[SaturdaysSHO]

Well I painted my recently aquired lightbar. This is what I did-

1. Sanded
2. Primered (let dry)
3. Sanded slightly
4. Coat of Silver Frost (let dry)
5. " "
6. " "
7. Coat of Clear Kote (let dry)
8. " "
9. " "

Well its all dry and now it, the paint has a rough texture to it. What do I do? What did I not do?

Thanks

Nick Saturday

 

[Ryne]

wet sanding will take out the highs and make the surface smoother, and shineyer. But you should have done that before the clearcoat.... you can probably still do it though, but don't hold me to that

 

[sabledale]

lets see some pics.

 

[SaturdaysSHO]

Sorry sabledale, I let my anger and frustration get the best of me. I tried to wet sand it, but I was getting no luck and I made things worse. I now have sanded off all the paint and am back pretty much where I started from. I'm just gonna see if my friends body shop guy can hook me up. Its already sanded, and I can tape it off all they would need to do is spray it. *mumbles sware words*

Nick Saturday

 

[sfblacksel]

You may want to try putting the clear coat on a little heavier. You want it almost till it runs, but not quite. Airesole paints can't be applied as light as a regular spray paint with an air gun can do.

 

[detroit_raver]

Nick, are you in MI? maybe its too cold right now? i know that it should be like in the 60-70's to spray paint right??!?! not sure where you did it at.

 

[SaturdaysSHO]

Sarah, I'm in Illinois, and its not much warmer! But I didn't do it at my house. I used my Grandfathers heated garage, and boy was it nice. It was about 65* in there so it shouldn't have affected my lack of painting skills. If I were to do it again what should I do. I'm not to sure about spray painting and the way it works so this first time was like an experiment to me.

Nick Saturday

 

[sabledale]

If you want to change the color try what I did. File down some 168 bulbs and put them in the grill. Then add some colored gell caps. Works fairly well, but dosn't show up that great during the day because the bulbs are not quite bright enough. At night it has a nice green glow though.

 

[firespirit]

Originally posted by sabledale@Feb 19 2004, 05:10 PM
If you want to change the color try what I did. File down some 168 bulbs and put them in the grill. Then add some colored gell caps. Works fairly well, but dosn't show up that great during the day because the bulbs are not quite bright enough. At night it has a nice green glow though.

I think you're talking about the g2 light grill in the front of the Sable. Vulcan has the g3 Taurus, and he wants the reflector bar (the brown center peice on G3s) to be the same color as his car, like the g3 SHO reflector bar.

I wouldn't understand why it would be ... gritty? Maybe you should sand and try again. Did you take everything off the bar (after you sanded) and did you make sure you did? Wipe it with some cloth or something?

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[TrueBlue]

What kind of paint did you use... Acrylic? Laccquer? Enamel? Urethane?

You didn't sand the high spots down far enough. What kind of primer did you use?

 

[SaturdaysSHO]

True Blue This is what I used and what I did...

1. Masked off Reflectors and Reverse Lamps with masking tape
2. Sanded down Light Bar with 180 grit sandpaper
3. Dusted off the lightbar and checked for inconsistencies in my sanding fixed them
4. "Brite Touch" (Grey) General Purpose Primer (x3) 10 min. dry time/coat
5. Sanded lightly the primer with 180 grit sandpaper (bad idea?)
6. Dusted off the lightbar and checked for inconsistencies in my sanding fixed them
7. "Plasti Kote" (Silver Frost) Car Color Acrylic Laquer (x3) 10 min dry time/coat
8. "Plasti Kote" (Clear) Kustom Effex Clear Coat (x3) 10 min dry time/coat

Thats all I had done.

After I got fed up with it and started wet sanding with the clear coat on there (probably another bad idea) and it seemed to lighten up and shine a little better along with being much smoother. But it started to look a little scratchy, and eventually I got ticked and started wet sanding all of the paint, and primer off. Talk about lack of patients

Nick Saturday

P.S. I also clear coated over the reflectors and reverse lamps, and now it has a little bit of a rough feeling and the reflectors look a tad dull. Not the reverse lamps they just feel rough.

 

[hiddnen]

my 4 dollars...
primed

painted

installed

didnt sand a thing...and its smooth as it was before i painted...

i had a problem with the tape i used so i had to use some 3m adheasive remover stuff to get it off and it took the "gloss" out of my black gloss paint...and clear cloat didnt make it shiny either... so when it gets warmer this summer gonna get me some nite shade or w/e and spray it all and be done it with it...

but it aint nuttin...cause no one be competing with my rear anway....

hehe

 

[hiddnen]

o and it is a bit more shine-e-er now after a few coats of wax and show shine...

 

[TrueBlue]

1. Masked off Reflectors and Reverse Lamps with masking tape

2. Sanded down Light Bar with 180 grit sandpaper
Was the texture rough, or just lightly scored?

3. Dusted off the lightbar and checked for inconsistencies in my sanding fixed them
Did you wash the lightbar? Lighly soapy water works pretty well, I also find a mild detergent soultion is good.

4. "Brite Touch" (Grey) General Purpose Primer (x3) 10 min. dry time/coat When you spray with primer, you should mist it first, then lightly sand down the misted coat. The areas that are untouched by the sandpaper show you the low spots, the areas abraded heavily show you the highs.

5. Sanded lightly the primer with 180 grit sandpaper (bad idea?)
No...

6. Dusted off the lightbar and checked for inconsistencies in my sanding fixed them

7. "Plasti Kote" (Silver Frost) Car Color Acrylic Laquer (x3) 10 min dry time/coat
Gotta sand after these are cured fully.

8. "Plasti Kote" (Clear) Kustom Effex Clear Coat (x3) 10 min dry time/coat
Depending on how smooth these are, you will have to sand or get in there with rubbing compound or a buffer.


The best way to do this would have been to prime, sand it so there are no high/low spots, lay down a mist coat of paint, let dry, spray a medium coat, let dry, and spray a final, heavy coat. Then you go back and sand down the highs. (rough spots.)

Then spray your clears, wetsand, and after the final coat, either use rubbing compound and/or buff the finish. Wax.

 

[sfblacksel]

I think you may have the wrong clear. It that is possible. Plasti Kote had a regular clear that shoud be used with their regular paints. The Kustom Effex line is strictly for their Kamelion paints. I think you bought the wrong clear coat. I wouldn't think it would matter, but if they make 2 kinds, then maybe it does. It maybe causing a chemical reaction, which then causes bumps. Maybe you should Email the company and see what they say in this case.
mailto: [email protected]

http://www.plastikote.com/plastikote/index.jsp

 

[fastbull]

180 Grit seems kind of rough I would go with 280 and then maybe even go over it lightly again with 400.

 

[TrueBlue]

Originally posted by fastbull@Feb 22 2004, 12:37 AM
180 Grit seems kind of rough I would go with 280 and then maybe even go over it lightly again with 400.

Agreed.

The 180 is good for the first sand, gives the paint something to grab onto. After that, go higher, and use it like it was going out of style. The higher grits load up pretty quick, so don't be shy about going to a fresh sheet.

So far as the clears go, never mix acrylic with laccquer, they don't like each other. You'll get a crackle-style finish.

 

[SheepWrappedinSilk]

:ttiwwop:


I want to see some pics!!!!