Help with finishing Painting !Lots of Pictures!

[AccordAnimal]

Many of you know my story... Here are some cliff notes

Painted car in garage with a VERY nice HVLP sprayer.

Used Single Stage paint...

Either I mixed wrong, or it was too cold in the garage. This is the finish I got...






So I have been playing around with a couple of ideas. I started playin with 1500 grit wetsanding and this is the finish that I have been getting. The first pictures are a close up of the passenger side trunk. I went over the surface with 2000 a tiny bit as well.









Now hand sanding this thing is a BITOTCH, is there some type of buffer that can do this same work? My plans are to clear coat it after it is somewhat smooth, when the car get's wet it gives an amazing shine! Maybe I can accomplish this by clear coating it?

What would you guys do?

-Adam

[maroonaccord2.2]

Ya, well that's looking better than before man. I would sand it down, 'til it's smooth and clear it. Although, seeing as how it is a single stage.....you could just smooth out a small section, then use a rubbing compound in a small area, (that would be the next step to that gloss) clean that off then try a small spot of wax. It might buff out!! It IS going to be a major Biatch to do by hand though.....

[AccordAnimal]

Gotcha,

Can I use a buffer? Would that help smooth it out?

[Gemini]

buffer should work fine from what i've heard.

[edlab03]

you might want to check out www.autopia.org. there's tons of information for bringing back life to your cars paint and tons of reviews on what products to use. oh and to answer your question yes i would'nt see a problem with using a buffer but be real careful to use the same amount of pressure when sanding(im sure you know this already).

hope this helps.

[maroonaccord2.2]

You CAN use a buffer on the rubbing compounds and the final waxing but for the wetsanding.....you'll have to do it by hand. You might want to do a bit of research on using a buffer and ask as many questions as you can (i.e. detail shops, post questions here), it is possible to completely ruin the paint with a buffer. You've got to keep the buffer moving..... You know, Type-G would be a good person to IM, his car always looks good!!

[TypeG]

just keep sanding it by hand. it builds character.
when you get the whole car looking like that little corner on your trunk, then you can use an orbital buffer and some polish to add a mirror like reflection to the paint.
i would use a porter-cable polisher, a bit pricey, but they're the best. one of those $30 wal-mart buffers is not going to have the grunt to get the job done.
http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=547&p=2804
most people go with model # 7424.

use a cutting pad and a polishing pad
http://www.lakecountrymfg.com/foampads_dafoam.html

i would probably use this polish
http://www.mothers.com/products/prod...pics/08616.jpg
later.

[aero]

I'll second what most of the people above have said.

A thing to remember if you plan on re-clearing the car.

*some paints have paraffin(sp) in the base. If you sand the final coat of base before clear, the clear wont want to stick, and will create problems. If you want to re-clear with a paint with the paraffin, you would sand down, then lay down 2 coats of paint at least, and then clear.

*I have no idea if your paint has that in it, and it may or may not say in MSDS sheets, but just something to keep in the back of your mind.

[Bongo]

i don't think you mixed it wrong or it was cold, it just looks like it went on dry and didnt bleed together the way it should, usually that's what causes that texture but wetsanding can get rid of that, and there is something you can use instead of wetsanding, i personally don't like to use it but it does come out alright and cuts it down good enough then you just give it a quick wetsand afterwards but yea... lol you could use a DA vac sander with...i believe 2500 grit maybe 3000 i don't remember. sounds stupid but it really does work and gets the majority of it done in half the time.

[casterX]

looks like your spray gun was a bit too far from the area being painted, thus the rough/orange peal surface.. just wet sand, then cut wet with an orbital buffer with 3M rubbing compound..