1st Full Restoration and I Screwed it up at the End

General Discussion. Make yourself at home...read, ask and answer!



Non-Lurker
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:36 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:51 pm
I decided to dive all the way in with an 85 Alfa Romeo Spider project. Great car, no rust, stripped to metal, body work done, built it back up slowly getting all the panels perfect, then during the 2nd clear coat I messed it up. In a complete rookie move, I left my plastic masking on throughout and while spraying my 2nd wet coat I noticed some white flakes (black car) showing up around the masking edges. I convinced myself that it was just some trash, and before I knew it I had buried a couple dozen white flakes (some as big as 1mm) in my clear. I know, I'm an idiot - no argument.

I waited a couple days and started wet sanding to get rid of the flakes and reclear the sections, but as I was afraid, I sanded through the clear (not the base) in order to get the flakes out in a few spots.

I've read what I could, but wanted to get some specific advice.

1. Can I reclear directly over the sandthoughs as I clear the entire panel, or do I need to redo base on (dust) those areas?
2. Would it be better just to sand everything flat with 800 and respray base and clear to the whole panel?
3. How long should I wait before respraying? Valspar 1:1 base and Valspar Eurocoat with fast activator. 60ish degrees where the car is.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I'm one of those people who always learns the hard way, but live and learn - hard. Thanks!

Ty



Top Contributor
Posts: 6735
Joined: Tue May 19, 2009 7:10 pm
Location: OREGON COAST
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2021 5:55 pm
:welcome: did you feather these spots out really good ? if not you're going to have to put some primer on these places and block them flat. if you did a good job and feathered them out good, THEN you can try just dusting a few coats of base on the areas, long dry times. HOPEFULLY you won't get any lifting at the edges where you broke through the fresh clear. OR the SAFE WAY is to spray a light coat of sealer over the cut through areas letting it flash good, don't get in a hurry. now do the same with the base as you were going to do without useing any sealer, just dust the first couple coats. then reclear the complete panel.
Jay D.
they say my name is Jay



Non-Lurker
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:36 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2021 6:23 pm
Thanks Jay. Follow up questions. I'm having a hard time getting down to some of the flakes. Is it a problem to just sand the clear flat with 600-800 and spray the base and clear again? I assume this presents some of the same issues with lifting on the edges of areas I sanded into the base. Can I just sand the clear flat and spray another reduced sealer coat, then my normal base and clear? Any problem with this approach? Thanks for the collective wisdom - I'm building my own the hard way!

Ty



Top Contributor
Posts: 6735
Joined: Tue May 19, 2009 7:10 pm
Location: OREGON COAST
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2021 10:29 pm
if you can sand the clear smooth then do that, coat with your black base and clear. you SHOULD be ok with applying base over the clear as long as there are no sand throughs. note i said SHOULD as when playing this game anything can happen. yes you can use a sealer coat if you want i would defiantly use it where you sanded through. i always like to be on the safe side with problems like this. i've had to redo some 2-3 times, just because i was to stubborn and in a hurry to use a sealer.
Jay D.
they say my name is Jay



Top Contributor
Posts: 6217
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:10 am
Did you "Catalyze" your Base coat?
(Use some of your Clear coats activator in your Base coat before spraying car?)
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



Non-Lurker
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:36 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:15 am
Doright wrote:Did you "Catalyze" your Base coat?
(Use some of your Clear coats activator in your Base coat before spraying car?)


No, it's just a 1:1 with reducer on the original spray. I haven't done anything else yet except sand.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:31 am
Activating the base coat helps immensely with issues like yours. You could simply spray more base over the area and then shoot more clear coat.

The danger now is if the exposed base coat starts to wrinkle when the new base is sprayed over it. This is why badsix said to "dust it on" and wait extra long between coats.

You shoot a very light coat over the area so as not to saturate it with solvent. The next coat will extend just a little bit farther and so on till it is blended into the surrounding panel. Generally 3 coats in my experience unless using a light colored base.

Let that cure and then shoot fresh clear over the entire panel.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



Top Contributor
Posts: 6217
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 4:21 pm
'68 Coronet R/T wrote:Activating the base coat helps immensely with issues like yours. You could simply spray more base over the area and then shoot more clear coat.

The danger now is if the exposed base coat starts to wrinkle when the new base is sprayed over it. This is why badsix said to "dust it on" and wait extra long between coats.

You shoot a very light coat over the area so as not to saturate it with solvent. The next coat will extend just a little bit farther and so on till it is blended into the surrounding panel. Generally 3 coats in my experience unless using a light colored base.

Let that cure and then shoot fresh clear over the entire panel.


My Point EXACTLY!!!!! :goodjob:

I fought my very first complete paint job with this exact problem!
Started off with a Bug and a Tiny Sand through of about the size of a Dime ended up redoing whole side of the car before I got paint not to wrinkle on the sand through area!

Wasn't until many years later I discovered the true cause of that failure on this board.
Always Always activate your Base coat.

At this Point Spray your Base coat on in very light Dusting! Super light coats and let them flash off completely before the next Dusting.
Repeat as necessary till you have full coverage and hiding and blended in well.
You will probably be doing a whole coat of clear over all so scuff it for it.
Beware Clearing over sanded/scuffed clear is more subject to Gravity than Base coat or tacky clear coat in my experience, Generally after scuffing Clear I can get two coats on and If I do a third Gravity will kick in hard lol
I like a lot of clear for sanding and buffing.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.

Return to Body and Paint

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: DougMN and 140 guests