General painting questions.

[kibosh]

I'm getting ready to start the finished paint work on my SgtFang TIE bucket, and I have some general paint questions for you talented folks:

1) I used a Rustoleum automotive primer. Should I stick Rustoleum paints to avoid any reactions?

2) Do I want to finish sand the primer with something like 1000 grit paper before applying my gloss black?

3) When using rattle cans, do I want to use fast passes that barely mist the helmet, or slow passes that have more coverage? I assume I'll be doing a few counts no matter what.

4) Should I sand with 1000 grit between each black coat? Should I wet sand?

5) What exactly is wet sanding? Do I actually dip the sandpaper in water, and use it wet?

6) I plan to top off the black with a layer or two of a gloss seal cote. Does the seal coat go on smoother than the regular paint, or does that need to be sanded too? If I sand that, I just don't see how I'd get that sweet shiny finish a lot of you here have achieved.

Thanks!

 

[superjedi]

Well, here's my take on things.

I'm getting ready to start the finished paint work on my SgtFang TIE bucket, and I have some general paint questions for you talented folks:

1) I used a Rustoleum automotive primer. Should I stick Rustoleum paints to avoid any reactions?

Shouldn't have to. Enamels with enamels, or acrylics with acrylics should get you where you need to be.

2) Do I want to finish sand the primer with something like 1000 grit paper before applying my gloss black?

Not unless you can feel any sort of texture in your primer. If it feels pretty smooth to the touch, it should be fine.

3) When using rattle cans, do I want to use fast passes that barely mist the helmet, or slow passes that have more coverage? I assume I'll be doing a few counts no matter what.

If you have a piece of something to practice on, like a decent sized piece of plastic, try a few practice passes first. The primer is already there to give the black coat some "tooth" to grab onto. I wouldn't put the black coat on too wet or you might wind up with runs in the finish.

4) Should I sand with 1000 grit between each black coat? Should I wet sand?

Depends on how the finish comes out. Again, I'd recommend practising first a a scrap piece. If your black coat goes on well, I don't think there would be any need to sand in between coats.

5) What exactly is wet sanding? Do I actually dip the sandpaper in water, and use it wet?

Basically, yes. Wet/dry sandpaper is designed so it won't fall apart when it gets wet.

6) I plan to top off the black with a layer or two of a gloss seal cote. Does the seal coat go on smoother than the regular paint, or does that need to be sanded too? If I sand that, I just don't see how I'd get that sweet shiny finish a lot of you here have achieved.

A gloss coat shouldn't have to be sanded. Like you say, if you sand it, you'll lose some of the shine. Conversely, Instead of a spray on gloss coat, some people have used car polish with good results. It shouldn't have a bad effect on enamels. (Someone please correct me if I'm way off here!)

Thanks!

If anyone has had different experiences, or have found any of the advice above to cause cancer in baby spider monkeys, please let me know! :lol

 

[Gigatron]

I'm getting ready to start the finished paint work on my SgtFang TIE bucket, and I have some general paint questions for you talented folks:

1) I used a Rustoleum automotive primer. Should I stick Rustoleum paints to avoid any reactions?

2) Do I want to finish sand the primer with something like 1000 grit paper before applying my gloss black?

3) When using rattle cans, do I want to use fast passes that barely mist the helmet, or slow passes that have more coverage? I assume I'll be doing a few counts no matter what.

4) Should I sand with 1000 grit between each black coat? Should I wet sand?

5) What exactly is wet sanding? Do I actually dip the sandpaper in water, and use it wet?

6) I plan to top off the black with a layer or two of a gloss seal cote. Does the seal coat go on smoother than the regular paint, or does that need to be sanded too? If I sand that, I just don't see how I'd get that sweet shiny finish a lot of you here have achieved.

Thanks!

1) Technically, no. Rustoleum, Dupli-Color and other paints like them are all lacquers. There shouldn't be any reaction between brands - BUT it has happened in the past. Most manufacturers like to use proprietary chemeicals that react between their primers and finishing colors. It's to make sure you get the best bond between the primer and finishing coat.

2) Since the finishing coat is gloss, then yes. Gloss hass a nasty habit of magnifying every dang flaw ten-fold. Sand it starting with about 600 - 800 and work your way up to 2000 (but now you're looking at specialty paper from hobby stores).

3) Rattle cans are a timing game. Too quick and chance getting a gritty effect because the paint will dry before it hits the helmet. Too slow and you chance runs, pooling and uneven drying times. Practice speed and distance on something else first. And remember to start your spray before you get to the helmet and end it after you've passed it. Cans tend to spit at the beginning and ends of their spray patterns - you don't want those globs of paint on your helmet.

4) Get wet/dry sandpaper. It's actually a higher grit count than 1000. Do it under running water. There's a few reasons for wet sanding. First, water is an excellent lubricant. Because wet/dry paper is such a high grit, the water keeps the friction to a minimum, keeping you from creating a burn spot in your paint job. Second, the water keeps the fine dust to an absolute minimum. Fine grit paper creates fine dust which ends up in your lungs and nose. Running water will keep it down. Finally, the water keeps the paint from clogging the paper. Paper with paint clogged in it is no longer a fine grit sandpaper - it's a disaster waiting to happen.

5) see above

6) Yes, you need to sand between gloss coats. This is where micromark.com is your friend. You want to do 3 things between each gloss goat. Wet sand with 2400 grit paper. Then sand it with a polishing pad (from micromark), then rinse and buff with a pure cotton rag. Then do that between each gloss coat (and give each coat about 3 days to cure before you go sanding them). You'll probably do 2 or 3 gloss coats. After you've treated the final coat, hit it with some high gloss wax like they sell for show cars. And remember to practice your spray technique for gloss. It's a completely different animal than the black coat. Gloss needs to go on wet,but not wet enough to run. You may blow a can just trying to get the technique down, so buy an extra can.

Well, I hope that helps.

-Fred

 

[kibosh]

6) Yes, you need to sand between gloss coats. This is where micromark.com is your friend. You want to do 3 things between each gloss goat. Wet sand with 2400 grit paper. Then sand it with a polishing pad (from micromark), then rinse and buff with a pure cotton rag. Then do that between each gloss coat (and give each coat about 3 days to cure before you go sanding them). You'll probably do 2 or 3 gloss coats. After you've treated the final coat, hit it with some high gloss wax like they sell for show cars. And remember to practice your spray technique for gloss. It's a completely different animal than the black coat. Gloss needs to go on wet,but not wet enough to run. You may blow a can just trying to get the technique down, so buy an extra can.

Well, I hope that helps.

-Fred

Thanks for the replies, guys. I went to over to micromark.com, and think I found the 2400 grit paper, but it doesn't say anything about it being wet/dry. Is this the right stuff:

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=80940

I can't find anything that looks/sounds like a polishing pad. Can you point me in the right direction?

Thanks again.

 

[Gigatron]

Yup, that's the stuff. And because it's mounted on a material backing, you can use it water. The material won't break apart like paper.

It looks like micromark changed the names and made them smaller, which I guess from a modelling standpoint was a good thing. Now they call them soft touch pads

What you can do instead is get this kit http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=80939

It has all the fine sandpapers needed to get a high gloss, swirl-free shine, plus some swirl remover compund. It'll be some extra work, but it'll be worth it.

-Fred

 

[PHArchivist]

Listen to Fred...

The ABSOLUTE key is that you will have to color sand (wet sanding the finished color coat) and polish to get the maximum luster.

No rattle can coat of either colored paint or clear coat will lay down without some degree of bumpiness, or orange peel. Under ideal conditions and good surface preparation, the bumpiness may not be noticeable. But it's still there...

My technique (and bear in mind that this has only been tried on gun barrels and rifle scopes), is to sand the primer to about 400 to 600.

Then I use a fairly matte black. I just don't like the way gloss blacks wet-sand. I sand using the following grits: 400, 600, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500. The higher grits usually must be obtained from an automotive paint supplier. Once down to the 2500, it is already pretty damn shiney, even though it started as a matte.

Then I hit it with a semi-gloss clear coat. Once the semi-gloss has cured, I buff with a pure cotton cloth.

Not too far from Fred's recommendations!

 

[xnavyguy]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I went to over to micromark.com, and think I found the 2400 grit paper, but it doesn't say anything about it being wet/dry. Is this the right stuff:

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=80940

I can't find anything that looks/sounds like a polishing pad. Can you point me in the right direction?

Thanks again.

Just as an FYI, you can usually find wet/dry paper at most automotive stores and stores such as Wal-mart, K-Mart, etc... in the automotive section. The highest I've found is 2000 grit in the department stores and 2500 and 3000 in the auto parts stores. :thumbsup

 

[PHArchivist]

3000...!? I need to get me some of that! 2500 has been my tops.

 

[Gigatron]

3000...!? I need to get me some of that! 2500 has been my tops.

Micromark carries all the way up to 12000 - yes, that's twelve thousand. 3000 is like sanding with a boulder compared to that lol

-Fred

 

[PHArchivist]

Occured to me that Future is a good, self-leveling clear coat...