Duplicolor clear coat question

I am painting the chrome on my grill using the DupliColor spray bombs. Sanded, primed, color coated all went well. But there is some color variance (MGM), which for some reason I thought would minimize when the clear coat went one, but it actually made it worse.

So now my question is, can I just do a light sand on the clear coat, then put color on top of it? Or do I have to sand the thing right down? And how long until I can sand that clear coat, it seems to take forever to setup compared to the color and primer?

 

You can just sand it.. Take some 600 grit and wet sand it. I don't know all the details of where you're painting etc, meaning temps and cure time on the dupli color spray can. But you should be fine to sand on it tommorow. IF you start to sand and it seems "gummy" or something similar, just stop and wait longer.
If it's super cold where you're painting, it will take longer to cure.

 

Also tell me more about what you mean, "color variance", do you mean splotchy or it doesn't match your hood?

 

It is cold, but I have the heater running full, as well as dehumidifier. It is about 16C, and 55% RH in garage.

By color variance, I meane that there was almost a banding of the gray. I think it is simply a case of me not getting the color coat on evenly, i.e some pebbled, and some pooled.

(With the color coat, it is hard to get enough of it on to get a smooth finish, and not have it run.)

Thanks so much for putting my mind at ease. Cheers.

 

Not sure what you mean by banding.. Either way, try keeping the tip of your spray can about 6-8 inches from the surface you're painting. Use steady even speed strokes, don't worry about getting the "color" on real "wet" looking. Instead focus on keeping your speed and distance even, as well as try to overlap each pass by 50%. Dont start or stop on top of the surface you are painting, or else you'll get heavy and light areas of paint, which will cause it to look splotchy and have dry spray or run. Also do one complete coat of whatever your painting with vertical passes, then next coat do it opposite/horizontal, that will aslo help eliminate a splotchy look and help it be more even.
In a case like yours I'd rather see you put 6 light coats on VS trying to coat it all in 2.


Also, you can have reactions with different paints and temps, which will cause paint to react in different ways, depending on the two and how they match. Painting can be real technical.
Good Luck

 

I'll take a picture in the morning, as I am at a loss for how to describe it.

It is just the Chrome trim piece of the grill, so it's widest point is smaller than the spray pattern. I also did rear bumper at same time, but seems to be turning out as good as I had hoped for.

I notice when I really miss it on, it is dry almost instantly, and there is a bit of texture to it. Will that smooth out with the clear coat? For the rear bumper I don't mind, but for the grill trim, I would like the glassy finish of the rest of truck.

-S

 

Well it's hard to say for sure with out looking at it... Do post a pic.
If your misting it on and it's going on dry.. Sounds like maybe your holding it too far away, maybe too warm inside or both. The texture sounds like maybe orange peel, which is different than dry spray. I wouldn't count on clear to cover anything. When I paint, I personally want every coat starting from primer to be slick and even, "especially" if your not going to sand and buff. But the clear wont really "smooth out" the base color, in some cases it may "fill in" some of the little lows and cause it to look at "little" more smooth.

But post a pic, that may help.

 

Here are the pics before I sanded this morning.





After sanding and paying attendting to a single motion with 50% overlap, I have none of that now. I am spraying a little closer, and did get a smother finish, though not glassy, it is good enough for me I guess.

 

OK, that does look a bit splotchy to me. To me it looks like the spray can its self could possibly not be spraying a even amount. Have you noticed that its spraying un evenly?

The glassy part, don't worry about it looking "glassy" with your color/base coat, it's not supposed to be glassy (it's supposed to be a satin looking finish), that will come once you clear it.. Now if it were a "single stage", which is a color and clear together, it would be glassy and shiney.

However with it looking splotchy like that, if you clear it, it will amplify that look, but then be all shiney and glossy.

If the can isn't spraying good, you may want to consider getting another. If you wanted to try and get more even color finish, you should be fine to spray right over that (if you do it soon), but to be safe you could lightly scuff it again (as long as it's flashed), if it's starts rolling or gumming stop, before repainting it.

If it's your technique that's doing it, you'll need to pratice the things I mentioned before..
But without being there or seeing how you're spraying it or the can is spraying it's hard to know for sure what's causing that.