Color Sanding.

[93rev2sev]

This is a thread about it. I've been painstakingly colorsanding my freshly painted car.

I've been around the car once with 1000 grit, twice on the hood, roof and decklid.

Tonight, I spent several hours on the roof. I sectioned it off into about 12 areas and I used the 1000 grit to erase all of the defects in each area (orange peel, dirt nibs, bug particles). I then followed that area up with 1500. I was able to get half of it sanded that way in one night. I think the roof will be the most time consuming

I still have to finish what I started tonight on the roof and repeat it on the decklid, then hit the rest of the car with another 1000 and 1500. After that, some 2000 on a soft sponge for the whole car to get it ready for polishing.


Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[jelloslug]

I usually end with 2000 grit paper before I buff it out.

 

[Black Bart]

In years past I have done hundreds of cars.
2 things I noticed.
1 unless you have huge peal, don't start with 1000. The bent edge can make some deep marks that won't show up till you have buffed. It is more for spot sanding a shaved off run, fly or heavy peal. Sag yourself some buffiing time and just start with 1500.

2 don't miss your window. Once you open the top on the paint it will harden faster. You want to get as much buffiing done ASAP or it will take twice the time.

Use foam pads, standard buff compounds, then finish with mcguires no.9

 

[93rev2sev]

In years past I have done hundreds of cars.
2 things I noticed.
1 unless you have huge peal, don't start with 1000. The bent edge can make some deep marks that won't show up till you have buffed. It is more for spot sanding a shaved off run, fly or heavy peal. Sag yourself some buffiing time and just start with 1500.

2 don't miss your window. Once you open the top on the paint it will harden faster. You want to get as much buffiing done ASAP or it will take twice the time.

Use foam pads, standard buff compounds, then finish with mcguires no.9

I'm not bending the paper?...I'm not sure what you mean. I'm using a medium flex sanding sponge with the paper layed flat...Do you mean you fold the paper in half and just flat hand it?

I've already missed my window. It's fully cured.

 

[rubydist]

I think 1000 is too coarse to use for this too - I'd start with 1500 or 2000 - better to sand longer than to have a deep scratch that you cannot get out.

 

[93rev2sev]

1000 grit is pretty normal for body shops from the intel I've been able to gather. I talked to several DIY auto painters and some even suggested starting with 600. They site the following conditions as reasons to lower the starting grit..

- Doing it at home creates more dust and imperfections
- Multiple coats of clear will accumulate more orangepeel

The lower the number, the lower the pressure you need to apply. Of course, there's a point of dimishing returns. It's easier on your arms, faster at removing the orangepeel that builds up from multiple coats of clear and will produce a better job in the end since less pressure means more consistent material removal.

1000 grit might be too much on a new car that's already got a good OEM paint job, but I'd be sanding for a year if I started with 1500.

 

[Cujo627]

1000 grit might be too much on a new car that's already got a good OEM paint job, but I'd be sanding for a year if I started with 1500.

I usually like to run 1500 on mine. Then go with mcquires 3 step system. Depending on what it looks like of course. I have had alot of luck with using the heavy cutter on rough jobs and others I skipped straight to medium cut. I usually use terry pads with heavy and medium cuts then foam pads for fine cuts and actual polish. Systems seems to work good. (Until you get somebody haphazardly wetsanding with 400 grit... Ouch )

 

[Black Bart]

Altruismo to heartburn you will be buffiing cured paint.
Yes,folded is what I meant. The folded edges or bent edges where you hold it with your fingers will make this area have a more open grit. The thicker the paper the worse the affect.
5_600 paper is for releasing a car.

 

[93rev2sev]

I was taught not to hold the paper in my hand, so I've never folded it. What do you mean by releasing a car?

 

[93rev2sev]

Here's how the roof is turning out. I'd say pretty damn good. And this is just a wool pad + McGuiar's Medium Cut Cleaner (O'Reilly's) after 3 or 4 passes with 1000 grit and 2 passes with 1500 grit.

...can't seem to get photobucket to agree with Paint Shop Pro that I flipped it.


Still some work to do overall.

 

[Eric VerValin]

Looks fine to me... ?

 

[platoribs]

Looks FINE to me!

Fixed...

 

[93rev2sev]

I'm done. For now, anyway. I finished up with 2000 and polished it to the best of my ability. There are still some spots that need work and I have to finish assembling it but for the first time in years...



artytime:This 1990 SHO has a decent paint job!!!!artytime:

Pics in the daylight tomorrow.

 

[boat]

Looks great, Tom! Can't wait to see pics! Or even in person, in less than a week.

 

[93rev2sev]

I need someone that knows what they're doing with a polisher to go over it once it's all assembled.

I forgot to paint the mirrors so I'll have to do that this week. I didn't take pictures of any of the majow flaws but you can see my bodywork is not so great (pictures don't show it but reflections are a bit choppy fromt he colorsanding). Maybe I'll get a bodyshop to use a 3000 grit pad on a DA and polish it. I think that would take care of some of the waves you see in the clearcoat.

 

[Cujo627]

Props on the paint. Especially the color. I never like spraying a car that color.

Bad thing is.. I'm gonna have to do my titanium some time or another. Not looking forward to it (how far is it from ga to hockeytown?)

 

[ShadetreeSHOguy]

He's close enough to be canadian

 

[93rev2sev]

Hockeytown is Detroit.

 

[jayro]

Looks good. Can't wait to see it in person.

 

[boat]

Hunter is really good with a polisher. He did a great job Eric's black 93. Looked amazing. I bet your car, Tom, would not be too bad for him to do.

Me likey, looks great!