Advice on cellulose van respray.

[Brismike]

Hi i was hoping for some advice on an old van im trying to bring back to life. i have resprayed it in cellulose (ford diamond white) which has had a couple of coats of hi build primer and three coats of colour. it didnt come out to bad or so i thought about a week after spraying thought that would be enough time to fully go off/harden i would polish it up with buffer but paint seems to come off not fully but bits here and there. i dont know if it has any bearing but feels somehow a little chalky to the touch. it was painted outside i was wondering if this might be that it was a little windy could it have dried some of the paint before it hit the surface or maybe just gone on to thin or maybe i should have left it longer before polishing? this is the first time of doing anything like this. Could i also ask would 1k arcylic clear lacquer give it a good shine after? Thanks for any advice given.

 

[steveo3002]

what was the prep like > did you sand before and after primer

1k clear is pretty lousey...id go with more of the same white if need be rather than the clear

 

[Brismike]

yes sanded before and after, after with wet and dry 1200 do you reckon might not have been enough after primer?.

 

[steveo3002]

cant hardly see it falling off 1200 , but its too fine really , 800 would have been ideal

 

[Brismike]

Would it be best to sand back a little maybe 800 then go over again should that sort it?.

 

[steveo3002]

yeah might be a good idea , sand it with soapy water until all the peel is gone and its smooth to the touch then bang a couple of good coats on

did you use slow thinner ?

 

[Brismike]

if honest i didnt know they did slow thinners. i bought it as part of a kit their was standard thinners for the primer and premium thinners for the colour coat dont know if one means it would be slow or if there is any differance? if i rub it back should i use 800 with soap?

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

yes. keep the block/paper wet

i found the best way to get a good key is have a warm ish panel and do a light sand in 1200 wet and then do te same but with 1200 dry leaves a much smoother finish and helps with orange pee;ing

 

[steveo3002]

yeah slow thinners would help you out , helps the paint stay wet for longer so its not spraying dry as such

 

[Brismike]

Well rubbed van over with 800 wet and dry and gave it a couple of coats of colour which has come out better. can i ask how long does it take for cellulose to fully go off, i know its touch dry within say half an hour but whens it okay to put the buffer on it?. also am i correct in thinking that after the final colour coat that you go over it with 1200 wet and dry before buffing up/polishing?. Thanks.

 

[steveo3002]

you can sand the peel off if you wish , and if you think theres enough on there

1500 might be a better option , and id want to leave it a couple of weeks to be sure

 

[Brismike]

1500 it is then. thankyou for the advice steveo3002.

 

[steveo3002]

no probs , go easy on any edges as its easy to go through

 

[norsa]

The purists will say it never fully hardens unlike 2k which chemically dries. Because of the ammount of thinners added to the paint , it remains unstable which is why 2k was invented. As an ex pro painter, i would often refuse to refinish if i found celly on a car. However, we dont all have the facillities to paint in 2k so have to make the best of what is available. From experience of pre 2k systems, i would give it at least 2 weeks this time of year then have a go at wet flatting with your 1200. IF it clumps up and sticks to your paper, its not ready yet. Not an exact science i know but a fair guideline im sure others will agree.
Nick.

 

[Brismike]

when it is ready to polish up what would be the best to use? i was going to use t cut but read somewhere that that would be to harsh/abrasive.

 

[norsa]

T cut is very 70s and whilst it will do the job, its hard work and even harder to clean up afterwards as its oil based. I think it has got the reputation of being too harsh because it contains ammonia. You would be better off using a propper cutting compound like Farecla G3 then maybe G10 for a better finish. They are designed to be used with a mop (polishing machine) but it can be done by hand. TIP when polishing or compounding use muslin polishing cloth, wet for compound and damp for polish. Its water miscible so it can be washed off after compounding ready for polish Finally polish up with any quality polish. The very best would be carnuba wax but that is hard work.