Scratches left after sanding motorcycle parts

Discuss anything after that final masking comes off.

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 10:31 am
Hi All

I’m wrapping up a spray job on a motorcycle and and am having difficulty getting rid of the sand scratches after buffing. The parts in question were sprayed a purple nightshade pearl over jet black base - so very dark in color. I waited about a week to wetsand and buff.


The process I’ve used is as follows:
1500 wet by hand with a soft block over the entirety of the parts until flat with no peel.
2000 wet by hand with a soft block over the 1500 scratches. Both these with x pattern.
3000 trizact on da damp
5000 trizact on da damp
Meguiars 105 with lake country orange CCS with 7424xp
Meguiars 205 with lake country white CCS with 7424xp

A few theories I have are:
Cheap sandpaper.. I’ve been using the duragold sheets that TCP global sells.
Not enough time spent with 2000 grit after 1500
Not soaking the paper for very long - only soaked the paper for about a minute before starting

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

I also ordered some meguiars m100 and a couple yellow CCS pads to try.
Should I just throw down and invest in a rotary with wool? As with most beginners, that ones a little daunting.
Should I trash the duragold sandpaper?

Thanks!

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 2:46 pm
Dura gold paper is fine, there's better out there but I've
used the Dura gold a lot, and never a problem.
I don't think the scratches are the papers fault.
And I've wet sanded many a times without soaking the paper like suggested,
it still worked fine and definitely not had a problem because of it.
It just makes it sand a little easier if soaked longer.
You probably didn't rid the 1500 scratches with the 2000 enough.
From 2000, I usually buff it out, I don't see a need for those finer grits.

What are you using for the buffing?
Definitely you need a rotary buffer for color compound buffing.
Wool will work much more quickly for the first buffing.
And wool will remove 2000 grit scratches.
I use foam after that.
JC.

(It's not custom painting-it's custom sanding)

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 3:14 pm
I generally sand with 1000, 1500 and 2000 then, like JC Clark, I go directly to buffing.
Twisted wool pad on a rotary buffer with Meguiars M-100 (much better than the m-105) to remove scratches and then on to foam pads and polishes.

Front Fender Buffed.JPG
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 3:30 pm
change sanding direction with every grit to see refinement from previous grit.

ive used a guidecoat for sanding mc parts. cheap flat white spray bomb misted over a black paint job.

that m100 and twisted wool on a rotary is the cats ****,too.

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:52 pm
While I am new to this, I'm fairly certain the scratches aren't from the pre basecoat sanding. The surfacer was finished with 600 wet (as I felt 400 was a bit too coarse) and the scratches were nearly totally gone by the second coat of base, and completely gone by the third. I finished with a fourth wet coat of base after that.

My assumption is that the scratches still left after buffing are the 1500 grit used to flatten the peel.

My question now is should I:

Sand with 2000 again thoroughly, then the 3000 trizact again, and so on.

or

Try the yellow lake country pad with meguiars 100 on the da. Will that cut 1500 scatches?

or

Buy the rotary ive been contemplating buying and using that with a lake country twisted wool along with m100.


Also I only sprayed one medium wet followed by two full wet coats of clear.. should I reclear before trying any of the aforementioned ideas?

Thanks again for the help. It's really appreciated.

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 6:02 pm
Agould650 wrote:Hi All

I’m wrapping up a spray job on a motorcycle and and am having difficulty getting rid of the sand scratches after buffing. The parts in question were sprayed a purple nightshade pearl over jet black base - so very dark in color. I waited about a week to wetsand and buff.


The process I’ve used is as follows:
1500 wet by hand with a soft block over the entirety of the parts until flat with no peel.
2000 wet by hand with a soft block over the 1500 scratches. Both these with x pattern.
3000 trizact on da damp
5000 trizact on da damp
Meguiars 105 with lake country orange CCS with 7424xp
Meguiars 205 with lake country white CCS with 7424xp

A few theories I have are:
Cheap sandpaper.. I’ve been using the duragold sheets that TCP global sells.
Not enough time spent with 2000 grit after 1500
Not soaking the paper for very long - only soaked the paper for about a minute before starting

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

I also ordered some meguiars m100 and a couple yellow CCS pads to try.
Should I just throw down and invest in a rotary with wool? As with most beginners, that ones a little daunting.
Should I trash the duragold sandpaper?

Thanks!


you may not have spent enough time on the grit change, might need to have sanded more with each step up seeing that you waited a week. i polish next day.

the steps you done is exactly what i do.

get the 3m white foam cutting pad on that compound
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 9:42 pm
Ended up hitting it some more with the 3000 trizact followed by 5000 followed by the 205 on the white pad. Scratches are gone as is the hazy effect. Thanks for all the help!

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 10:29 pm
Get yourself a rotary buffer - it makes life much easier.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2020 1:20 am
'68 Coronet R/T wrote:Get yourself a rotary buffer - it makes life much easier.


I’m planning to. Is there any one in particular to consider? I really need a 3inch or similar to go along with a full size as I mostly will be doing motorcycle parts and smaller parts.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:37 am
I purchased one of these not too long ago and like it a lot: https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DWP849X-7 ... B004W1WGIC

I have a 3" as well but hardly ever need to use it. The 7" has a flexible pad and with some practice you can buff most parts with it.

'55 Chevy Pickup Hood with curves galore:
Hood Buffed 1.JPG
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31
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