Finished stock ?

[madmixerman]

I sanded down my laminate stock with 120 paper & then finished up with 400 grit. I shot 7 coats of automotive clear from a rattle can. Stock came out shiny however it feels a little rough( not real bad). Question is ,can I wet sand it without harming finish to make smooth or is there some other way.

 

[284winner]

I sanded down my laminate stock with 120 paper & then finished up with 400 grit. I shot 7 coats of automotive clear from a rattle can. Stock came out shiny however it feels a little rough( not real bad). Question is ,can I wet sand it without harming finish to make smooth or is there some other way.

Yes you can. Steel wool too may help. Sand lightly between coats at this point.

 

[M-61]

I sanded down my laminate stock with 120 paper & then finished up with 400 grit. I shot 7 coats of automotive clear from a rattle can. Stock came out shiny however it feels a little rough( not real bad). Question is ,can I wet sand it without harming finish to make smooth or is there some other way.

"Rough" as in dust in the clear, or rough as as an orange peel finish?

 

[madmixerman]

"Rough" as in dust in the clear, or rough as as an orange peel finish?

Feels kind of gritty. Used tack tag on stock before spraying. Looks good & shiny just a little gritty to touch. Stock has dryed over night.

 

[JRS]

Did you sand it after each coat?

 

[Ggmac]

Should shoot one coat , let dry , sand 600 or finer , shoot each coat after the same way . Shoot final coat and do not sand , if it came from a rattle can . You can buff with polishing compound after hardened , not just dry .

 

[Ggmac]

Looks like JRS beat me !

 

[madmixerman]

Did you sand it after each coat?

No,sprayed a coat every 15-20 minutes.

 

[284winner]

Sand till smooth then light coat between each sanding. Steel wool at the last sanding before last coat. You'll get it right.

 

[M-61]

Feels kind of gritty. Used tack tag on stock before spraying. Looks good & shiny just a little gritty to touch. Stock has dryed over night.

Dust (dirt,grit) in finish. Short of having a spray booth, after all the 'roughness' has been sanded out again and the stock cleaned my best results were to spray in a garage after hosing the floor down. Standing in water isn't pleasant BUT that wet floor reduces the dust. Before that I would find the freshly painted stock to look great only to find the dust in it the next morning. Also, it's getting cold to paint so I would get the stock ready and give it a try this coming week when the temps go up. Good luck.

 

[JRS]

Sanding between each coat removes imperfections and leaves a smooth finish for the next coat. Lightly wet sand the last coat you applied, then polish and buff it-out.

 

[madmixerman]

Just rubbed it down with 0000 steel wool & it smoothed it out. Wiped with tack rag & shot one last coat on it. Fingers crossed. Thanks guys.

 

[JRS]

Just rubbed it down with 0000 steel wool & it smoothed it out. Wiped with tack rag & shot one last coat on it. Fingers crossed. Thanks guys.

If you want a smooth shiny finish, a final sanding, polishing and buffing will result in a nice look!

 

[jrb572]

Why sand between each coat? We don't paint cars like that. If you see something wrong stop and sand it out. But coats should be applied one over the next as they flash off or string to the touch. For best results sand and polish it. I would not wait 10-15 minutes in between coats. Unless they are not dry. It will cause a dirt problem wanting to long to apply the next coat. Find a local body shop and have them clear it for you.

 

[Ggmac]

He's using a rattle can = no hardner . Sand between coats , it's wood under not metal and with rattle can stuff I've found its usually lacquer style base , so like old school lacquer jobs , I sand between coats .

 

[ebb]

You don't paint cars like that cause they aren't made of wood. The roughness mixerman was feeling is not grit, it is raised grain. When wood is shaped some of the fibers are cut off and when the finish hits them it makes the cut off fiber stand up. Sanding in between coats eliminates the raised grain by sanding it off. Usually when I finish cabinets most of the raised grain is gone after the first sanding after the first coat, sometimes I sand after the second coat and don't need to after that.

 

[Dakota_Mike]

I've had very good results using Scratch-X as a final polishing when using the spray can automotive clear. Usually spray a couple coats and wet sand after each then spray several coats and let dry then polish. Gets rid of the orange-peel effect from a spray can and leaves a nice shiny finish. Not as hard as automotive clear but works well.

 

[JRS]

One of the problems when using a "rattle can" when spraying, many of the paint droplets dry before making it to the piece you are spraying. Those dry droplets land on the wet paint leaving a sandpaper like finish, and have to be sanded off before the next coat goes on.

 

[Preacher]

Steel wool has a lot of oil in it, if you use it be sure to wipe it down with a solvent before another coat. Your recoating to quick, let it dry for 24 hours before recoating.

 

[bdale]

Steel wool has a lot of oil in it, if you use it be sure to wipe it down with a solvent before another coat. Your recoating to quick, let it dry for 24 hours before recoating.

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