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This question comes up all the time. There is more than 1 way to do it. So I wrote down how I do it. It seems to work out perfectly.

Works equally well with automotive paints and spray can paints.

If you have something you can add to it, feel free to post it here and let me know.

To make sure your panels are oil free, like from Armour All and shit, wipe them down several times with a wax and grease remover. If they are really Armour All'ed down, use a brake cleaner.

Get a bucket of soapy water to wetsand with.

Sand the grain out of them with a 80 grit wetsand. Get at least 75% of the grain out. Then wetsand with a 150 - 180 grit. Then move to a wetsand with 220 grit. If for some reason you are odd and like the grain look, skip that part.

Clean the panel again with wax and grease remover and also a tack cloth. I suggest wearing latex gloves to keep oils from your hands transfereing to the panels.

Spary the panel with an Adheisive Promoter. Follow directions on can.

Spray with FILLER primer. As many coats as are needed to fill in all the grain. For small items such as trim panels, kick panels and pillars, SEM makes a filler Primer that is awsome or you can use Duplicolor Grey Filler Primer. They also have a red rust colored filler primer. Avoid it. For some reason it sand horrible.

Wetsand that with 220. If you see your self going to deep into the plastic before you are happy with the finish, dry and clean the panel off with wax and grease remover and spray more primer on it. Keep this process till happy. Final wetsand with 400 grit.

Clean the panel with wax and grease remover and a tack cloth and then paint.

Spray as many coats as you like, 3 is usually plenty, and do it in light coats as heavy will clog and run. Let it dry in the sun if possible as long as you can. Overnight is prefered. If you feel there are some imperfections, wet sand with 600 or more till you are happy. Clean it real good and then spray a clear coat over it. Again in light coats.

I try to let the clear coat dry for a couple days for best results.

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Building The Best.....Repairing The Rest

The bitter after-taste of a poor quality job will last far longer

than the sweetness of that cheap price!

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Originally posted by someone

hey.. the only adhesive promoter i can find is by BULLDOG

lol never heard of it...

Bulldog is one of the better ones. It is probally the best out of a spray can. Also out of the can and equally good is SEM adheisive promoter.

Originally posted by someone

how much of a difference does it make when you dont wet sand? I plan on just sanding mine down... but if the results are drastically worse, perhaps i should wetsand?

anyone tried both?

Dry sanding cause the paper to clogged easier. Causeing less sanding as you do it and more time to constantly clean the paper out.

Wet sanding, especially when you use a bucket of soapy water, will clean the panel as you go. Also keeps the paper clear longer and aids in the cutting.

Originally posted by someone

what about painting the top dash what would the best process be to get paint to stick? and look good

If you want it just painted, follow the steps above to clean and prep it and then paint it.

If you want it smooth for a glass like finish, clean and prep it as above and then lay several layers of filler primer over it. Do that in 3 steps or so till all the grain is out. Sand it smooth using the wet sand method and 220 grit. The lay some paint on it.

Now understand this..... if you push really hard on top of the dash, you can crack it. Although in all my years I have yet to see someone lay on top of their dash, or kneel on it. I suspect your dash will last for plenty of show seasons. I know people who have done this plenty and the dash looks awsome still.

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Building The Best.....Repairing The Rest

The bitter after-taste of a poor quality job will last far longer

than the sweetness of that cheap price!

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Originally posted by someone

where can you get the "spray filler primer"?? home depot or lowes?

If you are talking about the spray can kind, let me suggest this.

SEM Filler Primer.

It is really, really thick for something that comes out of a can. And it lays out smooth. Sands easy.

You will have to pick it up at your local autopaint supply store. About $14 a can. But worth it.

If that is not an option for ya, then the Duplicolor Filler Primer, (Grey color only), can be bought at Wal-Mart, Auto Zone, Advanced Auto or any of the other parts places.

Never looked for it in Home Depot or Lowes.

Originally posted by someone

Do you recommend armorall on painted and cleared coated plastic surfaces?

Armour All is the Devil.

Unless of course you have a stock interior, then it works good.

For painted peices, I use Meguiars Quik Wax after the paint is cured once a month and Quick Detailer when you want to clean it. Spray on, wipe off, flip cloth and wipe again.

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Building The Best.....Repairing The Rest

The bitter after-taste of a poor quality job will last far longer

than the sweetness of that cheap price!

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This is the same Tips I have on www.fiberglassforums.com and thought I would post them here also.

Maybe it will help someone out.

Maybe it will make a sticky?

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Building The Best.....Repairing The Rest

The bitter after-taste of a poor quality job will last far longer

than the sweetness of that cheap price!

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if you want the grain look like stock you can just scuff the plastic with a red scotch brite pad. i personally would use elasto-actif one any plastic that may be twisted or tweaked to go back on the car or whatever. its cheap insurance.

and depending on the tempature where your at the paint only needs 8 hours to fully cure if you dont have a heated paint booth

other than that pretty good

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  • 4 months later...

This is the same Tips I have on www.fiberglassforums.com and thought I would post them here also.

Maybe it will help someone out.

Maybe it will make a sticky?

It had fallen real deep and it was asked a few times so I dug it out. :):):):):)

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Building The Best.....Repairing The Rest

The bitter after-taste of a poor quality job will last far longer

than the sweetness of that cheap price!

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  • 1 month later...

Just adding some info on a couple spray can clears that i recommend if you don't have a gun and compressor available.

The clear goes on AFTER the paint.

The trick is finding a good aerosol clear if you don't have a paint gun and compressor set up.

If you must use a spray can clear, and I do sometimes, here are 2 thjat I use and work good. And when they are cured, you can wet sand them just fine.

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It is a 1k clear. Meaning it is 1 part. Fan pattern spray and lays on thick.

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It is an Alsa spary can. They fill it with whatever you want. They offer it in 1k and 2k. 2k means it has a hardener. You push a button on the bottom, it punctures the hardener inside, shake it up, and spray it. You only have 1 use, but it is great. pricy though.

Neat thing is they offer ALL KINDS of paint in this can.

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Building The Best.....Repairing The Rest

The bitter after-taste of a poor quality job will last far longer

than the sweetness of that cheap price!

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  • 3 weeks later...

got a question about the clear i used some rustolum clear from work and it worked great but what do u suggest about wetsanding what grit and how should i do it the car has been donr for a couple weeks but i never wet sanded the pieces they look good but just wondering exactly what will wet-sanding really do thanks

new toy

97 chevy s10 ext cab

bagged

22s

system (coming soon )

4 soundstream t4-15s walled

2 concept 2410 mono amps

REFS

http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/ind...hl=cartunez2004

http://caraudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t...ht=LOUDCARTUNEZ

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