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Sunday, September 16, 2012

Paint - Cut and Buff is (half) Complete

I just finished color sanding and buffing the top half of the Corvette.  The car is full of static electricity so if you click on any of the photos and see something it's probably lint or dust.  Also, the door and hood jambs are full of compound so ignore that as well.

The paint looks spectacular to me and I am very happy with the results.  It's not flawless, but it makes me smile.  Check out the photos and judge for yourself.










My neighbors house.











Next I'll start sanding and buffing the lower half of the car.  The car is filthy but I''ll wait until the whole car is done before I take it to the car wash.

Thanks for watching and be sure to let me know what you think.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Paint - UFC35 Clear

Up until now I've been using House of Kolor UC35 clear.  UC35 is extremely durable, dries fast, is very hard and it can be sanded the next day.  Now I am going to spray UFC35.  This stuff is bruise resistant, extremely flexible and it has an ultra-high gloss.  On one of my motorcycle paint jobs I had rubber cushions from the motorcycle seat leave indentations in the UFC35 clear.  I thought for sure I'd have to respray.  2 days later the indentations were gone.  It's neat stuff.  Self healing. 


Max H asked for a picture of me in my paint gear.  Both of the clears I use are very hazardous and I must use a good respirator, one made for solvent based paints.  I also wear a full face shield while spraying.


To further reduce the amount of debris in the paint I decided to turn off all the circulating fans and remove all the plastic from the floor.  Yes, I'll get over spray on everything but at least it's clear, not blue.  Besides, the garage needs a good cleaning.  This is the first coat of UFC35.  Contrary to what you see, the car is blue.


Four coats of UFC35 were applied.  It's very glossy and the debris in the clear is minimal.  It was a good call to turn off the circulating fans.


There is minimal orange peel but it's there.  Another full sanding will be required.  Note how the color looks like it goes from blue to black between the fender and the split window.  That's pretty much what it does.


You can see orange peel on the roof and top of the door.  It's not excessive but it will need to be fixed.


There is hardly any debris and very little orange peel here.  This area looks nice.


Once I cut and buff the clear we should be able to see my neighbors in the reflection.  That will be a good test.


The first step to a nice finish requires sanding.  I'll sand the clear until it's smooth and defect free.


It will take several weekends to complete the cut and buff stage.  It's tedious work.


More cutting and buffing to follow.  You won't be disappointed with the results (I've seen it!).