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Do I keep sanding?? First time cutting clearcoat

Kimodc

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Hello, to say I am anxious about taking sandpaper to my newly painted car is an understatement....but I am proceeding slowly after reading/watching others do it. My paint came out quite flat, so I am hand sanding with 1500 grit on a 6” thin durablock. It is taking very little effort to flatten the paint.

My question is.......I have a thicker build up of paint/clear around the door edges and fender edges.....Do I keep flattening the paint so close to the edge, or do I simply leave it, polish it and not risk cutting through to the base coat on the edge. It has taken me the better part of a year to get this far and do NOT want to have to repaint. I have enclosed a pic to make it more clear.

C5DE67B1-EA5D-41FC-A293-BF66CCB9C72F.jpeg 00DD08D9-BE58-43E8-9793-C2F9646B77AE.jpeg
 
Hello, to say I am anxious about taking sandpaper to my newly painted car is an understatement....but I am proceeding slowly after reading/watching others do it. My paint came out quite flat, so I am hand sanding with 1500 grit on a 6” thin durablock. It is taking very little effort to flatten the paint.

My question is.......I have a thicker build up of paint/clear around the door edges and fender edges.....Do I keep flattening the paint so close to the edge, or do I simply leave it, polish it and not risk cutting through to the base coat on the edge. It has taken me the better part of a year to get this far and do NOT want to have to repaint. I have enclosed a pic to make it more clear.

View attachment 993584 View attachment 993585

which panel is it? Normally you mask the edge so the risk is not there. Also not sure what you sanded with. Or how many coats you applied of clear. 1500 is a little coarse. You may have to go 2000 wet. Then 3000 wet Providing you have enough material there.
 
I have never gone beyond 2000 grit. Maybe I should but so far, 2000 had resulted in some nice work.
The goal is to sand in increments, leaving a little for the next higher grit to smooth out. If there is minimal orange peel, 1500 seems pretty mild to me. I often start with a light pass of 800 if there is mild orange peel just to knock down the high spots. As the surface gets sanded down to where there is no shine left, it is at that point where eliminating sanding scratches is the new goal. Each grit count knocks out the bigger scratches but also puts in some finer scratches of it's own. This is why you shouldn't make large jumps in grit count. Going from 600 to 2000 for example.
The edges sometimes have more paint and clear build up on them than the rest of the panel, at least that has happened with me before. Hand sanding as opposed to using a D/A can save you from cutting through to the paint. A cut through isn't the end of the world. If caught early, you may be able to spot in a few thin coats of clear and it may blend. Metallics do make that more difficult though since the flakes get disrupted by sanding them.
 
I always sprayed at least 3 coats of clear. Now I use a DA to sand my clear but the proses is the same. I start with 1500 then go to 2000. You can buff it after the 1500 but it will take more time, compound to buff it out. When I did my dads 62 polara (black) I sprayed 3 coats block sanded it with 800 sprayed 3 more coats. DA it with 1500, 2000 then 3000 turned out like glass
 
the edge build up is as you know now from not spraying past the panel end. Nothing wrong with starting with 1500 wet as long as you have plenty of clear on it 3 plus coats, as soon as you loose the orange peel or any nibs switch to your 2000 wet.
Do not use that soft Dura Block on the panel ends on that build up.
They can be worked down but use 2000 wrap on a 3 or 4" piece of paint stick work up and down and here is the main thing.

When that little light starts flashing in your brain { warning } stop sanding. Your not going to remove it without sanding through the edge. Your just trying to dumb it down / blend it into the panel. The soft block will screw you over on a edge.
 
Thanks for the replys. I sprayed 4 coats of clear, and I don't think it is an issue of not spraying past the panel ends. I think like KD says, it is just builds up a little more around the edges as the clear flows out. I will use a paint stick and sand flat around the edges and see if I can bring that ridge along the panel edge down. The first pic is of the front fender well, the thin shiny darker looking line is simply the paint that has not yet been touched by the sandpaper because of the higher ridge right along the fender edge. Second pic is between front fender and door, showing the same issue.
 
you can knock that down no problem........do it by hand, no block....... just a small piece of paper on your finger tips

3000 on a DA wet (not on the edge) will make your buffing life much easier, and the job much nicer..... spend 80 bucks on a 15 pack. you will come back here to thank me

 
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I have been taking my time and carefully sanding, checking often, and stopping as soon as it is flat. Haven't needed to go more agressive then 1500 so far except for a small spot or two where 1000 knocks it down faster, then follow up with 1500. I did get a pack of Trizact 3000 and did one fender with it, that stuff is amazing, well worth the $80 price tag! Thanks for the advice eldubb440! Polishes up easy afterwards.
 
3000 on a DA wet (not on the edge) will make your buffing life much easier, and the job much nicer..... spend 80 bucks on a 15 pack. you will come back here to thank me

I did get a pack of Trizact 3000 and did one fender with it, that stuff is amazing, well worth the $80 price tag! Thanks for the advice eldubb440! Polishes up easy afterwards.

you are welcome! .......... so often good advice goes ignored
 
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