Will clear coat mask minor scratches

[yorkie]

Hi, All

I am attempt my first paint job on a bike tank. I am using 2 pack black, and have 2000 wet sanded the black and buffed to a mirror finish. However I still have micro scratches in the paint surface. From 12" away they cant be seen but I know they are there. I can see a very sharp reflection of myself now after the amount of buffing I have already done. I am worried that if I continue to buff I will break through to the primer coat. Will more buffing remove all scratches or are micro scratches inevitable.

Also when I apply the clear coat will these scratches diminish and disappear.

Thanks for any advise.

Yorkie

 

[yorkie]

By ways of an update.

I spent most of today buffing my base coat with G3 buffing compound and then G10 finishing compound with a foam pad on my drill. The finish is pretty good now. The front of the tank looks as shiny as a black snooker ball. However when I called in to my paint factors for some other stuff they were very suprised that I was buffing the base coat. Acording to them all there customs spray base coat then clear coat straight on top. The dont touch the base coat. I explained that I had some dust and imperfection in my b/coat. There advise was repaint it without dust.

Have I screwed up by polishing the b/coat.

My logic is that my final finish will be superior as my b/caot is mirror flat. So if polished well the clear should look like glass on top.

Any advise for a first timer....thanks

Yorkie

 

[Burnt]

You will have to clean all the buffing compond off and skuff the surface with a red skuff pad. The clear wont stick real well to a smooth shinny surface. I just shoot my base coat then clear. When I wet sand the clear the imperfections come out.

 

[TAZ]

I was wondering about that. I thought when you said you were afraid that you would break through an go to the primer, that was a typo.

You do not need to buff the base (you already know that now). Go ahead and do what Burnt said. Basically just go through the process. Seal, paint your base, clear. No need to sand out the imperfections when using a black base. OR unless you get some imperfections that are 'white' or light colored. If you get some, just take a piece of 1500 and sand the small imperfection flat, then dust some more black base over it. THEN clearcoat.

 

[nzgrip]

Hi, All

I am attempt my first paint job on a bike tank. I am using 2 pack black, and have 2000 wet sanded the black and buffed to a mirror finish. However I still have micro scratches in the paint surface. From 12" away they cant be seen but I know they are there. I can see a very sharp reflection of myself now after the amount of buffing I have already done. I am worried that if I continue to buff I will break through to the primer coat. Will more buffing remove all scratches or are micro scratches inevitable.

Also when I apply the clear coat will these scratches diminish and disappear.

Thanks for any advise.



Yorkie

Ok i'm confused, in your first post above you said you used 2 pack black, but later you call it basecoat. So was it 2 pack Gloss Black or was it Basecoat?? If it was 2 pack Gloss Black then you can sand it and buff it as you have done, but if was Basecoat then you don't buff it and it must be cleared.

 

[TAZ]

Good point!

 

[tman]

I was curious about that "2 pack black " comment as well. A long time ago, just for the heck of it, I tried buffing a base color. I have never gotten base coat to buff to a shiney finish. It is just too dull.

 

[TAZ]

ALL basecoat/clearcoat type systems must be clearcoated. In slang terms "basecoat" (or base color) means that this is the "first" coat that goes on under the clearcoat (hence the base - coat)
A 2-pack is basically a single stage enamel or other type paint that requires a hardener and is not required to be clearcoated, BUT can be clearcoated.

A basecoat typically dries to a semi gloss or dull finish since the clear is what gives it the gloss.
A 2 pack is made to lay on wet or wysiwyg (what you see is what you get)

:freak:

 

[mituan]

Thanks Taz, What I would like to know is the paint like the HOK the right stuff to use or is there something else a beginner airbrush artist should use...

 

[nico]

if basecoating i wouldnt use a red scotch brite too harsh, any bits usea tag rag (tackd pick of cloth) that should remove any dust, then blow off and clear

 

[chopolds]

Your descriptions are kind of confusing, as the others have said. 2 pack is shiny and can be buffed. If you are still seeing scratches in your black, which is the hardest color to get perfect, you need to revisit your sanding and buffing procedure. What grits, and what type of compound are you using? With black you need to work all the way up to 2000 grit or finer, before buffing. And a drill is going to take forever, with modern urethanes. You need a REAL buffer.
If you did try to buff a basecoat paint, you might have some serious recoating problems. Buffing compounds have oils and chemicals in them that will get absorbed into the basecoat (base is very porous, so it absorbs the clearcoat for good adhesion) If you don't clean all the oils and chemicals out of the base before clearing you'll have fish-eyes galore!
I'd pretty much take all the basecoat off, if this is the situation! Use wetsand paper, and sanding coumpound, or dishwashing detergent in a bucket to help clean the oils away.

 

[nico]

im sorry you mean my descriptions are "confusing" ?? anh who others? you dont buff base coat you clear over it then buff to finish if needed? i think youve proble got the wrong person.