nichigo

I've been to about 3 or 4 paint shops now. Each time i get something painted, the result usually yields paint that looks "rough" or "wrinkled" as opposed to the factory paint which looks really smooth at all angles.

I didn't know where else to ask this...but is this a result of the paint work? I've heard different stories...some people say it's because the painter didn't clear it enough. Then I've heard other say that that's ALWAYS how it turns out and you just have to give it a good buffing to smooth out the paint. Are either of these true?

I'm hoping someone that knows the definite answer to this can pipe in. I'm getting tired of rough paint jobs and not knowing the solution to fix it.

Thanks in advance!

espelirS2K

Actually orange peel (which is what you're talking about) is caused just by the clear used. Often times by TOO much clear, as opposed to NOT ENOUGH clear.

How to remove it: wetsand it down with 2000>2500>3000 then compound, polish, fine polish.

Wetsanding is dangerous.. and time consuming. I wouldn't do it yourself unless your confident on a rotary first because you'll need to use that to get rid of the sanding scratches. I've wet sanded a few times, and it's a little nerve racking, but now that I have a paint gauge, it makes my life a little less stressful.

I would see if anyone in your area is proficient in that kinda stuff.. SoCal is full of detailers, but I dunno how many can wetsand.

Also, it depends on how big the area you want wetsanding done is. If you want a completely flat paint.. for a whole car, expect to spend 50-100 hours wetsanding/buffing depending on tools and how much of a "perfect" finish your after.


Cliff notes:

Orange peel is usually caused by too much clear
You can get rid of it by wetsanding and then polishing, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a VERY proficient (re:"pro"*) detailer.

*pro is in quotes because there are some very good weekend warriors out there (fminus.. roger.. mike..)

nichigo

ah ok good to know. This last paint job I had seems to have more orange peel than my previous paint jobs. I mainly need both fenders wetsanded. I'll ask around for someone with experience. Thanks man!

espelirS2K

PM FMINUS, I know he's done some wetsanding.. but expect to be close to a grand. I don't know his pricing.. but from what I've heard it's defo not cheap. But if you see his products and process--it's worth every penny.

nichigo

[QUOTE=espelirS2K,Apr 22 2009, 08:36 PM]

PM FMINUS, I know he's done some wetsanding.. but expect to be close to a grand.

espelirS2K

same goes with wheels . I'm using that analogy 'cause you're a semi-wheel whore. You don't wanna buy rota's 'cause of the quality. You don't want to skimp on a detail job 'cause you're car will get hacked.

Body shops never get the "right" amount of clear. that's what after prep is for. SOME body shops will wet sand and buff for you.. sounds like yours didn't. Adding more paint to the surface will only make it worse.. 'cause now the panels may not match up because you have so much paint on one panel. And it'd be very costly to strip down the paint, and go at it again, and again.

Yes, you can wetsand right after the clear has dried to a point where you can pick up the car--usually that's when cars are wetsanded at the body shop. You just can't wax it right away.

nichigo

Thanks for the info man...u've been a big help

MuttGrunt

of course all the advice has been spot on, but i thought i'd add in one more bit of info. while most people get a lot of orange peel in their clear after a re-spray, it's also possible to have orange peel in the base color coat. so u could have OP in the color, the clear, or both. of course only the clear is fixable through wetsanding/buffing.

krshultz

It's actually not that pricey. Think of it this way. Let's say a pro detail by one of the top guys in the country costs $1000, and he's got 15 hours in the job total. His hourly rate is then $66.70 or so - which is a fair bit *less* than you usually pay to get a vehicle serviced at a dealer, for example.

It's all paying an expert to work on an automobile. Compared to what dealers and good independent mechanics charge to work on the mechanics of a car, detailers - even the most expensive ones - are a bargain by comparison.

Just my 0.02.

espelirS2K

Bodyshops charge usually in upwards of $80/hr or so...