Then I sanded the whole thing down again, this time using 150 grit.
The black paint makes a good "guide coat", easily showing the high spots where the paint sanded off, and the low spots, where it didn't. And wonder-of-wonders, it's almost acceptably smooth. This stuff sands off relatively easy with 150 grit, and I probably would have blown right through it with 80 grit.
I'll go over it again tomorrow when I have more light coming in. I have some "High Build Primer", but it doesn't specifically say it's for flexible parts, so I'm loathe to use it. The "recommended" primer should be here Monday, so I just have to sit on my hands for a while. This is starting to look like I can pull it off successfully, so I don't want to blow it using wrong materials.
It's not like this is the ONLY project I have cooking......!
Remember what Ripley said to Newt in Aliens. "Uh oh. I made a clean spot here. Now I've done it. Guess I'll have to do the whole thing."
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happens when pressure washing.
Fingers crossed.
Yep, got a pressure washer, too, so I know what you mean. The Great Engine Bay Cleanup resulted in the use of five cans of Gunk, and several sessions with the pressure washer.
DeleteAnd it's still not "clean enough"!
Remember one corollary to Murphy's Law is "Everything takes longer than you thought." Patience is hard, but doing the whole thing over again is harder still.
ReplyDelete"Follow The Directions" is important, too, something I neglected. Otherwise I would have shifted from 80-grit to 150-grit a lot earlier, saving some time spent filling in the scratches and gouges I made!
DeleteOne step at a time, done right is better than a quick fix, which is NEVER just that... Just sayin...
ReplyDeleteI jumped the gun a bit because I needed some color on it so I could see what the surface looked like. I SHOULD have ordered all the correct stuff in one shot, but.....
DeleteThe black paint is made for flexible stuff, and the only primer I have isn't. I've seen what happens when you use the wrong paint, and it ain't pretty.
One of my Toyota buddies clued me in on a product called "Bumper Bite", which is a flexible "spot putty" type of product specifically made to fill in sanding scratches, small dings, and spider-web cracks. I didn't know there was a product like that, so it's on the way, too.
Getting paint to look good on a car is a black art. I usually let the professionals do the larger components, and rattle can the little ones.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting pretty skilled with a rattle can: a little sanding (as little as I can get away with), some primer, a base coat and that magic clear coat - bingo. Looks good, not great.
Who needs a great paint job, anyway?
You can do a decent job on small areas with a rattle can. You just have to be careful and watch the temperature and humidity.
DeleteMy "Magic Primer" arrived today, and if I hadn't been clued in about the "Bumper Bite" spot putty for flexible parts, which I'm anxiously awaiting, I'd probably be out there spraying the primer today.
I try and paint my small stuff with my rattle can at around 70 degrees. I can't control the humidity, what is a good painting humidity level? Living here near Chicago, the humidity swings wildly, from exceptionally low to God awful muggy. I have a small window A/C unit in my shop that can remove some but not all the humidity, should I press this into service when getting ready to shake that rattle can?
ReplyDeleteThe instructions on the can usually say to avoid using the product when the humidity exceeds 60% or so, and the temperature is above 60*.
DeleteIt affects different paint different ways. Some paint takes much longer to cure, while other paint will get a bluish 'sheen' to it caused by the rapid evaporation of the solvents in the paint lowering the temperature of the just-sprayed paint enough to cause water to condense on it.
I've seen that happen when it's cold with high humidity. The paint never gets shiny, and doesn't stick very well.
For most "consumer" type paint, it's not too much problem as long as it's above 60*~65* and the humidity is under 60%.
Back in Illinois I saw it happen in the Spring, mostly.