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First time shooting single stage gloss black and I'm having trouble getting orange peel to where I want it. Even with 600 grit. The main problem is after sanding everything looks dull and looks like the peel is out but then I go to buff and the peel is still not where I want it.

Heres what it looks like after colorsanding (completley dull):


Heres what it looks like after a pass of buffing(camera doesn't pick up orange peel well):



Does single stage paint typically go completely dull when wet sanding even when the peel isn't out? I'm used to shooting two stage paint bc/cc and it's a lot easier to tell when the peel is out. Any tips appreciated

How are you sanding? I usually find that I have to go to a "harder" back up block when hand sanding something like this. Downside to that is you are probably removing some of your UV protection going at it that hard. Maybe hard block it all down and try to do another flow coat on there? Coronet will probably jump in here with comments. He's better at troubleshooting peel problems. What you are running into is the major thing I hate about single stage......

Thanks for the reply Darrellk, I'm Block sanding with this:

https://www.amazon.com/Preppin-Weapon-S ... ding+block

A flow coat sounds like a good idea but I'm worried it may still show though the clear

Well, that block sounds like it should be hard enough as a backer to get the peel out.....hmmmmm......maybe just "get on it" a little harder?

And I'm not sure what you mean by..... "A flow coat sounds like a good idea but I'm worried it may still show though the clear." Just single stage here, right....no clear?

DarrelK wrote:And I'm not sure what you mean by..... "A flow coat sounds like a good idea but I'm worried it may still show though the clear." Just single stage here, right....no clear?

Yup it's currently just single stage. I just meant if I was going to do a flow coat I'd probably clear over it

I get it.....that makes sense.....

The clear in the single stage is supposed to rise to the surface upon curing from what I have read. This is why it needs to be applied like a clear coat and not like a base coat.

I don't use SS very often but when I do I shoot wet coats to keep things flowing.

Darrell is right about loosing your UV protection. Sanding especially with 600 grit will in theory reduce the longevity of your paint job.

Are you sure you are seeing orange peel and not scratches?

600 grit is a pretty deep scratch. 1000 grit scratches can throw a monkey wrench into the buffing process. I find that it is critical to remove all the deep grit scratches if you want the buffed finish to look like glass.

I don't see orange peel in that picture but I do see a lot of urethane wave.
It takes a coarse paper and long strokes with a block to rid urethane wave.
Most people make the mistake by using real short strokes when color
sanding and that causes the wave like your picture, especially when they sand
using only their hand.

When you say single stage I assume you're using urethane, which is exactly
what clear coat is. Single stage paints like enamels and lacquers are a different matter.

If you don't like sanding SS color, put a couple clear coats over it and buff just like
you normally do basecoat/clearcoat

JCCLARK wrote:I don't see orange peel in that picture but I do see a lot of urethane wave.
It takes a coarse paper and long strokes with a block to rid urethane wave.

I too see the wave, Sand it and Clear it.