Orange Peel

[Ron Fox]

Is it possible to remove ALL the orange peel out of a paint job?

Thanks,

Ron
1969 Firebird, 4-speed Coupe

[email protected]

[GM Muscle]

as long as theres enough clear on the car it is.. a hard foam block and some 1200 grit, then 1500, then 2000-2500. wool pad with compound then foam pad with machine glaze.. maybe a little swirel remover and you should be golden..you can alternate your strokes to make sure you have knocked out the heavier grits.. like do your 1200 from lower left to upper right then the 1500 in an alternate direction, then the 2000 in a different.. this would come in handy if you were doing the entire car..

[Ron Fox]

Hi GM,

I am not a painter or even a builder like most in here. I am have my '69 Firebird built from the ground up with mods. The person who will be painting my car (not in the near future) says it is difficult to get all orange peel out to where it is smooth as glass. He says it could be done but it would take may hours to do.

I have noticed on a car he painted recently that at the end of the car is where orange peel is noticed. Why is this? Is it because this is where the paint stops or overlaps going back the other way?

Thank you for your help.

Ron
1969 Firebird, 4-speed, Coupe
[email protected]

[GM Muscle]

it is definately a long tiring process. it is probably where the painter started, went around the car and finished. he probably should use a hotter a reducer so the paint stays wetter long enough for him to get around the car. *sometimes*, and its very rare, i have sprayed straight reducer(very hot reducer) or blender directly over the "rough" if im done spraying and notice anything. it will probably haze or fuzz but i would much rather knock off a little haze than deal with orange peel

another thing i have noticed is that if you have a car with a mirror finish like that, it is extremely easy to notice swirls and scratches..

[Ron Fox]

So does the paint dry and while going over the same area a second time causes orange peel? Or is orange peel too much paint in one area?

I am a rookie/non-gear head when it comes to building cars and thats why someone else is building my car. So the past several years I have been reading, watching car tv shows, going to car events, and talking to every gearhead I run into trying to learn all the pros and cons of building a car. It took my close to 2 years to find a builder I could trust and who has the knowledge to build a car with honesty and details.

All the info is greatly appreciated.

Ron
1969 Firebird, 4-speed Coupe

[GregWeld]

Don't forget to add a bit of soap to your sanding water bucket!! That helps keep your paper unclogged....

[camaro2nv]

Depending on the owner and how many coats. I like to start with 800 and work up to 2000 then compound and then polish. With my car Ill shoot it with three coats of clear, let it dry then hit it with 600. Then Ill clean it up really good and re clear the car with five coats. Ill then start with 1200 and work up to 2000. The job will come out REALLY nice like this. The second go round with clear will lay out flat! This will make the cut and buff part easy!

[J2SpeedandCustom]

Originally Posted by Ron Fox

So does the paint dry and while going over the same area a second time causes orange peel? Or is orange peel too much paint in one area?

Orange peel is generally caused by incorrect spray gun setup, incorrect material mixing, or the most common (not enough practice!) Spraying paint/clear is easy making it lay down like glass is an art!

Orange peel can be removed with 1500 grit sand paper on a firm block (if there is enough clear). Factory paint jobs are 1.5 coats thick and generally not enough to sand out the orange peel and polish. Now the cottage cheese/fat lady leg (bigger uneven waves in the panel) that you see is from the filler/primers under the base. You need to have each level of the process as straight as possible starting with the metal, fillers, and primers.

[Ron Fox]

Thanks guys. I am very picky when it comes to small details. Please keep the info coming.

Ron
1969 Firebird, 4-speed Coupe

[Gordz32]

Like everyone says it all comes down to how much material/Clear is on the car. Here at BOS We start with 600/800, 1000, 1500,2000,2500,3000 and then compound/polish. But your painter should know if he's comfortable using 600/800 b4 he dives into it as you can get yourself in trouble pretty fast. Goodluck