Shutdown Theory

iTrader: (2)

Ok so we painted my brothers Fbody in a single stage gloss black with a little flatness added to it. After it dried we wet sanded with a 400 grit and used a cheap ricerzone orbitial buffer and now it still has a nice case of orange peel to it. What do we need to do now? Buff it with a better buffer or what? Thanks

SinisterZ28

iTrader: (4)

holy crap 400 grit n you still have orange peel,should have started with something finer,but if you still have peel in it start with 1000 then 1500 then 2000 then buff,be careful cause youll be getting close to cutting though,stay off the edges!
this might also be because the paint wasnt cured enough n it dyed back down or the surface underneith wasnt smooth enough,anyway be careful or you might be repainting.

pozesd99'

iTrader: (3)

oribital buffer is not a da polisher which is what you need. you need a machine that goes based off of rpm not opm.
dewalt. megs all have good machines

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

Yeah that paints needs a couple days to fully cure and settle down. Then wet sanding a LOT with 1000 grit will do it. To do it by hand, you're probably looking at an hour or two per panel, not a quick wipe over. And use a block, just not a hard rubber one, get a foam rubber block at O'Reilly for just a couple bucks. That's what I use.

Shutdown Theory

iTrader: (2)

thanks guys..correction we used 1000 grit to wet sand. we used a fast dry enamel and we gave it 2 days to dry...so poze we need a polisher?

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

A polished will remove find sanding scratches but not orange peel. Sand it flat with 1000 then smooth it out with 2000 before polishing. I got an adjustable speed polisher at Harbor Freight that works great.

Ocala93TA

iTrader: (9)

I had the same problem when i did single stage black , even after a few days of drying still had orange peel . The cause i didnt thin out the paint enough .

Shutdown Theory

iTrader: (2)

what do u mean by thinning it out?

Ocala93TA

iTrader: (9)

If you get a base and have to add reducer to the mix , I didnt add enough which didnt let the paint flow easy and caused orange peel . some paints come premixed but most of those are extremely thin and cause alot of runs .

Shutdown Theory

iTrader: (2)

yes we added a thinner to it as well

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

Not just how much thinner you use, but the settings of your spray gun matter a lot as well. Either you had your paint flow too high or your air pressure was too low. Both conditions cause a spatter-like effect with the end result being orange peel.
I'd say your paint job is salvageable but it's gonna require a LOT more work in wet sanding, and hence a lot of time. The worst of paint jobs can be made to look like the best with enough "after-work."
A lot of these body shop owners on here will just tell you to take it to a shop, but a fellow enthusiast will give helpful advice.

Shutdown Theory

iTrader: (2)

Thanks guys for the help, thats one reason we did it ourselves just to figure it out

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

I always test on a piece of cardboard before I spray a panel. Just a quick pull of the trigger shows the pattern and how fine or thick the mist is. I make my adjustments and test on the cardboard until its right. I do it after every time i refill the cup even if it's the same paint I was just spraying since every time you mix could be slightly different.

SinisterZ28

iTrader: (4)

Also,when doing an all over use slow hardner to hold a wet edge though out,it takes longer to cure but it lays down better,could have been a contributing factor also

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

^ Good call.