This is going to seem like an odd question.

I've got some orange peel on the roof of my truck. I haven't sprayed the hood and sides yet. I got some pointers from the Sherwin Williams technical support and will practice more with settings before spraying the rest. My goal is to get a finish that is as good as a factory paint job. It's a work truck, not a show truck, so I don't really need or want to cut and buff.

So, can I bring down the level of orange peel a bit by sanding down a little--not to a perfectly flat finish, but to a factory orange peel finish?

I understand that when you sand, you're knocking off the highs just to the level of the lows, and if I stopped, say, halfway, I'd wind up with "platueas," but wouldn't the polishing round off the corners of the platueas leaving a reduced level of orange peel?

Just an idea I had. May be harebrained.

Nope, thats' not that bad of an idea and its' nothing new with guys that have to match factory orange peeled coatings. You'll probably do a light sanding like you said and if it were me I'd switch to a fairly aggressive twisted wool buff. You get more of a "shaping" or "burnishing" effect with the wool which will indeed still leave you with a "level" of orange peel. I would still follow up with regular foam pads. If you've never worked with twisted wool it is a little bit of a learning curve but just take it easy with speed control and move as normal on the car.

DarrelK wrote:Nope, thats' not that bad of an idea and its' nothing new with guys that have to match factory orange peeled coatings. You'll probably do a light sanding like you said and if it were me I'd switch to a fairly aggressive twisted wool buff. You get more of a "shaping" or "burnishing" effect with the wool which will indeed still leave you with a "level" of orange peel. I would still follow up with regular foam pads. If you've never worked with twisted wool it is a little bit of a learning curve but just take it easy with speed control and move as normal on the car.

Thanks. This may work for me. It's just the roof, but still....

To reduce the orange peel to resemble OEM you don't want to block sand. One of the most efficient ways is to use a foam interface pad with a foam sanding disc on a DA. Using 2000-3000 grit should work and not be too aggressive. The foam interface keeps you from leveling too much orange peel by not allowing the disc to be completely flat but, instead contour to the texture. It also reduces the aggressiveness of the sanding disc/pad. Then compounding with wool should remove the sanding marks and burnish the surface. Following with a medium cut polish and a foam pad will remove swirls and holograms, and bring the finish up to a deep gloss. Do you have a rotary? If so, are you experienced with buffing with it?

Nate, (funny that I have a friend here in Va. named Nate Moore) are you sanding by hand or DA? And are you buffing with a rotary polisher or a DA? Whether sanding by hand or machine the concept of stiffer backing plates and blocks to flatten the paint holds true. Using a soft block by hand, and an interface pad between the sanding disc/pad and DA backing plate will usually allow you to leave more orange peel to resemble an OEM paint finish. Removing sanding scratches with a rotary and wool pad will level the orange peel some more, so you have to practice when to stop sanding to achieve the amount of orange peel you want to leave, consistently. Following wool with foam is always required to achieve a swirl free finish and optimize the gloss. Just work in small areas(no larger than 4 times the size of the pad you are buffing with is my rough guide), and use tape lines between test areas so you have a strong, evident distinction between steps, whether sanding or buffing.

ShaunShinesDetailing wrote:Nate, (funny that I have a friend here in Va. named Nate Moore) are you sanding by hand or DA? And are you buffing with a rotary polisher or a DA? Whether sanding by hand or machine the concept of stiffer backing plates and blocks to flatten the paint holds true. Using a soft block by hand, and an interface pad between the sanding disc/pad and DA backing plate will usually allow you to leave more orange peel to resemble an OEM paint finish. Removing sanding scratches with a rotary and wool pad will level the orange peel some more, so you have to practice when to stop sanding to achieve the amount of orange peel you want to leave, consistently. Following wool with foam is always required to achieve a swirl free finish and optimize the gloss. Just work in small areas(no larger than 4 times the size of the pad you are buffing with is my rough guide), and use tape lines between test areas so you have a strong, evident distinction between steps, whether sanding or buffing.

I've thought about it some. I think I would be more comfortable with hand sanding with a block given that I only sprayed two wet coats. My goal would be to remove the dust that wound up in my clear (daughter banged on window to announce lunchtime and shook some dust loose) and to lessen the orange peel just a tad. Most of the truck looks like factory orange peel, but being my first ever repainting, I do have some areas where the orange peel is pretty significant.

Good info. Thanks for posting.

Most of the stuff I do is production type work, so I don't want, or need, a super flat finish that would look different to the rest of the car. For dust nib removal without changing the surface too much, P1500 wet on a DA is fast. One pass is usually enough but squeegee and you can see the peel as the shiny spots while the top has been flattened and nibs removed. Can do it with P2000 too but it's slower and less cost effective since the finer grit discs don't last long. Keep every thing super clean including disc so you don't get pigtails, finish with P3000 then buff. Fast, easy and controllable.

You can do by hand if you want. Not too hard a block and squeegee often to check progress and maintain consistency.

Thing people don't realize about working by hand is that your hand isn't as consistent as a machine and can put grooves as quick as a DA can put pigtails. Also, by hand you may remove more clear than by machine due to the nature of pushing and pulling your hand back and forth; the beginning and ending(starting and stopping) of each stroke applies more pressure than the middle of the stroke, and due to smaller surface area with a sanding block you area apply more PSI than with a 6" sanding pad on a DA. You are more likely to leave a more consistent texture that matches OEM when using foam sanding discs on a DA. If you are concerned about only having two layers of clear, then stick with foam disc with an interface pad(remove the interface if you need more cut and leveling) and you will leave more paint on the panel. A finer grit will get the job done and take a little longer, and may require more paper but, you will save more paint. Also, in essence, starting with a courser grit will cost just as much in sanding material because then you are having to remove courser scratches. Starting with 2000 is a good starting point. From there you can get more aggressive if need be. Can always go more aggressive easier than you can put the paint/clear back on the panel. Also, starting with finer grit and finishing with the finest you can(P5000) requires less compounding, and can even allow you to use a DA rather than a rotary, which reduces the risk of removing too much paint, or cutting/burning through the paint.

ShaunShinesDetailing wrote:Thing people don't realize about working by hand is that your hand isn't as consistent as a machine and can put grooves as quick as a DA can put pigtails. Also, by hand you may remove more clear than by machine due to the nature of pushing and pulling your hand back and forth; the beginning and ending(starting and stopping) of each stroke applies more pressure than the middle of the stroke, and due to smaller surface area with a sanding block you area apply more PSI than with a 6" sanding pad on a DA. You are more likely to leave a more consistent texture that matches OEM when using foam sanding discs on a DA. If you are concerned about only having two layers of clear, then stick with foam disc with an interface pad(remove the interface if you need more cut and leveling) and you will leave more paint on the panel. A finer grit will get the job done and take a little longer, and may require more paper but, you will save more paint. Also, in essence, starting with a courser grit will cost just as much in sanding material because then you are having to remove courser scratches. Starting with 2000 is a good starting point. From there you can get more aggressive if need be. Can always go more aggressive easier than you can put the paint/clear back on the panel. Also, starting with finer grit and finishing with the finest you can(P5000) requires less compounding, and can even allow you to use a DA rather than a rotary, which reduces the risk of removing too much paint, or cutting/burning through the paint.

Hmmm. Lots to think about.

I know I should avoid body lines, but what about the pillars on the doors? While spraying the hood, my daughter distracted me, and I leaned on the wet A pillar with my hand. I did spray more clear on the hand print (I was wearing disposable gloves), so it's not as bad as it sounds, but I'd still like to touch it up. Worried that a DA could burn through quickly.

ShaunShinesDetailing wrote:To reduce the orange peel to resemble OEM you don't want to block sand. One of the most efficient ways is to use a foam interface pad with a foam sanding disc on a DA. Using 2000-3000 grit should work and not be too aggressive. The foam interface keeps you from leveling too much orange peel by not allowing the disc to be completely flat but, instead contour to the texture. It also reduces the aggressiveness of the sanding disc/pad. Then compounding with wool should remove the sanding marks and burnish the surface. Following with a medium cut polish and a foam pad will remove swirls and holograms, and bring the finish up to a deep gloss. Do you have a rotary? If so, are you experienced with buffing with it?

I have buffed guitars on a stationary buffing station, meaning I have great appreciation for the direction of rotation with respect to the edges. Do it incorrectly and it will throw your guitar across the shop.

I've never buffed with a rotary, but I've got a 2'x3' section of fender painted so I can practice on it.

No variable speed grinder. I'll dig it out, but I think it is single speed.