wet sanding and buffing

[zukigsxr1000]

Was the paint job base coat clear coat, or single stage and how much clear coat was applied?

This will make a big difference in how much you sand to remove orange peel...... I have been painting for a while now and the shop I used to work did show quality custom paint jobs, some cars we would wet sand with 1000, 1500, 2000, and even hit it with 3000grit paper to give it a glass like look. Some times we would sand a car for a couple of days before we buffed it.It just depends on how much clear coat was sprayed on the bike...

And the whole process of wet sanding/ buffing is to eliminate orange peel.

definition of orange peel = when the pressure from the paint gun sprays the paint onto a project or suface it leaves an imprint or impression on the paint. Making the finish look similar to the surface of an orange rather then that of glass. seen in the OP pics

Single stage paint is when the base color and clear coat are mixed prior to painting. This is good because you can paint something in have the time versus base coat then clear coat.

BUT...... it makes wet sanding and buffing harder and limits the amount you can do before you burn or scratch through the clear..

Dual-stage or base/clear, is when you spray a base coat, allow it to cure then spray the clear over top. It takes a lot longer to do but it allows you to put a ton of clear coat on a paint job, allowing you to sand out the orange peel to get a mirror or "glass" like finish..

If he sprayed single stage I would start with 1500grit MAKE SURE TO USE A SANDING BLOCK OR WEDGE.... get your water nice and warm and even put a dash of soap in it, The warm water will make the sand paper easier to bend and the soap will make the process a bit more gentle.

The sanding block is used so you have a flat even surface to sand versus the groves you will leave just using your hand.

Stay away from the edges of the plastics,or big creases in their design cause the amount of paint will be thin there.. You will know when to change to a higher grit when the plastics look hazey and have no shine left.

Work your way too 2000grit then use 2500grit to top it off. Take your time and be gentle

I recomend using some mild rubbing compound with a soft towel to hand buff versus an electronic buffer, cause if you hold an electronic buffer in the same spot for a too long it will burn through the paint job.

REMEMBER all you are doing is sanding down the orange peel to even out the clear, be gentle and change your sanding water frequently

Call me if you got any questions 513 313 3856 Andrew

[zukigsxr1000]

A good painter, will use his paint gun like an extension of his body and spary the paint so well he will have little to no orange peel at all.. so the factories use computer guided and cotrolled machines to paint most cars. these machines spary the paint with such low pressure to create little to no orange peel

the also use HVLP guns (high volume low pressure) versus a traditional spray gun. these guns flow the paint at a constant low rate of 10 to 12 psi while using same volume as a conventional spray gun.

so conventional guy--- 35 psi to paint

HVLP gun------------- 12psi

the lower the pressure, the less air to orange peel the paint

[zukigsxr1000]

sorry for the triple post...

I switched to HVLP about a year ago and Its a world of difference. The paoin flows so much better and it cuts the normal amount of orange peel in half

[Disclaimer]

Lots of good info in here... but, I'm a f*(kup when it comes to these things and I think I made my scratches worse trying to do a touchup and clearcoat job. The touchup looked fine, until I put the clear on it. It appears to have mixed with the paint and turned it a different shade and it's all wavy now instead of smooth.

Anyone "know a guy" around here (Westside Cleveland area) that could fix a couple dime-sized areas on my fairings? I could attempt it myself, but it's probably better to let a pro do it when it comes to cosmetic parts. I'm hoping someone can do this pretty cheap (e.g. $50 + a case of beer or...)??