Question for painting guru's

[SHERMY]

Is it OK to color sand prior to applying clear coat? Is it good practice or waste of time?
I'm planning on sanding the clear with 1500 & 2000 then buffing with glaze.

 

[queen_stick]

I haven't done this on a stock, but have done it plenty of times on cars. If you plan on spraying clear on top of an existing top-coat, then you must color sand. You can go as low as 600 grit when color sanding and the clear will fill it in, leaving a mirror finish (If you use 600, use it just enough to turn the color cloudy... it's a fairly heavy grit, and you will blow through the color if not careful - especially on the edges.) I wouldn't use anything higher than 1000 grit when color sanding though, because the clear needs good 'roughed' surface to adhere to, which is why you're sanding in the first place. After color sanding, spray the clear, and finish it with 1500 grit. (I never used 2000, because 1500 buffs out fairly easy, and will also knock down the high spots in the clear a lot faster than 2000).

Walt

 

[SHERMY]

Thanks for your reply.

Mike