Airbrushing - Buffing out the Clear Coat - airbrush

[thenande]

I get orange peel too, but only if the air was not dry enough.. when that happens I sand it off and respray another day... :)

[Mayoneer]

Dude, that background music is killing me...

[thenande]

Hi, I'm just wondering, can anyone tell me why would a sandpapered and polished clear coat be more glossy than a new layer of properly sprayed, unscratched clear coat?

[thiswomps352]

@thenande When you are spraying on clear coat, you're usually not in a perfect spraying environment (unless you are in a professional paint booth) so the clear coat will not lay down perfectly. The speed and distance you spray with can only be humanly controlled, so you no matter what, you will have some slight uneven sections. If you sand it down properly the entire layer of clear coat will be the same height -- meaning as smooth as glass. That is why show cars always look amazing.

[thenande]

@thiswomps352 thanks for your valued reply, but I don't think the height difference is detectable as long as you spray evenly....?



[thiswomps352]

@thenande It is. Depending on what kind of clear coat you use. The particles are extremely small, and as they travel through the air, they will dry a certain amount before they hit the car. Again, depending what clear coat you use, the distance will effect how the clear coat lays down, and eventually, dries and reveals its finish.

[thenande]

@thiswomps352 I see... I guess my experience is different due to the kind of clear coat I use.. for my case, I spray pretty close and move fast so that it doesn't gather and run.. usually when I do that, it is still wet when it hits the car and stays wet and shiny and if the air is dry they look exactly the same when dry...

[thiswomps352]

@thenande Stick with it then, you probably had a better experience than most :)

Most people end up with "orange peel" -- that's the most common reason to wet sand.

I had to wet sand my car due to this (the experience was horrible -- I hated it -- my fingers were sore -- my back was sore -- not doing it again) But I ended up with a finish that still reflects even though I haven't washed my car in 4 months :)

My car was not painted professionally but hey, it was cheap :)

[73mcrd]

great tips

[XXxdjangox]

i just keep thinking wax on wax off grasshopper. lol

[MrSvingy]

hey could u tell me where i can get those cool stencils fokusing on the skull stencil that u used in the laptop video

[AirbrushingTips]

@MrSvingy check out airsickstencils (dot) com.

[RandomTheroy]

wats a good clear coat to use? and can you sand down hard plastics?? please help??

[ThexplicitNV1]

my question is, I'm working on a new guitar project do you think this would work well on the wood of an electric guitar? My last project i didnt worry about shining the guitar because I wanted a worn, aged look.

[eoghanharris]

nice just. just wondering how do you get the 'spiderwebs' out after the rubbing compound?

[Rvekhmk]

wicked tan line on the neck (Y)

[frosted1030]

Nice tutorial, my project is hubcaps on my car, what's the best way to keep it glossy and durable?

[MultiAirbrusher]

Sanding forward and back is best circel is not good way sanding any things on..thahs for sure.

Nice video tony have not see all you vid like i truth

[jwgnall]

To get a even better shine, start out with buffing compound with a wool pad, after wooling, switch to a white foam pad and repeat. Finally finish it off with a gray pad with swirl remover using a small amount and in a small area at a time.

Finally protect your hard work with a hand glaze (3M makes a good one for fresh clear)NEVER put ANY wax on fresh clear for at LEAST 30 days. Clear has to be fully cured or the wax will fade and yellow all your hard work.

[jwgnall]

To get a even better shine, start out with buffing compound with a wool pad, after wooling, switch to a white foam pad and repeat. Finally finish it off with a gray pad with swirl remover using a small amount and in a small area at a time.

[jwgnall]

Nice video, glad to see someone out trying to help others learn some new skills. As you stated, when wet sanding, never circles, always one direction you get a more uniform level which end with a higher gloss. Never use glass cleaner on fresh clear coat, NEVER... spray bottle with plain warm water, and a clean microfiber cloth to clean between buffings.

[storm519]

If I do it by hand?

[storm519]

I'm gonna spray some flames on

My motorcycle should I sand the entire tank and fenders then clean em an go on with painting or just lightly sand where I'm puttin flames ??

[Razwithz]

what brand of clear coat?

[yupitsdana]

awesome! how many layers of clear coat did you use??

[godofm3tal1]

FYI, never use cicular motions... makes detecting sand scratch during buffing almost impossible. Also, only need to use 2000 grit unless your clearcoat went on like shit...

[stalker7d7]

Thanks a lot for the tut. I spray paintes, and did some hand painting onto sheet metal for practice(first piece), and couldn't figure out how to get the clear to shine. I did everything but use rubbing compound. ~_~ Thanks tho, solved my problem in no time!

[snooopy85]

tiesto playin in the background :D

[arsenichell]

hey thanks for the tips and tricks. can you use meguiars scratch x 2.0 instead of the 3m rubbing compound? i got the sponge that can attatch to the drill from my headlight restoration kit and i going to use that on a spoiler. just about finished with the clear coat. cant wait to get this thing on!!!!

[Dorlomir]

what is the function oft that thing you show in the video? :O i dont get it

[bobobbobbobbob5]

I like the techno beat in the background. For some reason it seems to flow perfectly with the tutuorial.

[details78]

what the fuck am I watching? when you're done sanding are you going to plop this thing in the oven and bake it on to a wife beater?

[eturnalb33]

Been airbrushing for multiple years and two biggest probs. i've seen are too cold when applying clear and too much build up. also you can buy a good 2part clear in a spray can at places like coast airbrush that works very well. thanks

[alloutperformance]

Why would anyone use rubbing compound after 2000 grit? Polishing compound in stages.

[PoppetNZ]

**** Yea! That's what I wanted to know.

Thanks for your awesome tutorials, very appreciated.

Keep em coming

[nagkandautot2006]

holy crop!

you did it well....

Awesome video, thanks for posting...

[Rain4Mercy]

Thank you so much! Thant was very helpful. Now to get rid of the flowing river marks. Guess I used to much clear coat.

[THEJ0KER92]

you really need some kind of a flat backing pad.

[untokeson]

thank u for the tips

[tongsbl]

LMFAO --> motoryachtkarilla " You can't trust this bloke, look at those beady eyes! lol "... sooo funny

[gr8vet]

I find it funny, the comments......Ive been painting show cars for 35 years, sure, use a SATA Jet 3000, $500 worth of HOK paint on three small parts, and viola! But, this is not a car, dude, doh! LOL No one becomes a pro from watching youtube videos. Grab a gun and start spraying.

[wagon173]

Granted nobody becomes a pro by watching youtube. But 35 years ago when you started spraying how long did it take you to figure out all the little tips and secrets? You still gotta get to learn your gun or brush, but this dude has eliminated countless screwups that I would have ran into by going old school and just using trial and error! Had you had youtube 35 years ago you'd probably be a savage! I'd like to think in 35 years after these videos, I'd beable to kick your ass with a gun :).

[FordF150Pickup]

Thanks good info

[motoryachtkarilla]

The finish at the end of the vid is anything but automotive quality. You can see the edges of each seperate colour. You need a proper high build 2 pack clear and plenty of coats to get rid of those. Fair enough, this is a PC cover or something is it? So it's not going to be seen in sunlight much, it doesn't need to be perfect, but why does he claim that he can get those results and then fail to deliver. You can't trust this bloke, look at those beady eyes! lol

[NOMONEYMOVIES]

LMAO This Dude Hahahahahahhahahahahah

[musiciskey777]

never use circular motions...

[clown182]

why is that

[musiciskey777]

wow, i get -4 on my comment on not using circular motions when wet sanding...if you go back and forth in a straight line with a block you get rid of the high spots...if your doing circle patters with your hand your not getting rid of the high spots...and obviously if you circle patters the scratches will catch the sunlight from any angle...

[mozzmann]

@musiciskey777 I have ONLY ever polished along the line of the panel on any car I have owned and I NEVER get graze type marks (horrid overlapping circles catching light )

The technique is sound but I'd still use a block to flatten the paintwork even if it had a bit of cloth to soften the contact patch. , Like gr8vet says grab a gun and get spraying and try different things , some work some don't .

[2chris300]

i agree very much i work as a Body man and this guy is just stupid the reason it gets fogy with ours is because ur only supose 2 put a small drop

[mattr1929]

no wonder there are millions of kids f&*%ing up there cars and such .. Wow dont take tips from people who need them is the best Tip here !

[silverbullit]

ive been in the automotive refinishing business for 15 years.You can see that the finish is not very slick...Look at the way the light warps over the painted area...You might wanna get you some house of kolor innercoat clear and spray it over your work before you clear it and use an automotive clear..You never gonna get pro results using anything in a spray can...

[JUNIORMICH]

you get automotive finish by... i dunno.... maybe using AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCS!!!!!!!!!!! not fucking rattle cans dumbass

[52951522]

can u buff out scratches the same way?

[JUNIORMICH]

yes u can, but it all depends on the deepnesssssss of the scretch, if it goes all the way through the paint and u can see the primer or even the metal you cant

[EDKsurly]

Can you use automotive clearcoat through an airbrush on small projects? Ive been using Krylon clear, and it looks like poop

[kochj0713]

In my experience, you can sand all you want, buff all you want, and you will never get out all the scratches out...or make it look flawless.........

Spray automotive clear, and then use Acetone in the gun, and lightly mist it on the OVERSPRAY areas... No buffing needed and PERFECT results...

[emanon72]

always always always use a block wet or dry!

[wagnum357]

Why is having a block so important?  Using just your hand is bad?

[joezhyundai21]

u will have alot of uneven surfaces by hand and a block will show low spots

[Adsh999]

true, same for anything you sand, wood, metal or artwork, you want it to be even

[b1gdawg0434]

Where would one get rubbing compound....Home Depot? Autozone?..

[colterczyruk]

walmart those two, any store with a carwax section will have this

[chrystofur]

rubbing compound is equivalent to 1000-2000 sand paper grit, why are you repeating a step?? You will never take out those 1000 grit sandpaper marks!! Useless...start off with 1500 grit sandpaper then to a fine compound(2000 grit) and finish off with a glaze. I never recommend a wax, that's outdated material.

[aginnsz]

Thanks for the tip. Couple rookie questions:

1. What would you use as the clear coat itself? I heard urethane, lacquer... I finally just bought "Crystal Clear Gloss" spray paint but I'm not sure...

2. Do you apply the clear coat over wet or dry paint?

3. How long would you let the clear coat dry before buffing?

4. re: "glaze". Could you recommend a specific product?

Thanks for the help

PS: this is for a trike.

[DuDe1040]

yeah i aggred to but 50 cent is cool

[SchmedleyDoRight]

Absolutely f*cking SWEET, Man. Thanks.

I will honour your Jedi Clearcoat skills, Master.

[Xpnential999999]

Great video.

I have one question: I just clear-coated a guitar body. I wet-sanded lightly with #800 24 hours after clear coating, and now I've got sort of an "orange rind" pattern haziness to the finish. While it is smoother than before sanding, the finish looks worse.

Did I sand too soon? Should I go ahead and follow up with #1000, #1500, and #2000, then rubbing compound?

[E30M20Turbo]

That is called orange peel. uneven level in the surface. go one direction. in a strait line. dont do the swirl thats bad. so cut it one direction with one grit then go the other direction with a higher grit paper. then buff once all the clear is on one level

[Juank1o]

how many psi do i have to use in a paper?? help!!!!!

[ozoffroader]

kool

[EDKsurly]

My clear coat hazed while spraying. I'm not sure if its because its humid outside or I applied to much clear. I didnt add anymore clear sine then. Will wetsanding fix my project?

[hellallnamesaretaken]

did you use 2 pak clear? it wont go hazed or dull it is the acrylic clear that will go dull with humidity. 2000 wet rub it and machine buff it will come up shint as shit.

[mexicn22]

this guy don't know how to sand a piece..last month i do the same think I use 1,000 next 1,200 and i finish with 2,000 when buff the car is very hard to take out the sand paper scraches, for me experience the best think to do and easy and glossy work is use 1,500 and finishing with 2,000 sand paper

[ikawtuboh]

genius, i didn't know that, i just thought you just spray clear coat then your done. ☺

[hellallnamesaretaken]

thats all you have to do if your good enough and get no shit in the clear 2-3 coats and it is done .

[bassart32]

Dude you have to use a sanding block! Your fingers will leave inconsistencies

[1bluesbrother]

I was going to say the same thing I use a 3m 4x4 flex block for curves and a harder block for the flat.

[WorksopGimp]

Yeah its the sanding that gets you the smooth,its 99% of the look

[Sweetdeno22]

i just finish clear coating my bumper , is it better to wet sand first then buffer with cutting compound?

[acornstu]

Tony D,

that sweet buffer u got there is $14.95 at walmart (8/28/08) was grabbing supplies and snagged one. but yea with tax and all a $20 bill will get you a buffer and a pop at the checkout stand. Cheers!

[gumbi91890]

Can i do this for a guitar too? I have the clear on my guitar project already but its rough. Will this process do the same for my guitar finish?

[Thedutchrockstar]

Its better to just use polish for ur guitar... its stronger =D

[bluewker]

What kind of clear coat do you use? Acrylic enamel or..?

[stevato1314]

DAIMN i got it all ...buttt in the end ummm do u do a last clear or thats just it. and its ready?????????????????? plase sumone tell me .

[imagemaker18]

try using a large softbox for your lighting or ever bounce light off of a white foam core panel or white sheet,,,,then the gloss of your clear coat will really shine!

[ramirezv10]

great videos man thats a lot of help

[jd426999]

Dj Tiesto power mix

[ghostuscani]

I HEAR SOME TIESTO!!!COOL VID!

[zjimmy]

Love the camo good tutorials +10

By the way whats the song in the background?

[wlindenlaub]

Your videos are pretty bad ass! I was hoping you could do one on how to airbrush realistic looking snakeskin. Thanks!!!

[Sickmadecustoms]

Also you should waite two to three months before you wax if using an activated clear...if you wax too early you will trap the solvents and your clear will blister. As far as sainding with 2000 between coats, waste of time. Get your 1500 with a block it will flatten it out.

[Sickmadecustoms]

Unless your clear really looks like shit I wouldnt go any courser than 1500 and you can go over it with the 2000 to cut down on buff time. But you really need a buffer a reall buffer what you have is made for putting on wax and those just dont quite do the job because they dont spin fast enough and that pad isnt aggresive enough.

[plastichromeman]

if you want even killa finishes.. sand in between coats with 2000, then clear, sand clear, clear again, polish to finish.

[woi2ld]

hell no , my shit comes out smooth as glass , u dont sand with your fingertips , fold the paper twice n sand with your palm , buff out 1500 scratches with a wool pad @1400 rpm for a show quality finish........

[asidgsdifgsduifiwe]

wow...that is amazing..i learn something today...

[slavkakerdova]

Thank you very mach...Tom.Your work is great...

[AirbrushTricks]

As I have gotten better at this I realized that sanding in one direction is much more effective than sanding in circles.

Thanks for your comments.

[DanReborn]

platoon, great film, was on tv last night

[TWBMike]

wow, amazing, looks great man, keep up the awesome work!

[angostura4455]

i have looked on on the net for this kind of info, took ages, your video answerd ll the questions i had about finishing clear coat, thanks for taking the time out to make this :)

[messylaura]

hi, great vids

for small panels and objects i find the rubber spreaders used for applying body filler make great sanding blocks

:)

[smygel71]

aha! I dont have clear coate at the moment soo thank you man! nice:D

[allbaugh04]

wow thx a lot dude, i was kind of lost on how to get these runs out of my clearcoat, i know what to do now. i really appreciate the time you took to do this vid

[tikiah07]

A guy makes a good tutorial video and he is called a douche bag...WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? TD Rocks And The Site Is Very Informative! Thanks Dude

[onlymymovies]

Nice little tutorial. I agree with one of the guys below. It's best to use a sanding block instead of youir fingers. Also the cheap buffers are ok, but nothing beats a quality electric buffer. Dewalt makes a great multi speed buffer. Glass cleaner on the clear? I would't recommend that. If it has amonia it can mess your clear up.

Other then that, nice job.

[AirbrushTricks]

Thanks man,

Sanding blocks do a great job for flat surfaces. I'm not saying that using circles and using your fingers is perfect by any means but it's the concept of smooth motion and very light pressure I was tryin to get across.

Thanks. I do appreciate the feedback.

TD

[toadian21]

Hey, man! I just want to say that your tutorials help me out a lot! I am making a transition from airbrushing t-shirt to automotive. Could you make another tutorial about mixing ratios and stuff like that? That will help. Thanks a million. Keep up the good work.

[Innercooled16]

It's cool that you did not use a sanding block, or start with a high grit sandpaper. maybe going in circles is professional too... what do I know? I'm just a body tech...

[thejuice3]

check this out innerdrooled,more than likley the only tech'in you do is on the Male body.. aprentice ass clown.. have a good day at your world famous shop..later bizzzznitch

[RUFunkified]

Anyone who is willing to teach with the best of intentions in mind, has honor.

Thanks for the post.

[bradmacaroon]

Thanks for sharing your technique

[yellowranger215]

In the automotive refininshing business, the sanding technique he used is called "finger-fucking", where is your sanding block, douche bag?

What about the haze that was still in the panel? Maybe a little more time with the buffer, and finishing it with a terry cloth bonnet (if you are going to use the POS walmart buffer) and some polish, and some glaze...

One more thing...have you ever heard of Microfiber?

[DavesKustoms]

Too bad you can see haze around the light. Doesn't look very good! Alittle more rubbing compound and some better sanding techniques it would be fine. Great tip with the soap, Ivory works the best.

[markusdoniec]

i wonder why i am still going to uni if i could actually learn much more on youtube,and its a hell lot cheaper too.great tutorial,but i was wondering how to get about 15 coatings on.its for a helmet so one clear coating layer won't do the job.thanks

[AirbrushTricks]

Light coats.

[agonyuncle]

nice work ,thanks for the tips....ima find my way to your forum

[Sickmadecustoms]

If you put light dry coats on then your clear will look like shit. You must lay your clear on the way you want it to look. If you put to many coats on you could run into problems with cracking and checking. I recomend that you put on three to four then let it sit a couple days then wetsand it with 1500 and put on a couple more.

[Tevolo52]

Great tutorial. I wasn't sure I'd actually see the difference but it's good that you got that good angle so everyone could see the reflection of the light.