I tell ya what......I was nervous as could be about doing it for some reason, but it was no harder than priming. I just kept telling myself "light coats" and it worked out great. I'll try to get some pics posted tomorow. Thanks for all your advice.

 

base is usually pretty straightforward, but I know guys that have been painting for years that still have a hard time with clear(including myself) so congrats on getting it down well from the sounds of it.

We opt to skip anything coarser than 1200, just personal preference and we've gotten pretty good at catching our clear(DuPont 72200) at the perfect time. Usually about a week is what I hear from my friends using PPG/HoK/SW/etc. is when they hit the clear to cut and buff.

 

I called ppg this morning and they said 16 hours tops, so I went at it. Boy this sucks! So what's the trick to spraying clear? Some of the spots where I didn't pay much attention to what I was doing turned out perfect (Inside of cab) and of course the important parts were orange peeled pretty good.

 

So I laid the clear on pretty thick, the can said 2 to 3 coats, so I put on 4. After I cut and buff there will still be plenty of clear on to protect the vehicle won't there? Stupid question I know, but you don't learn if ya don't ask.

 

If you put 4 good coats on, you'll be fine. I don't want to start an arguement about color-sanding grits, but here's my reasoning: IF you don't have much orange peel, starting with 1200 is fine. If you have moderate peel, I feel it's best to start with a coarser grit, but then again 800 grit wet isn't exactly what I'd consider outrageously coarse. Just as in bodywork, coarser grits tend to cut and flatten while finer grits float over the orange peel and may leave the clear looking about as flat as cellulite on a fat woman's thighs. It also cuts quickly, and the finer grits will remove any scratches left by the 800, just as polishing anything, coarse to fine, then compound.
As for any tricks to applying clear, it's more a matter of practice and selection. PPG, Dupont and so forth are what I consider "repair shop" products. They are very high in quality and are meant to be every bit as good as a production paint job. As insane as it may sound, their clears are also formulated to match factory orange peel. To me, that's counterproductive to someone trying to attain a smooth, mirror-like finish, but to someone who makes a living matching factory paint quality it makes perfect sense.
Having said that, I use extra reducer (+ 10%) if using DuPont as well as lay it on like you mean it. If I don't have to match factory stuff, I use House of Kolor. Their bases are a joy to use, simple, inexpensive, easy to match and vibrant colors. Their clear is far and away the easiest to get a glassy finish right out of the gun. It is more of a pain to use since if you follow their method you need to use their fast-drying clear (UC-35) then wet sand it the very next day with 500 grit, then apply their final clear (UFC-35). That may sound dumb, but the thinking is sound and the results speak for themselves. It's entirely possible to get great results with nearly ANY product out there, but it all involves lots of elbow grease and sweat. Welcome to the glamorous world of being a painter!

 

No argument here on the grit, we just use 1200 since there usually isn't that much peel.

However, DuPont/PPG/SW/BASF clears are just as good, if not superior in UV resistance to HoK. From experience we've had HoK clears get milky after a couple years, which is why we use DuPont ChromaPremier products. PPG does seem to 'kick' a little quicker without the use of accelerator or bake booth/heat lamp.

Make sure when you go to buff it, to not stay in one spot too long as you can burn your clear. Also when I was first buffing, I would tape and edges to make sure I don't buff through them, a little learning trick my boss showed me.

The paint/body job is sure glamorous when it's 90* out with 90% humidity and you're wearing a paint suit haha. Any more questions make sure to ask, can't learn without 'em.

 

Paint suit?! I painted my truck black in shorts and a cutoff shirt............and when I was done my legs were black from the air hose rubbing against them with the black overspray on it! Needless to say next time it will be in pants and a long sleeve shirt. I've got the first sanding done, I used 400 grit because like sandman said, it cut down the orange peel WAY faster and took alot less effort. I'm on my 800 grit now and I hat to jinx myself but she's looking great. At what point should I not see any of the little "pinholes" from the orange peel? Or does the compounding take care of the rest of that? I'm paranoid about sanding through my clear so I don't want to go any deeper than I have to. Thanks again guys for all your help, it's greatly appreciated.

 

I may be wrong, but I would never, ever use 400 grit to color sand with just because the fine scratches may not come out no matter how much you sand with the finer grits, which will leave a haze in the clear. Color sanding is one of those areas that "if a little bit's good more must be better" is definitely NOT the way to go. Patience and work are the keys to success here, not aggressive sanding. Hopefully you can still bring it around but I'd be VERY, VERY, VERY careful from here on out.

 

I only used the 400 in the few area where there was pretty bad orange peel, and I was very careful but ill take your advice and not use it again. I tell ya what, this clear is tough fricken stuff! How about my previous question about when should I see absolutly no trace of orange peel

 

Orange Peel will sand out, pin holes are Fish Eyes that go through the paint from a silicone contaminated surface.

 

Don't think so, it's the low spot of the orange peel. I just took some 800 grit to a spot of it and it sanded right off. I know it doesn't go through the paint and I know the truck was completely clean. On a seperate thread about this issue it was stated that after the first and second sanding the surface will still not be perfect. Well at one point will the surface be perfect except for the dullness from sanding

 

That is good, when you mentioned pin holes that would be a differant subject.

 

As far as the orange peel is concerned, it can take some time, but it's just a necessary evil of color sanding. Your hard work will be rewarded once you hit it with the buffer and see that glassy shine! Soooo...when do we get some pics?

 

This is bulls**t! I've been sanding like crazy and still am not getting the "pits" or low spots of the orange peel out. And after all the sanding I've done there cant be much clear left on it. How's about trying this again and starting over. I suppose I would need 320 grit, a coat of epoxy primer and repaint? Might have to try a different brand of clear though, because the finish of this omni SUCKS!

 

If you can, post a pic of the trouble area. You may be over-critical of the problem since lots of times painters are their own worst critics and make mountains out of molehills. Try going through the grits (800, 1000, 1500, etc) and buff it out. You may find it's not nearly as noticeable as you think. At any rate, if the lows of the orange peel aren't coming out, then you aren't in danger of sanding through the clear. Post some good pics if you can and let's see what you're up against.