Hey all im planning on sanding down my bodywork..
ive bin reading up lots and it seems prepping is the key to a good finish..

anyone got some tips as to which sand paper to use/the grade etc..im a bit stuck dont know which ones to get!

would appriciate your tips/help/comments!!

 

sand down WELL with 150 or 240

filler, use a good filler and measure the ratio well, then sand it down with 320 or 400, then with 1000 for a smooth finish for the basecoat

 

sand paper or wet dry paper?

 

You could write pages on preparing a car ready to paint but here is a very brief guide:

Filler can be blacked down with 40 grit then 80 and finished in 100 grit.
Panel prep I usally use 120 grit and then go over it again with 240 grit on the DA. Any areas a DA wont reach a red scothbrite or 240 by hand can be used.
Primer is then blocked down with 320, then DA`ed with 320 and then finished with 500 grit.
Top coat flatting envoles 1200 wet and dry on any massive bits of shite, 1500 wet and dry on the DA then a 3000 grit Trizact pad over that, then reay to polish.

Hope this is some help.

 

wats a DA ..

 

Its a bit like a grinder but its got a foam pad on it that you stick DA discs(round sheets of sand paper)to then you start to sand the body work down.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Air-D-A-DA-DUA...1%7C240%3A1318

one of these mate, saves a lot of hand work, what rossco said is basically what i was taught at college!!

 

o0o0o i know exactly what ur talking about now

 

ive got that but its an electric one..can i use that instead?

 

mate, you better off finish the primer with 800 atleast, to give you that smooth finish.

 

yes mate, mine is electric and it works just as well

 

Everyone has different ways of doing things, ive just said how I repair and paint cars everyday for a living.

Wet flatting primer with 600 or 800 wet and dry has died a death in modern bodyshops, the only time a use a little water is flatting the top coat down. Even machine polishing is done dry now days.

Remember using a DA creates a lot less sctatching hence a courser grade of sandpaper can be used.

 

i used to spray skips but ive done plenty of my own cars and done a good job too, what ive allways done is rub the filler down with 80's and then everything with 320's, prime any filler you have put on and anywhere you have rubbed through to the steel then rub the primer down with 320's when its dry, after that blow all the dust off, panel wipe it, tack rag it then spray it

 

Solid colour will just about cover over 320 DA marks but you wont get away with base coat on 320 grit.

 

so wat about bumpers/sideskirts? should i use an orbital sander on them too? and what shuld i wipe it down with? just a cloth and water?

 

Are you priming every thing before you paint them?

 

aye fair comment mate lol, for some reason everything i spray ends up mercedes arctic white, i love it lol

 

spirit wipe mate

 

White is the new silver!

 

you'd be surprised how many wet flat still but agree alot of places dry flat now due to it being less messy IF you use proper dust extraction

On SLRs we block high build primer with 240grit then 320 on a DA to get rid of the scratches, then the flex primer we use we DA with 400 then we use 600 mirka abralon discs/pads wet as we find it gives a better finish!!! We used 2 use superfine pads originally years ago.

DAs can create less scratches but at the same time if not used right can actually create more, specially if the DA discs arn't changed enough!!

As far as cleaning goes mate if your not going to prime onto it yourself or anything then water is fine assuming u dont bust thru anywhere to bare metal, but if your going to prime any areas youself then get a tin of solvent panel wipe!!! Most paint suppliers will be able 2 sort u some out

 

Im intrigued by this dry flatting hi build primer with 240 and 320. We always wet flat with 400 and 800, be it for solid colour or basecoat. Clearcoat is wet flatted and nibbed with 1500 then go over it again with 2000 before polishing.

 

Well we use 240 on a block to get rid of distorsions then 320 on a da to get rid of the scratches, but then we put 3 coats of a flex primer after that gets 400 on a da after so, you gotta remember 400grit on a DA within reason is the equivelant to 800 wet and dry

 

apparenly so,ive heard it costs more for a white car nowadays, fuckin ipods lol

 

hmmm I may try it, I have used 500 grit on DA a couple of times to knock the top off the hi build then wet flatted with 800 after and it was ok.

 

Yea 500 is better than 400 as its less likely to leave any marks, but like i said we use mirka 600 abralon discs wet which give a lovely finish for topcoating

 

maybe its time we get with the times in our bodyshop lol

 

pro's and cons with both thou mate!! alot of the old school places still like to wet flat as its a tried and tested method, dry flatting can be as good but due to not having a lubricant ie water u can run the risk of leaving scratches or 'pig tails' on a panel if your not careful!

 

yeah that was my main concern, pigtailing. Maybe Ill just stick to old skool methods, if it aint broke........ and all that.

 

this big guy talk sense

 

i have lots and lots of expericence in the tev ,

i find the best method with anything im painting wether it be car parts , bike parts or even my toolbox


this is my method


one remove said parts from veichle , bike ect ,

wash with warm soapy water remove any and all genral shite, dirt grime ect


then i put it im my car and take it to jacko at blue oval ,

genrally a couple of days later ( depending on part ) it comes back painted and polished


i find this technique really simple , fast and effective,

and ive never fucked up anything ive done with this method yet ,


beef

 

Yes as beef said get someone to do it, if your not sure how to prep or paint.

You would never be happy with the finish doing it yourself