question for auto paint/clear coat guys

First time I've had this problem, but I apparently didn't have my lid on my cup correctly and I have three drops on my wing. Not a run, but something that would have been a run if on a vertical surface. Can I sand these out with 1200 sandpaper? I'd hate to have to try and strip the wings.

Eastwood sells a run cutter, its a little wooden block with steel ridges on one surface. Sort of file-like. Don't know if I would try it on a concave open bay. 1200 will take a long time, I think I would start off with 220 after masking off the surrounding area. De-gorilla-fy the tape as you would for trim masking by sticking it to something else first. 220 will require less pressure and less time, meaning less chance for damage. Then 320, 400, then some local clear, 600 all over then final clear. If you're good at rubbing, you might get away without another all over clear. I've painted a lot of cars with acrylic enamel, but never dealt with a run on a laquer-ish airplane. Don

Depends on what type of clear you are using. On laquer go with exactly as puttputt says.

But on a two part clear using a hardener such as Chroma or valspar these rough papers will cut the shine out and you will never get it glossy agian. At least not for longer than 2 hours. That is if you want to just sand off the drops. Use nothing more than 1000. The you will step from 1000-1500-2000.

Or if you want to repair the spot try this. On the 2 part clears do as puttputt suggest and mask off the area and grind down the drops with some rough paper, 220 and up as he suggests. Work your way up to 600. Now remove the mask or just spread it way out further and lightly scuff the whole area with 1200. Best not to tape off the area at this point but maybe cover with old shirts or towels to keep any hard edges off the final coat. Now reshoot clear over the roughed areas. After the clear is shot remove any left overs from the gun. DO NOT CLEAN THE GUN AT THIS POINT! Add in an oz or two of straight medium urthyene reducer(cheap stuff had at any auto paint store) and spray the whole area right away. Dont let it dry and then spray. This will blend the two areas and the fix will be gone. Then sand with 1200 then 2000 and buff out as normal.

Hope this helps.

just what I needed. I normally use Matrix, but the guy at the new auto color store sold me on trying a can of ValSpar. I like the shine just fine, but I'm P.O.'d at myself for letting this happen. Rest of the Plane looks very pretty. Just glad it didn't run.

I had some matrix on my last plane and it was a nice clear coat for sure. Do you like Valspar better or Matirx?

Remember yu are using the reducer as a blender to melt pverspray. Amazing how it works. I have even used it in an Airbrush in a tight corner to fade out some overspray I wouldnt have been able to sand out. Worked like a charm. Reducer is wonderful stuff.

So far, I like Matrix better. However, I've used it on six planes and understand it. Valspar may end up being as good, maybe better. But, when you pull a bonehead move like this, you tend to associate the product with problems--even if it is of your own making. Plane is best ever, for me, except for these ##### spots I have to deal with. I may just try to take them down a bit with 1000 and fly it. On product choice, I won't use DuPont clearcoat again. It does not seem to have the adhesion that Matrix does. But again, that could be due to a million different variables. Some of which I may not even realize. I will say this: If you buy a bunch of different plastic pots for your small hvlp gun (with the intent to use each for different colors or products) test the danged pot. Three new ones leaked so much around the bottom seal or the top I threw them away before spraying one bit on the plane. Might be better off paying a bit more for good equipment. And there is no "might" about it !!

>So far, I like Matrix better.

So far I like it the best too. Cheap also.

Sand the area flat with 400 or so and do as Doug said. Re-clear the area and then "wet" with 5% clear /95% reducer. the repair will melt away.

I repaired Mr-Hyde the same way before the Nats. No one appeared to notice.

Do use any anti-fisheye additive in the matrix or other clears?

I'm thinking of trying the Matrix on the new Katana.

>Do use any anti-fisheye additive in the matrix or other
>clears?

No.

Hi Curt,

I use Dupont Nason 2 part clear with no additives.

>Remember yu are using the reducer as a blender to melt
>pverspray. Amazing how it works. I have even used it in an
>Airbrush in a tight corner to fade out some overspray I
>wouldnt have been able to sand out. Worked like a charm.
>Reducer is wonderful stuff.

Doug, for blending overspray while doing spot repairs there is something even better than reducer. I use a "blending agent" which is a different formulation than reducer and works noticeably better. I use "Sikkens" products and theirs is called "Blending Agent 790".

>>Remember yu are using the reducer as a blender to melt
>>pverspray. Amazing how it works. I have even used it in an
>>Airbrush in a tight corner to fade out some overspray I
>>wouldnt have been able to sand out. Worked like a charm.
>>Reducer is wonderful stuff.
>
>
>Doug, for blending overspray while doing spot repairs there
>is something even better than reducer. I use a "blending
>agent" which is a different formulation than reducer and
>works noticeably better. I use "Sikkens" products and
>theirs is called "Blending Agent 790".

Basically, this is reducer with a slight amount of resin in it. I don't think it works any better myself, I have tried it. It is also just another thing to keep around.

dupont makes a blender all u do is pour some in the cup and spray when your done just pour you left overs back in the can as long as the cup was clean to start with but i always used a differnt gun for it i sprayed up to my blend area with my clear and then changed guns and lightly sprayed blender on my edge just had to be careful or ya would get a run really easy on side panels

>>>Remember yu are using the reducer as a blender to melt
>>>pverspray. Amazing how it works. I have even used it in an
>>>Airbrush in a tight corner to fade out some overspray I
>>>wouldnt have been able to sand out. Worked like a charm.
>>>Reducer is wonderful stuff.
>>
>>
>>Doug, for blending overspray while doing spot repairs there
>>is something even better than reducer. I use a "blending
>>agent" which is a different formulation than reducer and
>>works noticeably better. I use "Sikkens" products and
>>theirs is called "Blending Agent 790".
>
>Basically, this is reducer with a slight amount of resin in
>it. I don't think it works any better myself, I have tried
>it. It is also just another thing to keep around.

Well, different strokes...after using the products professionally for over 15 years in my business I found that you can indeed get better results quicker with the blending agent than with thinner alone. Also, with the blending agent less buffing is required later and what is needed is easier to do.

As for another thing to keep around...big deal-it just goes in the flammable storage cabinet with the other paint reducing and hardener products.