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Final Paint Prep & Sanding



Sorry about the long sabbatical guys, but the work thing has been kicking my ass, 72 hours per week doesn’t leave a lot of time to keep up on the old blog, but I’m back now, please keep the applause to a low roar LOL, I know it’s about time to update the info here, so it’s down to business.

Our last article was Body Work & Final Prime, so what came after the final prime, well you’d need to unmask the car first, and then pull it out of the paint booth and get it ready to sand, by get it ready I mean wash it, and get all the primer over spray and dust that have settled on the car.

Now we’re going to prep the car for paint or sealer, it’s up to you rather you seal it or not, if during the sanding process you happen to go through the primer in a spot or two, or your worried about scratches that might show through the paint work, then it’s best to lay a couple of coats of sealer before you paint the car.

So now that we have that out of the way, I’ll explain how I’d go about prepping the car for paint, I always seal the car if your wondering, it’s just a good idea to me, yes it’s an extra step, but remember, your not in a hurry if you want your car done right.

I start by getting a bucket of water with a little dish soap in it, and a hose, then I load a long sanding block with 220 grit wet sand paper, it’s best to use the longest block possible, you trying to smooth the surface of the primer and get it ready for paint, I tend to like the rubber sanding blocks for sanding primer, but again this is up to you, there are a lot of styles of sanding blocks.

What I look to do with the 220 grit sand paper is smooth the surface of the primer. On the first stage of sanding is where you could cause the ocean wave effect, or wash board effect on your car, this is why I start with 220 grit wet paper foe the first stage of sanding, starting with 220 grit paper will minimize this effect, what you’re looking for before you move to the next stage of sanding is a pure ultra smooth look and feel to the primed surface of the car.

During the next step I step up to 320 grit wet paper, but you can go right to 400 grit, it’s your choice, what I look for during this stage of sanding is a dull shine over the entire surface of the car, once I have achieved this appearance I can move to the next and last stage of sanding for the project.

In the last step of the prep I move to 600 grit wet paper, I know that there are people that don’t agree with this step of the process, but I have done it for years, and taken prizes in shows doing it, most people would stop at 400 grit, and this is up to you but I will tell you this, you will not have any scratches showing through the paint after your done, what I look for here is almost a hazy mirror look to the primer when I’m done, when I achieve this look it’s time for sealer, and the prep sanding is done.

By: David Atkin

About the Author:

I’ve been in the automotive business for about 20 or 25 years, I have worked in all facets of the industry, from parts to restoration, all different makes and models, I just want to keep people interested in the old cars because it’s where my heart is.

http://autorevival.com



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