00project

ive looked up 3971234875 threads on painting moldings, mirrors, and skirts, but havent found any DIY thread with EXACT steps for noobies like me.

can someone with the expertise please make one???

from what i gather:
1. remove parts from car
2. sand (with what grit paper? wet sand?)
3. prime
4. paint thin even layers
5. wetsand?!?? (what grit? and HOW?)
6. clearcoat?? (is this what makes the finish glossy??)

please help!
ive never painted anything....
thanks for helping out a noob!

cibs

Personally I never wetsanded anything...

- I removed the parts
- clean thoroughly
- sand down if there are imperfections dings, scratches etc (400, 800, 1500)
- use non metal primer
- paint thin even layers
- clear coat (one thin layer, then one THICK *** layer, making sure it doesn't run, to make sure it spreads evenly and gets all nice and shiny)


then you let it dry and it turns out beautifully

imported_GoldBadge

Some Tips:

Wait 10 - 15 min between coats. 1/2 hour between primer and first coat.

Pre-wash with Sunlight or similar product.

Wait a week before you go and wash / wax it.

Take Your Time!

Shake the can well and often. Spray a bit out before you begin to spray the object. Watch out near the end of the can because it can sometimes sputter and spray little globs instead of an even flow.

That's about it. Practice makes perfect. Use good pait and good technique and you will get good results.

cibs

except for the primer and first coat, for that it depends what primer you use, the one i had you had to do it within 15 in of the last coat of primer while the primer was still sticky cuz if you waited too long it would dry and be useless...

practice definatley makes perfect tho. The more you do, the better you'll get at it.

imported_GoldBadge

Ya, maybe just treat the primer the same as any other step...i can't remember what I did on my old skirts, but they came pretty nice, way better than I expected for a DIY.

00project

what are the steps i need to take to wetsand? how is wetsanding more beneficial to regular sanding??

imported_GoldBadge

I never bothered to wetsand. I didn't like the sound of sanding a paint finish; I was afraid that I'd mess it up. So, I just left it and it turned out fine.

00project

so wetsanding is only for after everything's been painted?
what is the purpose of wetsanding??