Sanding Touch-Up Paint

[kevin_1981]

I recently applied touchup paint to the "door bumper" that runs the length of my g/f's Highlander. The plastic trim that is body color that runs the length of the car in the middle of the doors. I think after one more coat, the paint will be slightly higher that the rest of the car.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to sand it down so that it is even? I have 1500/2000/3000 grit sandpaper. I tried using 3000 dry then wet on another portion, but just used my thumb to rub the sandpaper against the car. Should I be using some kind of sanding block? I will compound/polish afterwards,

[jamesboyy]

From my experience your finger kinda shapes the repair to the rest of the paint with that said you want to sand the repair down with 2500 grit first if that dont level it then continue to level it down with 3000 grit till leveled out then polish

Ps sanding block is helpful(even out sanding pressure) on flat panels but that area your working on looks as if it has a slight curve

[kevin_1981]

From my experience your finger kinda shapes the repair to the rest of the paint with that said you want to sand the repair down with 2500 grit first if that dont level it then continue to level it down with 3000 grit till leveled out then polish

Ps sanding block is helpful(even out sanding pressure) on flat panels but that area your working on looks as if it has a slight curve

Thanks, James. Last night, i tried one of the other small spots i did, on the grille in the front. I sanded with 3000 dry, then 3000 wet, and compound by hand. I think im gonna try another layer of paint on there, and sanding again, I have to see what it looks like in the sun though, rather than under a led flashlight.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's a few tips...


1. When possible, let the paint dry longer. You want the touch up paint as dry and hard as possible before you start sanding and buffing on it.

The problem you can run into when you start buffing on touch-up paint is when you warm it up, especially when using a rotary buffer, you can actually pull the touch-up paint right out of the scratch or rock chip if you're attempting to do this to a rock chip. Then you're back to where you started only now you've got sanding marks in the surrounding paint.



2. Touch-up paint will always be softer than the factory paint surrounding the repair, here's how this affects the buffing process. When you go to buff out your sanding marks, they will buff out quickly and easily out of the touch-up paint because this paint is softer, especially if it's only dried a short time. The surrounding paint will be harder and thus it will be harder or more difficult to remove your sanding marks out 100%

It's easy to sand paint as at it's core that's putting scratches into the paint... the tricky part is getting the ALL out...

When doing touch-up repair work on clear coat paints, what I've seen and experienced is the sanding marks come out of the touch-up paint quickly and easily but not so with the factory clear.

So what a person does is continue buffing the sanding marks in the surrounding clear paint and what happens is you heat the panel up and your buffing pad this will make the touch-up paint rubbery and you will literally pull the touch-up paint out of the scratch or chip.



3. You really need a rotary buffer to remove sanding marks 100%

Can you do it with a DA or Flex or even Cyclo? Sure but it will take longer. Again the sanding marks will come out of the touch-up paint quickly and easily, it's the surrounding factory baked-on clear coat that you'll need to be concerned with.

Try to finish sand with #3000 or higher before buffing.


You can remove your sanding marks by hand. To do this use a clearcoat safe compound and some type of fiber applicator pad. The fibers will make the abrading action more aggressive but don't rub so hard or too fast as to heat up the touch-up paint.

Normally after rubbing with some type of fiber applicator pad you have to follow with a foam applicator pad to remove any fiber marks.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's one way to sand with a small footprint....

[jamesboyy]

Your welcome, adding more clear coat aint a bad thing but taking it out in the sun to further will definitely ensure you make it perfect