out the hundreds for the respirator, you should have someone with some experience verify its fit.

The older folks among us might remember a Union Carbide accident in Bhopal that killed over 10,000 people. The plant made a hardener for use in automotive paint (of the type that needs a forced air respirator.) Hence my preference for water based polyurethanes, like PianoLac or Crystalac. I've used the former with good results, but the latter looks good, too.

[chasw98]

So, Noone is stepping up, and saying if they get an Auto/piano finish with there results...does anyone have pics of there results ?

Hows this?



Done with a rattle can of Black lacquer and a lot of time and patience.

[Brian Walter]

Chuck, I'd like to say it looks great, but it's too dark to see anything. My monitor is a little on the dark side, even with the brightness turned all the way up. It's probably time to get a flat pannel display, but I'd rather spend the money on speakers or a HT PC.

[Brian Walter]

Bob, you are probably right that a good flat color coat will look much better under the clear coat. I really don't know what type of spray gun my brother used, but my son-in-law uses $400 -$500 spray guns, which to me is megabuck. He just gave me a Devilbiss Finishline 2 spray gun he said they had lying around the shop that nobody used anymore. It needs a cap for the cup, otherwise he said it works fine. I can't wait to try it out. Most likely better than my current spray gun.

I'm with you on not using paints that require forced air respiration. I know my mask doesn't fit as well as it should. I should really go buy a really good one and get it fitted. I'm gearing up to switch to all water based stuff, mostly for the health issues and also faster drying times (compared to oil based stuff). The PianoLac stuff you mentioned sounds like something worth trying out.

Brian Walter