How soon to color sand?

[AirborneSilva]

Hi guys,

How soon after painting can I color sand?  It is a base/clear paint, and no it's not my charger - unfortunately 

Thank you for your help, Tony

[Drop Top]

In 70* plus weather 24 hrs. Colder at least 48 hrs. If its cold, Get it out in the sun after the next day. Let it set another 24 hrs before buffing. For best results.

[AirborneSilva]

Thank you, yeah it is cold here - and raining too  I'll wait till tuesday after work then start sanding, then will buff out this next weekend.  Thank you again for the help.

[mikepmcs]

Tony, if you can wait, wait for a while.  Drop is correct the warmer the better and you don't want any chance of blushing/pop. If you cut it within a couple days, try to wait some more before buffing to let all the solvents come through.  Think of it this way.  Wipe a cold door with water and watch how long it takes to dry vice wiping a warm door.  Of course, if it was painted and cured in a heat controlled environment , you should be all set. Me personally, If you have the time wait.

I'm sure Brian and Leon will have better advice than I will, but just wanted to say hi.

[AirborneSilva]

Thanks Mike, I did paint it in a heated paint booth but they had the power off all night last night so it was only as warm as it was in the shop.  I will wait longer.  I'm not real happy with my job (only second attempt at painting), but color sanding will get out pretty much all the orange peel.  The last time I painted (a few years ago), it seemed that the paint and clear went on pretty close to the same, this time they were two different animals.  I first started out going too slow with the color so there's a spot going down the middle (I painted me tonneau cover for my 05 Dodge Hemi Ram), that just doesn't look right and am not sure how to explain it but I think what happened was I was putting on too much paint and the solvents couldn't get out quite quick enough - well that's my guess, then when I sped up it all went well.  So then when it came time to put the clear on I thought I had to go at the same speed, wrong again, when I finally figured that out I was close to being out of clear (I only bought a quart), so I wasn't able to lay it down what was described to me later as wet, therefore I have quite a bit more orange peel then I would certainly like.

[mikepmcs]

Air pressure has a lot to do with that as well.  It's all good.  A nice cut and buff and I'm sure it will be just fine.
You can get out some pretty nasty peel by color sanding as long as you have a sufficient amount of clear.
What are your sanding plans as far as process if you don't mind me asking.  If you have enough clear on there, I'd say cut it with 1200, then 1500, then 2000 and that should look killer.  What buffer are you using and what compounds are you going to use?
I work at the Togus VA now by the way.

v/r
Mike

[AirborneSilva]

I was going to use straight 1500 but I guess I will need to go get me some 2000 now  I have a cheapo walmart buffer that I was going to use, I know not real good but it's what I have and will just have to put in the extra work.  As far as what compound, well I'm open for suggestions.  I was at the auto parts store and just stared at the various compounds wondering what to use.....

Great to hear you are working at the VA, I'm sure they need good people who care and there's no one whom could care more then another vet!!!

[tan top]

most paint company's ..... give the best time on there MDS to de-nib  wet flat color sand    normally up to 12 to 48 hours , after that time its too hard ,   if there is  a big spec of dust etc ..i like to nib it , flat it  carfully when it is still finger printable ,  ie  press your finger on the paint , make a mark & then it melts back & disappears....  then mop it up 5 -6 hours after that ..but depends on the car /job  type of 2k paint

[mikepmcs]

3m makes good stuff.

http://3m.hillas.com/c-1240-3m-automotive-dressingfinishingpolishing-products.aspx

I personally use a wool pad for the heavy cut, then switch to a foam pad for the lighter buffing. You can use a waffle foam pad or a flat foam pad, opinions vary.

I also use meguiars and it's easier to get a hold of locally.  Napa should carry both 3m and meguiars and some pads for your buffer but they are more expensive than your local auto store.  Have some real good light and look from many angles to see if you are getting the scratches out.  Nothing worse than almost being done and you have already switched to the finishing pad and blamo, there's some scratches that just magically appeared out the blue.

http://www.meguiars.com/whatsnew/2009Preview.cfm?page=2009_professional_products

Your buffer, is it a rotary dedicated buffer or orbital.  By dedicated, I mean..is it one set speed or is it varying speeds.  This is very important.  Watch those corners/edges, you will burn the paint off in no time flat!  Also, try not to let the compound get all caked on the wheel.  work the trigger on the buffer and just move the stuff around in short spurts of the trigger(don't let it get to full speed right off the bat) Do small areas at a time and overlap each section.

I have much more but that's good for now and I want to see some other opinions too.  Lots of great techs on this site(i'm not one of them)

[mikepmcs]

Oh yeah, my method is 1200-1500 then 2000, then ultra cut compund, clean wool pad or turn it over if you have a 2 sider, medium cut compound, switch to foam pad, fine cut compound(like perfect it II or meguiars machine glaze), then wipe with micro fiber, then ultra fine like swirl remover on darker cars, then wax if it's older paint. 
Example, I wet sanded and buffed both doors of my Charger yesterday so I could put the 01's on and I was out there for 8 hours between wet sand, buff and I did manage to get one side on.  The other decal got stuck this morning.

[AirborneSilva]

Thanks guys...  Tan top, I will look on the instructions sheets the guy at the paint store gave me, there's lots of information on there, the paint is Dupont paint by the way.

Mike, I guess I have some shopping to do.  My cheapo wally world buffer is just a single speed, I'd have to look at it to see for sure but I believe that it's orbital. 

Shopping list;
compound
more sand paper
buffer pads

[Hudson Hornet !]

Try norton's liquid ice. It has an EASY water cleanup. If anyone out there has tried the 3m perfect-it, you will know how the compound will get into crevices and never, ever come out. Also, I prefer foam pads to wool. Less mess, and you are less likely to burn through with a foam pad versus wool. Just my 2 cents.