Hi guys, i have sparyed my front grille gloss black before i put it back together after meshing it.

I primed it yesterday and left it overnight to harden. I have just put 4-5 coats of gloss black paint on it.

I have watched videos on youtube and the laquer it straight away. Should i do this or leave it overnight to harden ?

Also the can of laquer says to rub the final coat down with 1200 wet and dry and then laquer. Why ?

I have never sprayed before and any advice is welcome.

Thanks

I would always leave as long as possible between different types of paint. 4 to 5 coats of black is pretty excessive given that you're going for a lacquer though, that paint may end up soft as hell if you didn't leave a reasonable curing time between coats for a gloss.

I'd leave it for longer than overnight given the coats you have applied. Lacquer will require more coats, and the reason for rubbing down the penultimate coat is to get the finish as flat, and orange peel free as possible, yet still allow a really deep shine. I would leave more than 24 hours before attempting to rub the penultimate coat though. If your finish is nowhere near uniform, you should consider using 600 grade first, and then rubbing out all of the scratch marks with 1200 grade before going to a final coat.

When applying lacquer for the first coat, start lightly, allow 5 to 10 minutes, then apply a thicker, more even coat. Do not try to get total coverage on your first coat. Don't want to introduce runs.

the 1200 is not really necessary IMO

plenty of coats and don't leave long between the coats of lacquer, just let it go tacky and add another coat.

Most important thing is to leave it for a few days to really let the lacqeur harden before you put it back on the car.

Mine got hit by flies etc when not hard and they left it a mess

Edited 20 November, 201213 yr by michael1

the 1200 is for another keying.

No, it is referring to the final coat, not keying the undercoat. Not necessary when using decent spray nozzles though.

However, it can make an appreciable difference in depth. When working on black based guitar headstocks for instance (not that I've ever made a cheap guitar look like a genuine Gibson, or anything like that... :think: ), you can make them look as deep as a swimming pool by achieving a pristine flat blemish free finish before the final flooding coat. On something like a grille surround it's going to be pretty hard going though.

I left 15 mins between each coat. Starting to look like orange peel a bit.

What is the nexr stage then ? I will let it harden overnigt and what then ?

This how its lookin now

Just spray the lacquer, as said, lightly at first, then 5 minutes later giving a thicker coat.

Personally, if it were me, it'd be rubbing it flat and giving it one last coat of black though. As lumpy as that finish is currently, you'd be wasting your time rubbing back the penultimate lacquer coat, as it's nowhere near uniform. No gain to be had there. Also, is that just an ordinary gloss black? Or black magic (metallic)? If it is just plain old gloss black, I doubt you'll get much benefit from a top lacquer anyway.

Will laquer it tomorrow then and leave it to harden for a day or 2. Not that bothered about a perfect finish cos goin to get 1 done professionally along with my bump strips.

Its just a ordinary gloss black.

Thanks for the help fellas

Its just a ordinary gloss black.

Then you're not really going to benefit by adding lacquer, unless you think you might be able to spray a better finish next time. It'll still look a bit odd with the finish you have on it now though.

I think its goin to need a rub down and another coat to be honest.

Will the paint not just chip off easier without laquer ?

No. It's no different a compound than the lacquer itself. The only reason metallics are lacquered is down to the metallic content in the paint not leaving a perfectly smooth finish like ordinary gloss paints. There is no benefit in lacquering an ordinary gloss paint at all. Other than adding weight, and making it more difficult for the paint to evaporate and harden properly.

And even with a lacquer, the chipping is more to do with how well your original base coat has keyed to the material in the first place.

There is no benefit in lacquering an ordinary gloss paint at all. Other than adding weight, and making it more difficult for the paint to evaporate and harden properly.

It stops oxidation of the paint so colours like red doesn't turn pink. I'd have thought that was a benefit TBH

Plastidip! Start to finish takes 2 hours tops

Also no prep req and reversible

Decent red paint doesn't turn pink anyway. VW have never known what good paint is, to be honest. The downside of lacquering basic colours is you've then made them very difficult to repair without doing the whole panel again, whereas flat colours can easily be blended in, by patches, assuming a good colour match.

Its not just vw that have trouble with red going pink, pretty much every manufacturer has the same trouble unless its done clear over base.

I wouldn't do any of my cars without laquer.

Doesn't really matter for a grille though

Red cars going pink is lack of love!!

Not really. If you keep it polished and waxed at all times the wax will act as a barrier and stop or at least slow the oxidation but most people using their cars daily dont keep their cars with a perminent coat of wax on. Washing makes little difference.

If it's laquered it just stays red wax or no wax. It's a better job.

Sorry for going off topic here

Its not just vw that have trouble with red going pink, pretty much every manufacturer has the same trouble unless its done clear over base.

I wouldn't do any of my cars without laquer.

I've never had any trouble with red Fords...

There's a MkIII Cortina going round this way somewhere that I sprayed years ago with Red Cellulose from Akzo Nobel that still looks pristine, despite being filthy most times I see it.

VW have always had the worst paint for oxidising, for many years though... although Vauxhall flat colours come close at times.

VW, Vauxhall, Fiat, Toyota, and alfa seem to be the worst for it although alfa have trouble getting any kind of pint to stay on the car.

Haha, Alfa have trouble with much more than paint...