Painting/orange peel question

Hello all. I decided to try my hand at some painting on my '81 XJ 750. I pulled one of the side covers, used a hair dryer to remove the decal, and some 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper to sand it down. I then used some 400grit to make it a bit smoother. I then primed it with some Plasti-Kote implement enamel sandable primer. I put on about 3 coats, and then went at that with some 1000 grit wet/dry (all sanding done wet). After I had that smooth (at least I thought it was smooth!), I laid down about 3 coats of Plasti-Kote gloss black enamel. I then wet sanded again with the 1000 grit. To make a long story shorter, I eventually put about 3 coats of clear on it (plasti-kote again).

My problem is that I can't get rid of the orange peel. I've never painted anything before, so I have to assume what I'm seeing is orange peel. The surface isn't "smooth as a babies *ss" like I think it should be.

Can anybody help me here? Do I need to use finer sand paper? Did I not spend enough time sanding? How long should I wait between coats to sand?

It seemed like every time I'd sand and then put on another coat (of either the primer, paint, or clear) the orange peel would just come back. It doesn't look too bad the way it sits, but I just feel like it should be more of a mirror finish.

Help!

Frustrated,

Muttly

 

Wet sand with 1500 then 2000 grit papers. And don't just use water. Mix in some mild soap with the water. Just take your time and the orange peel will go away, especially with that many coats of paint.

 

You need to clean the part with soap and water before you paint it.

 

just keep sanding until its gone. or get some high solids buffing compound and a small buffer.... that really cuts it down fast

 

going up in grit won't do anything for the next coat but increase your chances of poor adhesion. Before sanding primer you can mist the piece with some black spray paint, this is called a guide coat. This shows your highs and lows and lets you now when you have sanded flat, no peel left in the primer. Getting rid of the peel in the clear is the hardest. If you don't putt it down wet enough it will have a rough peel, but the line between minimal peel and a run is very thin. Wet sand your clear flat and try laying on a wetter coat. You can also Wet sand flat with at least 2000 and buff, this is how most show cars and bikes get that super flat and glossy look.

 

Well, first of all, expecting a "Show" finish from a rattle can is expecting a lot. I have painted a lot of show cars and I am very proud of my finishes. The owner of the last car I painted had his car appraised and the paint job alone appraised at $11,700.
When you first start prepping the item to be painted, you first must wash it with soap and water. Next use a good quality degreaser / wax remover. Then you can sand it with a 360 wet / dry paper with water and go back over it with the degreaser / was remover, dry it and tack it off with a tack rag or cloth to remove any lint or dust.
I am really not a big fan of enamel paint on anything that I want to look good. However, since you started with enamel primer you don't have much choice. It is best to use a good lacquer based primer. Normally the can will say "Sandable Primer". Typically, enamel primer in a rattle can is not intended to be sanded before top coating. Normally, when the enamel primer gets just barely dry (you can still leave fingerprints) you can over spray with the top coat until you reach the desired coverage and let it dry.
Keep in mind that most enamels stay fairly soft and take a long time to cure. I might add that gasoline will cause the enamel paint to lift until it is fully cured, which takes quite a bit of time unless it is baked after spraying.
If I use any kind of enamel, it is polyurethane. It dries faster and harder and is more resistant to lifting by fuels. Oh, enamel runs very easily also.
The most common cause of "Orange peel" is applying too little material (paint), or the paint not being thinned enough. It is kind of difficult to thin paint in a spray can. Also if the temperature is too cold it will orange peel. Another better choice over enamel is Acrylic enamel which can be bought at most automotive paint stores. Orange peel is nothing more than the paint not flowing out the way it should. You seem to not be so sure that it is orange peel which makes me wonder if it is not going on too dry. Too dry will look very dull, and actually looks dry with very little shine. A lot of people actually like orange peel because they feel it makes the painted item look shinier in the sun. :?:

Ed

 

Thanks for the information Ed. I"m really frustrated at this point. I sanded the part back down last night, and then washed it with some cleaner/degreaser the guy at the auto store told me to use. I then sprayed it again with the clear coat, and again I have orange peel. Not sure what to do. I'm actually thinking about taking your advice and sanding the whole thing down again and starting over with a laquer paint instead of enamel. Maybe that would "flow out" better than the enamel. What do you think?

 

are you sure the spray gun is set up correctly? i know that too high of an airflow setting or too low of a paint flow setting can cause orange peel. Also moving the gun too fast or spraying too far away can cause this as well.