Need some help from the paint guys

[crj1968]

I screwed up my wifes car door by trying to fix a scratch.

I repainted the door and it was looking pretty good. I then sprayed some clear over it and when summer rolled around the clear got hot and sticky and full of dirt and crap. 

So now I have been wet sanding back down to the original paint. I'm to the original paint and now wet sanding with 1500 to get scratches out etc...

Of course now the door is dull compared to the rest of the car. What to do now?

After scratches are out I use buffing compound and try to buff it back to shiny?   Or do I need to go to even a finer grit sand paper...

I dont need it to be perfect- thanks for any help!

[AKcharger]

I'd try to buff...VERY CAREFULLY if you're lucky you just may save it, if not might save a lot of time/$$$ and let a shop repair it

[Dino]

Hot and sticky? It's not supposed to become liquid once it has dried! Did you not use a hardener with the clear?
Wet sand it smooth with 1000 grit so it's uniform in color and nice and dull. Order some SPI clear and activator and reclear it. Talk to the SPI guys about what you're doing and what spray gun you have so they can recommend the correct type. You may not need reducer but it wouldn't hurt to have just in case. They ship free.

[hemi-hampton]

Hot and sticky? It's not supposed to become liquid once it has dried! Did you not use a hardener with the clear?
Wet sand it smooth with 1000 grit so it's uniform in color and nice and dull. Order some SPI clear and activator and reclear it. Talk to the SPI guys about what you're doing and what spray gun you have so they can recommend the correct type. You may not need reducer but it wouldn't hurt to have just in case. They ship free.

Yeah, same thing I was wondering? how does it later on become hot & sticky?

[crj1968]

The clear was in a spray can- I know I know.........but it was supposed to be good.  

Once it got 105 degrees here it got sticky- so it was crap, or maybe it was me I dunno.

I dont have any real painting tools. I can borrow a buffer though

So right now I have the door to original paint. Still need to get some scratches out....When wet or in the shade it looks pretty good. That's why I'm thinking I can buff it and be acceptable.
It's a Nissan sentra so Im not overly concerned and figured this would be good time to learn something.  

[Dino]

Even spray can paint shouldn't do this, but anyway. Buffing is unlikely to be successful. You'll likely end up burning through the paint resulting in way more work. Reclear it, with a different kind of spray can clear if needed. Something like SEM high gloss. If you have a compressor though I highly recommend getting the $10 spray gun at Harbor Freight and ordering the SPI clear. It won't cost much more but the results will be far better. And that stuff you can sand and buff if needed so you won't have to worry about dust specs. Also if you're unable to lay the clear smooth you can just add a layer or two extra and sand it smooth later. Then buff it.

If you just want to use the spray cans then you can also get one of those cans with an activator. You break the seal in the can and it gives you a windo of time where you can use it. A good high solid clear like SEM's would work fine as well though, but the result you get after spraying is what you'll have to live with. Rattle can paints just don't buff well. They're too weak and thin.

[crj1968]

Thanks Dino.  So let me back up you up a second.

Now that I'm down t0 the original factory paint I wet sand with 1500 or? to get all scratches out?

Then clear it with what you recommend- I can get a gun and have a compressor
Then sand again with?

Then buff.

\Much appreciated, obviously I know what I'm doing here.  

[Dino]

The scratches are the tricky part. I'm assuming the car has a base + clear from the factory? If you wet sand it and the goo coming off is white then it has clear, if the goo coming off is the body color then it's single stage. Either way, if you sand through the clear you'll hit the base and you'll need to respray the color before shooting the clear. That's a pita. If you sand through single stage, same problem. So you don't want to sand too deep. If the scratches are fine then you can probably sand them out bit it's risky. Instead you can reclear it with several thin coats and wet sand that clear. You may have to repeat this until the scratches are all filled and the sanded clear is smooth. Then you can buff or if you feel like you've sanded most of your clear off you clear again, wet sand and buff. Bffing will thin the clear a bit as well so keep that in mind. You can buff right through clear and end up opening up a can of worms so be careful!

So fill the scratches first before you think about buffing.

Once ready to buff you want to get the clear sanded as smooth as you can so you start with 800 or 1000 wet until it looks nice and smooth all over. Then you progressively sand it with finer and finer grit. They sell it in paper or some sell little sponges in a kit. It's just one door so those would work fine. You use every step of the kit to the finest one they have. Ideally you sand it down to 3000 grit but those are usually quite pricey. Most kits run into the low 2000s though and it'll do. At this stage the clear will actually be turning a bit glossy again. Then you use a two or three stage buffing system on a rotary buffer to bring the shine back out. If you do it right the door will look better than the rest of the car.   

Of course if you practice shooting the clear a bit you may just get it nice and smooth so you don't even have to buff it. After working the scratches out and degreasing the hell out of it (and practicing on scrap) give it a thin sticky coat, let it flash (ask SPI how long) and follow it by a wet coat. Don't go nut's or it'll run off. Just make sure it goes on shiny. Then repeat that if recommended.

Post pics of the scratches if you can.

[crj1968]

wow man this is starting to sound like a lot of work!  

Thanks. I will get some pics.

Oh and yes the goo is white when sanding

[crj1968]

So I tried to take a pic of scratches but you'd never see them in a picture. They are hard to see with the eye actually.
I wet sanded with 1000 from the very start because I didnt want to dig too deep. Then with 1500

Thanks for all the help !!

Maybe I will get lucky here-   

[Dino]

If they are difficult to feel with your fingernail you might be alright. Good luck!

[crj1968]

OK so here is what I did...trying to avoid spraying clear.

Sanded all down to 1500

I bought a cheapo HF orbital polisher thing, and some Meguires "Fine-Cut Cleaner"  used that stuff and now the door looks really good. A couple bad spots but much better.

I wish I took a before picture because this door was REALLY bad. I may have the wife off my case now. 

[Dino]

 

[crj1968]

Well now in the sunlight it looks like a door that has had it's clear coat sanded off.

Much better than it was but I may have to spray clear like you said in the first place.
Just depends on if the wife really notices or not. 

[Dino]

   She might but here's hoping!

If you do need to respray it then degrease it thoroughly before you sand it. You need to get the polish residue off so not to sand it into the clear that's on there now.

[crj1968]

  She might but here's hoping!

If you do need to respray it then degrease it thoroughly before you sand it. You need to get the polish residue off so not to sand it into the clear that's on there now.

Got it ! Thanks again Dino much appreciated !