How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

[Bill M.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

talking to the painter did cross my mind so I'll do that when I get back. He lives 12 hours from me so I'll have to send him pics. It would be interesting to hear what he has to say and how to fix this because I'm sure the problem is at my end. Given his reputation I find it really hard to believe that he "blew" my paint job.

I think your painter did blow it. (Tough to diagnose in pictures.) I think he shot the paint too dry. I found I had to thin the lacquer 200% and use the hottest thinner to get a smooth finish with my small compressor.

[Domenic T.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

Greg,
You got lots of good advice.

You have acrylic laquer which is not the same a laquer.

Acrylic covers the pigment/metalic and once you go thru it your paint will be blotchy and oxidize.

When sprayed the acrylic rises to the top leaving the pigment protected.

Once you remove the acrylic you are in trouble.

If you must stay with acrylic laquer then I would sand it smooth with 400 and give it another SMOOTH coat of paint.

If you are fed up with acrylic laquer then you can rough it up with 600 and put a coat of 2 part clear over it and it will last.

In many cases if you ask for acrylic clear it may be mixing clear.

I painted acrylic back when it came out and grew to hate it as it had to be re-done as soon as 5 years if you took the car outside and drove it in the sun/WX.

I never kept one indoors back then and maybe thats the answer.

I would like to know how long Acrylic laquer lasts if it is kept indoors?

DOM

[Jim D.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

I think your painter did blow it. (Tough to diagnose in pictures.) I think he shot the paint too dry.

Absolutely. When I used to shoot lacquer, I would use a slow thinner AND a splash of retarder. It would flow out and look better than a factory job without ever touching it with polish. The only thing that will help the OP's paint is to re-shoot it correctly.

Jim

[Domenic T.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

Absolutely. When I used to shoot lacquer, I would use a slow thinner AND a splash of retarder. It would flow out and look better than a factory job without ever touching it with polish. The only thing that will help the OP's paint is to re-shoot it correctly.

Jim

GOOD ADVICE

[Patrick H.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

Absolutely. When I used to shoot lacquer, I would use a slow thinner AND a splash of retarder. It would flow out and look better than a factory job without ever touching it with polish. The only thing that will help the OP's paint is to re-shoot it correctly.

Jim

Yep.

I'd contact the guy who painted it and see about a re-do.

Patrick

[Greg L.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

Yep.

I'd contact the guy who painted it and see about a re-do.

Patrick

Oh man.... that's a 24 hr trailer trip there and back, plus all the costs and logistics in doing that all over again.... If it was an L88 then ya, sure but it's not....

I feel like an old beaten down hound dog......

[Patrick H.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

Oh man.... that's a 24 hr trailer trip there and back, plus all the costs and logistics in doing that all over again.... If it was an L88 then ya, sure but it's not....

I feel like an old beaten down hound dog......

It's going to take you more than 24 hours to fix it, so...

[Bill M.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

I would like to know how long Acrylic laquer lasts if it is kept indoors?

DOM

I repainted my '65 in 1980 with Dupont Milano Maroon acrylic lacquer. It is always in the garage and seldom driven (these days; drove it a lot more in the 80s). Still looks as good as 1980. (There are the typical areas where the fiberglass imperfections under the paint show, but the paint is still good.)

I had to repaint my '59 in 1966 because the original acrylic lacquer paint was cracking in areas where it was thick; it was always kept outdoors. Lesson learned: I kept the paint very thin on the '65 and always garaged it.

[Ronald C.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

Be very careful buffing. my 65 has 30 year old Laquer that unfortunately was over buffed resulting int eh full 85 point deduction. now i have to repaint the car..... and paint with laquer? my sugestion is go slow and have it checked along the way. you can always buff more but once over buffed the only correction is costly.

[Greg L.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

I wonder if putting a clear on it would save my a$$? The paint itself looks awesome(no mottling, striping, etc) and if I could lay on a clear with the proper orange peel then I might get out of this pickle I'm in.

Any thoughts on that?

[Bill B.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

I think that's an excellent suggestion, and answers your dilemma.

Bill

1961 Black/Silver/Red Int. 283/315 FI
power windows. Frame off 65% completed.
1989 White/hard top/Grey Int. daily driver 167,000 miles

"The problem with Liberalism is that eventually you run out of other people's money" - Margaret Thatcher

[Steven S.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

If you are going to clear it, make sure it is compatible with your current finish. They do make Acrylic Lacquer clear as well.

[Greg L.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

I'll talk to my painter when I get back home to get his take on it. I'm still pretty sure he did it right though because of his reputation, Although even the best can have a bad day...

If I do end up clearing it, it will be with Acrylic Lacquer of the same brand(PPG). Now because lacquer top coats tend to soften the underlying coats and "melt" into one another when being sprayed is sanding really all that important for the clear to adhere to the color coat? Basicaly can I just spray the clear over a smooth but CLEAN surface or does it need to have some sort of "tooth" to attach itself to like catalysed paints do?

The reason I asked that is because I seem to remember way back seeing painters doing blend repairs with lacquer and they would compound the paint beyond the repair area. Then they would spray the repair area and blend onto this compounded area. Once the paint had dried they would compound the whole area and the repair was seamless.

[Greg L.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

I'll talk to my painter when I get back home to get his take on it. I'm still pretty sure he did it right though because of his reputation, Although even the best can have a bad day...

If I do end up clearing it, it will be with Acrylic Lacquer of the same brand(PPG). Now because lacquer top coats tend to soften the underlying coats and "melt" into one another when being sprayed is sanding really all that important for the clear to adhere to the color coat? Basicaly can I just spray the clear over a smooth but CLEAN surface or does it need to have some sort of "tooth" to attach itself to like catalysed paints do?

The reason I asked that is because I seem to remember way back seeing painters doing blend repairs with lacquer and they would compound the paint beyond the repair area. Then they would spray the repair area and blend onto this compounded area. Once the paint had dried they would compound the whole area and the repair was seamless.

Not much new to add to my problem yet but was wondering if anyone can comment on my question quoted above?

I also wanted to add this pic that I found online a while back. I'm thinking that this is the look that I should be trying to achieve for a factory finish, right?

[Patrick H.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

Not much new to add to my problem yet but was wondering if anyone can comment on my question quoted above?

I also wanted to add this pic that I found online a while back. I'm thinking that this is the look that I should be trying to achieve for a factory finish, right?

That's quite close.

Go ahead and look at my pictures via the link in my signature if you haven't already. Several of them show what the original laquer looked like and should help.

Patrick