Spraying, Painting and Finishing

[dikharvey]

I have just sprayed my bonnet but now have a few problems.

I put about 4 coats of undercoat on, wet and dry with 1200 grit to smooth it down. Cleaned it sprayed with my paint two coats, wet and dry with 1200 grit, sprayed three more coats now i have finished. It is not a smoot finish yet becuase the last bit of the spraying i dont understand.

I tried using t Cut on it but that just went straight through the paint, tried some mer that also went through the paint.

Do i need laquer (or is that only metallic)?
Have it not done enough layers of paint?
Is it ever going to be a smooth finish?

HELP!

[greg00uk]

when ever i spray this is what i do

rub dont with electric sander till smooth to touch,

Prime with about 4 coats using horizontal and vertical strokes,

rub down with wet and dry,

re-prime, spraying each coat while to other is still 'tacky'

rub down again if needed, then re prime.

Then spray top coat, using same tecnique,

i never rud down the top coat,

then lacquer with about three coats

leave to dry for at least a week before washing, or using any cleaning products.


!!!You should never put T cut on un lacured surfaces.!!!!

most paints you dont see the true colour match till u have laquer

[dikharvey]

Are all paints laquered? I thought it was only mettalics?

[greg00uk]

ive painted all type of paint and i always use a lacqer, in diffeent amounts. you must never tcut a car that has not been lacquerd.

[ade]

2 pak doesnt need lacquer - its resin based so will withstand knocks and stones very well. You can lacquer it but not necessary if you use enuff coats...

Celly needs lacquer to give it a deep shine and protection from dirt, stones and oxidisation

Your technique seems ok up to the last coat - once applied (allowing correct drying times in between) allow to dry for 10 days at room temp (ok in current weather).

Its like Greg00uk says - unlessyou have heavy contamination of the final coat theres no need to flat it back -

According to a "how to paint your car" book I have it says and I quote -
"...certain lacquer finishes can be wet sanded and polished to remove nibs and, flatten orange peel and otherwise smooth small blemishes. This work is normally carried out on clear coats (lacquer), rather than on actual colour coats, and may require additional light applications of clear..."

The more clear you apply the more the colour coat is protected and the better the shine.

It says that if the colour coat (top coat) is infected with dust or nibs or bad orange peel, flat it back and apply another top coat.

Once the lacquer has been applied, and after sufficient drying time it can be wet sanded to remove light errors (see above). You can then buff up using fine compound (not t-cut) - this removes any small errors and brings out the shine. It also flats back orange peel (as the lacquer sinks into the paint and causes the top surface to mimik the peel)

When polishing use a proper polishing bonnet on a proper poilisher or buy a proper adapter for a grinder - what ever you use keep it moving and dont press too hard or you will burn the paint. Also watch those edges do those by hand (mask them off to prevent accidental damage)


Ade