imported_Intel486
New member
I hear about orange peel all the time but what is it? and is there any way to get rid of it?
Stain problems with newer cloth seats.
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JasonC8301
New member
Orange peel is when the paint was not sprayed enough onto a car panel. This produces a paint surface that looks like an orange, with little dimples in it. The only way to get rid of it is to wet sand it down, but then again you risk the chance of damaging the clear coat.
Someone on this forum, Dan Waltz? wet sanded their red Jeep and boy does that ride look sweet........
Someone on this forum, Dan Waltz? wet sanded their red Jeep and boy does that ride look sweet........
tldesigner
New member
486:
It's the surface texture formed by most methods of paint application... it resembles the surface of an orange... kind of "bumpy" if you look at it real close or with the proper lighting. The only way to truely get rid of orange peel is to apply extra coats of paint and wet sand them out.
I've painted about a dozen cars... bought 2 books. The 1st book was about how to paint a car (about 1/2" thick), the other book was about paint problems (about 3" thick).
Not an easy task... those who are good--- are great!
It's the surface texture formed by most methods of paint application... it resembles the surface of an orange... kind of "bumpy" if you look at it real close or with the proper lighting. The only way to truely get rid of orange peel is to apply extra coats of paint and wet sand them out.
I've painted about a dozen cars... bought 2 books. The 1st book was about how to paint a car (about 1/2" thick), the other book was about paint problems (about 3" thick).
Not an easy task... those who are good--- are great!
Jason and SVT01 are correct. Here is a picture of paint with orange peel...
After colorsanding to even out the paint... (right panel)
Notice how the reflections are a lot clearer. Heres a really good site Bretfraz found on wetsanding: http://www.goodspeedmotoring.com/?page=color_sanding
After colorsanding to even out the paint... (right panel)
Notice how the reflections are a lot clearer. Heres a really good site Bretfraz found on wetsanding: http://www.goodspeedmotoring.com/?page=color_sanding
imported_Intel486
New member
When I look at the paint on my F150 it is kinda textured all over. I saw someone take a picture of themselves reflecting in their paint and the paint is smooth like a mirror. If I did something like that on my truck you would see this kinda rough textured surface. Kinda hard to describe.
I'm not sure I wanna try wetsanding my truck. Besides. What if the orange peel isnt' in the clear coat but in the base paint? I couldn't get rid of it then.
I'm not sure I wanna try wetsanding my truck. Besides. What if the orange peel isnt' in the clear coat but in the base paint? I couldn't get rid of it then.
Andre'
New member
Orange Peel is only on the top surface.
it's never actually in the lower coats. because essentially the orange peel of the color coats (if it actually exists) gets filled in by the clear. unless the orange peel is a result of the drying process that only affects the top layer. you can wet sand it out and it'll look smooth like the picture above.
i actually did this to a motorcycle tank that i painted with rattle cans. the prep work was okay. did three coats of color and four coats of clear. got orangepeel badly. but you can make almost any paintjob look really damned good by wet sanding the top layer. of course, it's a huge risk, but that motorcycle tank and fender looked AMAZING and SMOOTH. of course, that was a $30 paint job. hehe. wouldn't take the risk with a whole car.
i actually did this to a motorcycle tank that i painted with rattle cans. the prep work was okay. did three coats of color and four coats of clear. got orangepeel badly. but you can make almost any paintjob look really damned good by wet sanding the top layer. of course, it's a huge risk, but that motorcycle tank and fender looked AMAZING and SMOOTH. of course, that was a $30 paint job. hehe. wouldn't take the risk with a whole car.
imported_Intel486
New member
So, what kinds of compounds would I need?
G
Guest
Guest
I color-sanded my whole Jeep Cherokee. Almost gave my wife a heart attack when she came home and I was sanding away on my already shiney car in the driveway. The thing you have to be aware of is that unless you have added extra coats, you may remove enough clear during the sanding process that you shorten the life of the clearcoat, especially if you live in a harsh weather environment like where the sun is very hot during the year. Having worked in a body shop for about 9 years, I was aware of this risk and willing to take it, figuring I could do a repaint myself if the clearcoat fails in a few years. I'm also very careful to keep the car clean so contaminants don't sit on the paint a long time and I protect the vehicle with lots of Zaino.
Andre'
New member
2,000 Grit wet & dry sandpaper and a 3M compound like Perfect-it fine cut rubbing compound or Finisse-it2, and a rotary buffer.
removing OP can be counter productive. The clear coats UV blockers are in the upper 0.3mil part of the clear, if you remove more than 0.3 or 3/10 of the clear coat it, may fail, this means repainting.
removing OP can be counter productive. The clear coats UV blockers are in the upper 0.3mil part of the clear, if you remove more than 0.3 or 3/10 of the clear coat it, may fail, this means repainting.
We're Here
New member
You should keep in mind that when it comes to wet sanding by those with no practical experience, disasters are more common than successes. This is a process that almost certainly can't be taught without actually practicing first on expendable (junk) panels. This is about the only way you'll learn how far is too far or how close you can sand to a seam or a crease in the bodywork. I can't recommend extreme caution highly enough for those considering this!
ISLANDSBEST
New member
dlw - that jeep looks great! Well Done!
imported_Page
New member
Intel,
First, glad to see you are posting regularly to the forum.
I have a 2002 F-150 Supercrew with Dark Highland Green paint. It has some orange peel. Would I consider wet sanding it? Probably not. The paint looks fine. I have great gloss and reflectivity with AIO and 3 coats KSG.
My point is this. Unless you are a former/present body shop professional, or VERY experienced(maybe you are) in auto refinishing, why risk it? To obtain a PERFECT mirror? Is it worth the risk? Polish the car, make it ultra smooth, Klasse, Zaino, Carnuba it up (whatever you like) and enjoy the shine. Some folks say proper wet sanding is not difficult, and they are right, not difficult for their knowledge/skill sets(which might be 5 or more years of body shop/auto painting experience)
I personally think that one may be reaching an insane point when the desire for perfection leads one down roads to a "solution" that can permanently damage your paint to the point where no consumer polish, sealant etc can restore it. One's only recourse is to shell out the bucks for a repaint. Worse yet, one has to wait 30 days while the "non-factory" paint job "cures" before you can top it with your favorite wax/sealant. (Disclaimer : Unless you have the tools, knowledge, and ability to correct any possible "mistakes" you may make)
I once thought I wanted to wet sand my 2001 Mustang...until I have seen posts from folks on the site who sanded through their clear, and were left having to pay for a new paint job on those areas. A possible 500$(probably more) risk is not worth an ULTIMATE mirror surface for me.
OP is not the BEST, but I can live with the alternatives (failed clear, dark patches in clear from over sanding etc.)
That said, if you take the time and have the knowledge to do so, go for it. Just make certain you are prepared to handle any issues without a great deal of personal cost.
SJ
First, glad to see you are posting regularly to the forum.
I have a 2002 F-150 Supercrew with Dark Highland Green paint. It has some orange peel. Would I consider wet sanding it? Probably not. The paint looks fine. I have great gloss and reflectivity with AIO and 3 coats KSG.
My point is this. Unless you are a former/present body shop professional, or VERY experienced(maybe you are) in auto refinishing, why risk it? To obtain a PERFECT mirror? Is it worth the risk? Polish the car, make it ultra smooth, Klasse, Zaino, Carnuba it up (whatever you like) and enjoy the shine. Some folks say proper wet sanding is not difficult, and they are right, not difficult for their knowledge/skill sets(which might be 5 or more years of body shop/auto painting experience)
I personally think that one may be reaching an insane point when the desire for perfection leads one down roads to a "solution" that can permanently damage your paint to the point where no consumer polish, sealant etc can restore it. One's only recourse is to shell out the bucks for a repaint. Worse yet, one has to wait 30 days while the "non-factory" paint job "cures" before you can top it with your favorite wax/sealant. (Disclaimer : Unless you have the tools, knowledge, and ability to correct any possible "mistakes" you may make)
I once thought I wanted to wet sand my 2001 Mustang...until I have seen posts from folks on the site who sanded through their clear, and were left having to pay for a new paint job on those areas. A possible 500$(probably more) risk is not worth an ULTIMATE mirror surface for me.
OP is not the BEST, but I can live with the alternatives (failed clear, dark patches in clear from over sanding etc.)
That said, if you take the time and have the knowledge to do so, go for it. Just make certain you are prepared to handle any issues without a great deal of personal cost.
SJ
DETAILKING
New member
And can not be removed with wet sanding as the clear coat lays on top of it. You just have to live with it, unless you do a repaint. My BMW has it bad, and it distrorts reflections on some body panels. Not impressed with BMW paint.........sad.
imported_Intermezzo
New member
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >
<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Andre' [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>2,000 Grit wet & dry sandpaper and a 3M compound like Perfect-it fine cut rubbing compound or Finisse-it2, and a rotary buffer.
removing OP can be counter productive. The clear coats UV blockers are in the upper 0.3mil part of the clear, if you remove more than 0.3 or 3/10 of the clear coat it, may fail, this means repainting. [/b]</blockquote>
Great post Andre! That's just the info I was looking for. A friend of mine wants to get rid of his OP and I'm trying to convince him not to!
<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Andre' [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>2,000 Grit wet & dry sandpaper and a 3M compound like Perfect-it fine cut rubbing compound or Finisse-it2, and a rotary buffer.
removing OP can be counter productive. The clear coats UV blockers are in the upper 0.3mil part of the clear, if you remove more than 0.3 or 3/10 of the clear coat it, may fail, this means repainting. [/b]</blockquote>
Great post Andre! That's just the info I was looking for. A friend of mine wants to get rid of his OP and I'm trying to convince him not to!
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >
<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by DETAILKING [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>And can not be removed with wet sanding as the clear coat lays on top of it. You just have to live with it, unless you do a repaint. My BMW has it bad, and it distrorts reflections on some body panels. Not impressed with BMW paint.........sad. [/b]</blockquote>
are you sure of that dk? the only reason i ask is that, like i said above, i actually got rid of orangepeel in a rattlecan paint job i did on an old motorcycle. i just applied clear coats to the top and wetsanded and buffed the top layers. the paint was as smooth as glass. no visible OP distortion. the red jeep above looks amazing to me and it looks as if he's removed the OP from the paint job. plus, this article shows someone not only eliminating orange peel, but a big dimple in the paint.
<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by DETAILKING [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>And can not be removed with wet sanding as the clear coat lays on top of it. You just have to live with it, unless you do a repaint. My BMW has it bad, and it distrorts reflections on some body panels. Not impressed with BMW paint.........sad. [/b]</blockquote>
are you sure of that dk? the only reason i ask is that, like i said above, i actually got rid of orangepeel in a rattlecan paint job i did on an old motorcycle. i just applied clear coats to the top and wetsanded and buffed the top layers. the paint was as smooth as glass. no visible OP distortion. the red jeep above looks amazing to me and it looks as if he's removed the OP from the paint job. plus, this article shows someone not only eliminating orange peel, but a big dimple in the paint.
While wet sanding can result in some good...uh, results, its not something you should be doing just to make the overall finish look better.....should be used for small dust nibs, pits ect. Like many have said, the densest part of the clear coat is the very top layer, and wet sanding will quickly remove this layer (with very gentle and cautous hands though, 2000 grip paper can remove paint slower than a buffer). If your OEM paint has orange peel and you really want to take car of it, take it to a body shop to be sanded and re-cleared. BTW, dlw, thats the best example of a perfectly detailed car ever to grace this forum, IMO.