RE: [T3] Is this really happening?

["Keith Park" <topnotch@nycap.rr.com>]

My skill is getting better, but Im certainly not an expert.  The Golf was
the last car I painted and it came out pretty good!  Another thing is
getting the weather to cooperate, which in the past few years has been a
huge issue in the Northeast... this year looks better but....

Keith


On 5 Jun 2007 at 21:03, Keith Park wrote:

> The other thing that bothers me about base/clear is that if
> the base goes on a bit pithy or less than perfectly flat the clear will
have
> even more orange peel.  You don't sand the base right?

You certainly sand the primer, assuming you bought a primer made for 
that. You would also sand the color coat, except for metallics, where 
I doubt it is recommended.

The clear and the color coat should have the same chemistry, so if 
you do the clear fairly soon after the color goes on, it will soften 
the color and melt into it a bit. This is actually what you want to 
assure a good bond between the 2 layers. I think it's possible to 
actually cure a bit of orange peel in the color coat with skillful 
application of the clear.

Orange peel occurs when the paint drys too fast. That means that it 
didn't have time to flow out and flatten on its own. Done right, it 
will flow to a perfectly flat surface, but getting this is partly a 
matter of skill on the painter's part, and partly in the right choice 
of reducer. The right choice of reducer depends on the temperature 
and humidity when you actually spray.

Some paint systems also include a retarder, which is an additive 
which slows down the drying process. This is something you can add if 
you're having trouble with orange peel.

-- 
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Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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