I have been struggling for several days now with my clearcoat. I shot the best coat of base color I have ever done on the cab, doors and hood. It was as perfect as I could expect given my rank amateur status. hen I went to shoot the clearcoat, it orange peeled really bad. I have already wet sanded the orange peel off twice and re-shot the clearcoat. It orange peels every time. Each time I sand it off, I am careful not to remove any base color. I start with a 600, then 1000 and finally a 2000 grit paper. I am using a slightly soapy water for wetting. While the surface is wet, it looks great. When it dries it is cloudy, even after washing with distilled water and PPG's AcryliClean. I am following the manf. directions for reduction of the clearcoat perfectly. I measure it out to the gram and it still will not flow. I have also tried adjusting the pressure and flow on my gun. I have tried different times of the day (temperature) and still no luck. I am using a PPG system. The Base color is DBC. The clearcoat is DCU2002 using DCX61 as the hardener and DT885 for the reducer. The DT885 is supposed to be for temps between 75° and 90°, which is the temp I am operating under if I do it before noon. Since I am in S.Central Texas, I don't need a baking oven. We have been getting in the high 90's and even over 100° lately. I have three basic questions. 1. Should I stop shooting clearcoat and try to polish it to a gloss? 2. Should I try using more reducer? I am following the PPG directions and using 4 parts clearcoat with 1 part hardener and 1 part reducer. Should I try 1.5 parts reducer? 3. I am using a HVLP gun at between 8 and 15 psi [adjusting for effect]. Should I switch to a regular gun at 40 psi? I hope someone can come to my rescue. Greg
Greg I,m Not Familiar with the Paint system You Using, but wondering if They have a Slower reducer & Hardner to let it Flow out better . As Far as the HVLP Allthough I,ve Tried out Several I Cant stand them & allways go back To My Ole Binks #7 siphon feeds . I Guess They work for a lot of People , But I,m Oldschool & aint about to learn any new tricks Even For an HVLP that sounds like awfull Low air Preasure & Could be Causing the Problem . Also Are You Waiting long enough between coats & How many coats are You Applying ? It needs to Flow out Before adding More to it the right amount of time . How Much Clear do You have on it now ? to Thick will Only cause it to dull back eventually Or Fail in Other ways . If You Think Theres enough, It might be time to Let it Cure for a bit & Cut & buff it & see How it Does. Of coarse the longer it sits the Tougher it gets . As Long As You Dont add any type Of wax or Anything to it , You Can allways go back to Reclear if needed . I Doubt this Helps any & Best of Luck . Bob
I'm Thinking its the gun thats giving you greif. HVLP guns dont atomize as well as a conventional gun. Chris
Orange peal usually means the reducer is for cold temps. It could be that the paint gun is held too far from the surface. I am a rank amature on clear coat/base coat amd LPHV paint spray systems. I have made all the mistakes on Acrylic Enamel/Acrylic Lacquer but have made a living a long time with NitroCellouse Lacquer. I ruined my first paint job by holding the gun too far from the surface over 40-yrs ago. I used to have trouble with fisheye which was a silicone problem. The gov made the fisheye medicine hard to come by. I had a problem with fisheye on the top of a 85 merc and used Westleys Black Magic and it made the most perfect/unique hammered finish I have ever seen. At the very worst you can get the clear thick enough to wet sand and buff. Just like the old days. At the very best you could hire a pro, but there is no satifaction in that. You can doit. and it will be yours. Good Luck
If you have wet sanded the clear and gotten it level, you need to buff it out and are done. It will never shine from sanding alone.
How to polish? Russ, I have everything sanded down so that it creates a vacuum between the panel and paper when wet sanding. This was done without removing any base color. What do you recommend? A 3M rubbing compound like Perfect-It II or some other polishing compound? Have you ever used a Mother's Power Ball? or would recommend a standard wool bonnet on a RO buffer? Greg
I have never used the ball; it looks like it would do good in corners where the buffer would not do as well (the outer edge in corners can be hard). I have used the bonnet with good success. Make sure to get the low speed buffer, it looks like the disk sander but the sander is to fast and will put too much heat on the finish and melt it like plastic.
Soft bonnet and 3m will do it. You have leveled the surface ith the sanding, now you will polish out the fine scratches. Most painters end up buffing out the final product any way, so don't feel bad.
Thanks Russ, Initial tests look pretty good. I sanded one door with 2000 grit, then rubbed it out with 3M, then a polishing compound. It's not high gloss, but that's not what I wanted anyway. These old ADs did not have the high gloss finishes of today. Greg
Russ, Could I spray another coat of Clearcoat over panels I have rubbed and polished? I used the 3M Rubbing compound and a Turtle Wax Polishing compound. Both do not include either silicone or wax. Will it be safe to apply clearcoat over this? Greg
The issue here is that you have polished out the scratches that allow another coat to stick. If you are going to add another coat of clear, knock down the finish with red scotchbright, wipe with wax and grease remover, tack off and spray. Contrary to what most people will want you to think, most shops will end up buffing out eery paint job....very few actually turn out as slick as the manufacturer says they will. Unless you have cut through the clear while sanding, just buff it out or take it to a pro, and let it be done.
