Question on Painting Technique

[Prodigus]

I'm not a painter by trade (or hobby) but it has come time to paint my new arcade console.

The "proper" technique as I have read it is to...

Clean the surface
Primer
Sand
Primer
Sand
Paint
Sand
Paint
Sand (with high grit sandpaper)

Got it..

My question is what is considered "high Grit" Sandpaper?
I use an orbital sander and the highest grit that I can find is 220 which is listed as very fine.  Over in the paint section of my local hardware store there is some sheets of sandpaper that are 400 Grit but to me they actually feel more like a sponge than sandpaper.

So is 220 high enough or will I have to do this by hand to use the higher rated stuff?

Thanks for your input....


-Prod

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy $%&@...what a ride!"

[DrewKaree]

220 is the finest you will prolly find for your sander.  You can get finer, but 220 will work just fine for this application  Just don't sand the piss out of it.  All you're trying to do is knock the "fuzz" off and even out the coat.  This shouldn't take long if you've let the coat of paint/primer harden.  

I'll warn you, you'll know it hasn't hardened enough if you aren't knocking the fuzz off and your paper is getting clogged up.  The paper will get clogged because the paint hasn't cured, leading you to believe you need to sand more, and you won't realize it until you've sanded through the coat you just applied.

One other thing.  Make sure you wipe the dust off.  Don't just vacuum or brush it off.  It will contribute to more "fuzz" being formed on the next coat.

[Prodigus]

Thanks a lot for the advice.  I feel better now..  I'm letting each coat dry at least overnight so it should be dry.  We'll see tomorrow I guess.

I'm taking my sweet time with this project so I got all the time in the world.


Thanks again,

-Prod

[DrewKaree]

I'm letting each coat dry at least overnight so it should be dry.  We'll see tomorrow I guess.

I'd wait at least a minimum of 24 hours for latex paint, and 3 or more days for oil based.  I'd wait even LONGER if it is below 50-55 degrees in your area.

If you have a palm sander that uses sheets (either 4" square or larger) you can easily cut sheets of finer grit paper to use, but if you've got the PSA or Hook/Loop disc-type sanders, you'd have to look harder if you want to go with a finer grit.

[pocketbikez]

i wouldnt sand after the very last coat.

[RayB]

i wouldnt sand after the very last coat.

heh that one should be obvious, but he did list it as the last step.  

Anyways, what's the proper way to remove the sanding dust?

[mahuti]

more sanding.

[DrewKaree]

Anyways, what's the proper way to remove the sanding dust?

Get a tack cloth.  It's a treated cloth, kinda sticky.   And wear gloves while using it.  It's not toxic or anything, but it IS annoying having stuff stick to your hands and having that "I spilled soda and can't wash it off my hands" feeling.

They'll sell 'em in the paint section in Home Depot.

You COULD use a damp rag, but you MAY run into problems with that, tack rag is designed just for this purpose.

[zaphod]

I use a clean, cotton shop rag first to remove most all the dust, then the tack cloth gets used.  If I skip the shop rag step, I tend to go through the tack cloths way too fast.  

I agree that wearing gloves might be a good idea.  The resins take a while to wash/wear off your hands otherwise.  

[Stingray]

i wouldnt sand after the very last coat.

heh that one should be obvious, but he did list it as the last step.  

Actually if you intend to buff it, you would want to sand it before doing so, but with a super-fine sandpaper. Something along the lines of 1200 grit. This is probably overkill for an arcade cabinet though. Common practice on automotive paint jobs.

-S

[tshizzle.com]

Adding to this thread as its my first time really painting something that I actually cared how it came out....

Heres what Ive done so far:

-sanded the hell outta the original paint, patched it with plastic wood, sanded it again.  Used 220 sandpaper on last sanding.

-used Kliz(sp?) Oil based primer - 1 coat seemed to cover it fine.  let it dry and sanded again with 220 (handheld electric sander by the way)

-put on 1st coat of  Rustomleum Semi-Gloss Black latex paint, it left alot of uncovered area, but let it dry

-sanded with 220 again, then painted a 2nd coat on it.  I was hoping to only have to do 2 coats, but it didnt work out as there was too much  showing still.  sanded again with 220

-painted 3rd coat on there now (by the way, all coats with a roller). Its covered fine, but in direct light/sunlight you can see some areas that arent perfect.  you know kinda see the lines , etc.  Also the paint isnt perfectly smooth, its kinda rough to the touch, even after all these 220 grit sandings which left it perfectly smooth like a babys ass.

Did I do anything that would make it "bumpy" ?  I mean im kinda being a perfectionist as it really doesnt look bad at all and no one will notice it but me , but I was expecting a perfectly smooth finish.  

[zaphod]

By "rough", do you just mean it has a slight texture?  The roller will give you that effect to varying degrees due to its nap.  My cab has this texture and it hides fingerprints and smudges very well so, personally, I consider it a good thing.

As far as direct sunlight showing imperfections, where is the final resting place of this beaut to be?  Something tells me it will not be out in the sun.  I am sure the finish looks fantastic and, you are right, noone is going to notice any 'imperfection.'

You've done everything right.  Now get all the equipment in there and start enjoying your cabinet!

[johnnysmitch]

i was under the impression that you were spraying it, because of the care you seem to be taking in sanding between every coat, etc.  Generally, if you're rolling the paint on, it will always be textured, as that's just the way rollers apply paint.  Just like when you're painting your walls [with a roller], it'll always have a bumpy finish (which i kinda like on my cab, since it's matte).  If you're going for a nice smooth finish, you'll either have to spray the final coat, or if you don't want to put any more black on it, you could do a final sanding (work down to a nice high grit) and clear coat the sucker, which should preserve/protect the paint pretty nicely, depending on what kind of clearcoat you apply.

[mj147]

Hello folks, Long time troller (sp?) but recently got bit by the MAME bug again. I have started on my 3rd mini cab build (hopefully I can finish it this time)

Im to the painting stage and  may have some pointers since Im also rolling my paint on my cab.

First get some good quality fabric rollers/brushes, I tend to stay away from foam ones.

I always primer and sand before the first coat. (use kilz2-water based)

To get  an even glossy shine, I angle my cab so that there is a glare of light reflecting from the surface as I paint (I paint looking at it at a 45 deg angle..not straight on). This will help you see the uneveness (sp?) in areas you have covered.

Ive always been pleased with my results and will post pics on my progress.

And as others have stated you wont get a smooth finish with a roller, more of a orange peel look.

I hope I didnt add to ur confussion




mj147

[pocketbikez]

-painted 3rd coat on there now (by the way, all coats with a roller). Its covered fine, but in direct light/sunlight you can see some areas that arent perfect.  you know kinda see the lines , etc.  Also the paint isnt perfectly smooth, its kinda rough to the touch, even after all these 220 grit sandings which left it perfectly smooth like a babys ass.

i would put on a few more coats of paint. when i painted a cab it didnt start to look glassy and candy coated until the 5th or 7th coat. as you sand inbetween multiple coats the wrinkles or roughness from the roller will also lessen and smooth out more.

[tshizzle.com]

thanks for the tips

And actually as the one poster said - now that I think about it, having it with a slight texture does seem to hide the fingerprints real nicely.  

Since I t-molded it up and installed the light and marquee, Im actually really starting to like it more and more.  I probably wont mess with it anymore, but on a future cab (already thinking more ) I might try borrowing a nice sprayer and seeing what happens

heres a little more close-up pic of my baby:

[rampy]

BTW one tip not mentioned, but can save coats/headaches...

tint your primer...  Get your primer/sealer tinted close to the final shade as you can... I primed my cabinet with grey oil kilz, and did two coats of black oil eggshell (or was it semigloss) I forget...

*shrug* ymmv but i learned about tinting primer the hard way when I painted a half bath deep red once... like 8 coats... insane...

rampy

[zaphod]

tint your primer...  Get your primer/sealer tinted close to the final shade as you can...

Excellent tip!!!  I learned the hard way on a project many years back.  My Kilz ends up being a shade of gray after tinting it with black.

[UFO]

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