Clearcoat/Wetsanding general refin Questions...

[theodie]

Re: Clearcoat/Wetsanding general refin Questions...

When I finished my Warmoth LP, I had the good fortune of working for 3M. As such, I got a free sample of 3M Perfect-It II compound from the sales guys. It's what auto body places use to fine polish a new car finish. Unfortunately it's not sold to the general public.

Seriously, it is available to the bowling community though. Yes, this is used on bowling equipment also.

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Clearcoat/Wetsanding general refin Questions...

...Without posting embarrassing pictures...

If I now have a few spots of wrinkling in the clearcoat, how did it happen, can I wetsand it out, or am I screwed. Convince me to not stab this thing with a screwdriver and throw it out the window.

This isn't fun anymore and I'm never doing it again The guitar looks great except for those like, two blobs of wrinkle, and one of them's fairly large/obvious. Should have left well enough alone.

EDIT: Fixed, then got overzealous and sandthrough. If I look at it anymore I'm going to chuck it, so I'm putting this one away for a while...

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Clearcoat/Wetsanding general refin Questions...

If the color isn't a metalic (I can't tell for sure) or if you didn't sand through into the color coat, yes, you should have been able to level it out with wet sanding. Wet sanding will dull the shine but you get that back with the buffing.

Ofttimes trying to fix minor flaws just causes more problems and if it's not too noticable you might have been better off just leaving it alone. A machine buff with the right rubbing compound might hide the flaw without too much wet sanding though. In auto painting, fixing flaws often requires a re-shoot down to the color coat of the entire panal.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Clearcoat/Wetsanding general refin Questions...

Breath, breath....

If it helps at all, you are not going through anything that myself (or anyone that has refinished a guitar) has had to deal with.

Take a break and reassess in a day or two with a fresh mind.

 

[Redmist]

Re: Clearcoat/Wetsanding general refin Questions...

Sounds like you put on the coats too thick without enough time in between.
We did warn ya, man.
You have to let it cure down properly before you try to sand out the flaw otherwise you can easily go through the clearcoat.
Oops! Too late.
Actually it's easy to go through the clearcoat at any time.
Your next one will be better.

 

[dressed2kill]

Re: Clearcoat/Wetsanding general refin Questions...

...Without posting embarrassing pictures...
If I now have a few spots of wrinkling in the clearcoat, how did it happen, can I wetsand it out, or am I screwed. Convince me to not stab this thing with a screwdriver and throw it out the window.

Usually wrinkling is your paint underneath not being cured, it's still soft, the clear you put over top is pulling it. Or just too much clear, the duplicolor paint is touchy, actually anything you buy in a spray bomb is touchy because it's full of thinners to help it dry fast.

I was going to warn you about sand through but I see you already found that one out too.

You've gained a lot of experience though, now when you do your next one you know exactly how to go about things.