Need to repaint panel

Nochain

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I needed to sand out some clear drips and I opened up a small spot to the epoxy sealer. So I’ll need to repaint part or all of the panel.

Looking for advice on the approach. The panel is sanded to 600 currently and is smooth with no shinny spots. The panel is a door. When wet it looks good except that one spot and the bottom edge that seemed not to get base originally.

Questions:
1. What grit is recommended to reapply base?
2. Should I just reapply base to the whole panel or just where needed?

Thanks
 
If it's a solid color 400-600 will be fine, if a metallic or pearl 800-1000 would be better so no sanding marks get seen in the finish. Blend the color then clear the whole panel.

So he's going to need to spray a Blender to accomplish this, correct?
 
So he's going to need to spray a Blender to accomplish this, correct?
I rarely do. I have only needed to on some fine metallics. On those I just give the whole panel a coat of clear base, then mist the color out on the edge. I use Standox which is nice at laying down even, so I don't get that halo around the blended area.
 
Yes its a fresh solid base thats at 600 sanded.
 

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If you have the panel completely sanded and it's a solid color then this is what you do. Get the panel ready to spray. W&G, tack etc. When you are ready, use a quality slow reducer like SPI to mix with your base. Never use medium or fast. You only need to get coverage on the sand through. You do not want hard stop/start areas. First coat (and all coats) have the gun moving before you pull the trigger and keep the gun moving as you release the trigger. First coat you just want to spray the actual area, second coat extend out slightly more, third coat extend out past the second. All while keeping the gun moving as you pull and release the trigger. After the third coat, step back and look at the area. If the color looks the same and you can't see any difference in the blend area versus the rest of the panel (don't worry about gloss differences) then you are done. If you can see the start/stop areas then you want to ideally use some blender (SPI intercoat works well ) but you can do it like this as well if you don't have any. Simply over reduce your RTS base (1 (reducer) :1 (RTS base) and spray one more coat over the entire repair area extending out past your last coat. That should not be necessary though as you are using the same color as what you sprayed before I'm assuming.

Remember the secret to success is to extend each coat out past the last and to not have hard stop/start areas. Use a quality slow reducer. Practice moving the gun as you pull and release the trigger before you do it on the panel.

And no need for sealer as long as you didn't go down to metal.
 
And to all you guys new to this. This happens to new guys all the time. Pay attention when you are color sanding. There is no good reason for sanding through clear. Sand carefully, check often and sneak up on it if you are sanding a run etc.
 
I rarely do. I have only needed to on some fine metallics. On those I just give the whole panel a coat of clear base, then mist the color out on the edge. I use Standox which is nice at laying down even, so I don't get that halo around the blended area.

Thank you, it's bound to happen to me that I'll need to make a repair like the OP's. I've been reading up and watching different video's to learn what the process is.

That is why I brought up using a sprayable blender.
 
And to all you guys new to this. This happens to new guys all the time. Pay attention when you are color sanding. There is no good reason for sanding through clear. Sand carefully, check often and sneak up on it if you are sanding a run
If you have the panel completely sanded and it's a solid color then this is what you do. Get the panel ready to spray. W&G, tack etc. When you are ready, use a quality slow reducer like SPI to mix with your base. Never use medium or fast. You only need to get coverage on the sand through. You do not want hard stop/start areas. First coat (and all coats) have the gun moving before you pull the trigger and keep the gun moving as you release the trigger. First coat you just want to spray the actual area, second coat extend out slightly more, third coat extend out past the second. All while keeping the gun moving as you pull and release the trigger. After the third coat, step back and look at the area. If the color looks the same and you can't see any difference in the blend area versus the rest of the panel (don't worry about gloss differences) then you are done. If you can see the start/stop areas then you want to ideally use some blender (SPI intercoat works well ) but you can do it like this as well if you don't have any. Simply over reduce your RTS base (1 (reducer) :1 (RTS base) and spray one more coat over the entire repair area extending out past your last coat. That should not be necessary though as you are using the same color as what you sprayed before I'm assuming.

Remember the secret to success is to extend each coat out past the last and to not have hard stop/start areas. Use a quality slow reducer. Practice moving the gun as you pull and release the trigger before you do it on the panel.

And no need for sealer as long as you didn't go down to metal.
thanks much Chris for taking the time to explain this in detail. I will follow your instructions carefully and post results.
 
So why wouldn't you just put base over the complete door instead of blending? Another newbie trying to learn for when I start painting my T-Bird.
 
So why wouldn't you just put base over the complete door instead of blending? Another newbie trying to learn for when I start painting my T-Bird.
So that there is no chance of a slight color difference where the panels meet. Even the same paint out of the same can can look slightly different if there are any variants in the painting process from one panel to the next. Temperature, gun set-up, air pressure, number of coats, gun speed, etc. all can effect the color. Metallics and pearls are more of a concern, but it can happen on solid colors also. Plus paint cost money, so it's cheaper.
 
I've read posts where people panel paint over a coarse of days, which is why I asked. Wouldn't there be concern of them not matching then?
 
I've read posts where people panel paint over a coarse of days, which is why I asked. Wouldn't there be concern of them not matching then?
There can be, but in most cases the match will be fine. Stirring the paint well before each time is also a major factor.
 
So why wouldn't you just put base over the complete door instead of blending? Another newbie trying to learn for when I start painting my T-Bird.
Good question I was thinking the same thing. Its a small area the door and hitting the whole thing removes any blending issues but I suppose that you have to weigh that issue against a match to the rest of the car. That and its a little more paint. Just a little…wonder if there is any other down side ( ie painting the whole panel as opposed to blending one area)?
 
Good question I was thinking the same thing. Its a small area the door and hitting the whole thing removes any blending issues but I suppose that you have to weigh that issue against a match to the rest of the car. That and its a little more paint. Just a little…wonder if there is any other down side ( ie painting the whole panel as opposed to blending one area)?
Downside: If it's a fender for instance, there probably is a row of bolts under the hood edge. You have to deal with not painting those, either by masking or removing them. Typically, there is more masking in general when doing a whole panel too. Also, when you blend you get the gradual color change which, with any luck, is unnoticeable. Disclaimer: The pros know how to handle these problems a lot better than I do. :eek:
 
If you have the panel completely sanded and it's a solid color then this is what you do. Get the panel ready to spray. W&G, tack etc. When you are ready, use a quality slow reducer like SPI to mix with your base. Never use medium or fast. You only need to get coverage on the sand through. You do not want hard stop/start areas. First coat (and all coats) have the gun moving before you pull the trigger and keep the gun moving as you release the trigger. First coat you just want to spray the actual area, second coat extend out slightly more, third coat extend out past the second. All while keeping the gun moving as you pull and release the trigger. After the third coat, step back and look at the area. If the color looks the same and you can't see any difference in the blend area versus the rest of the panel (don't worry about gloss differences) then you are done. If you can see the start/stop areas then you want to ideally use some blender (SPI intercoat works well ) but you can do it like this as well if you don't have any. Simply over reduce your RTS base (1 (reducer) :1 (RTS base) and spray one more coat over the entire repair area extending out past your last coat. That should not be necessary though as you are using the same color as what you sprayed before I'm assuming.

Remember the secret to success is to extend each coat out past the last and to not have hard stop/start areas. Use a quality slow reducer. Practice moving the gun as you pull and release the trigger before you do it on the panel.

And no need for sealer as long as you didn't go down to metal.
Chris what do you think about dialing the gun back to basically an air brush. And keeping the blend area smaller than a half dollar. , or infact using an air brush. I've never tried to blend anything but I'm curious on this. I wonder if atomization would be an issue when dialing the gun back so much
 
I’m k here is a follow up for you guys. Thanks for all the help. I am pleased with the results. After wet sanding the entire panel I put 3 coats of base down yesterday and 4 coats of clear today. No runs and it all laid out well with Barrys advice taken. This was easier than buffing out the runs. I’ll do a final buff after the car is all together.
 

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