need tips for sanding and painting

he guys...i was wondering if someone had some tips for me on the finishing of the tweeter pods i built in the a-pillars on my civic...i have hand sanded...dremel sanded...power sanded and havent gotten the finish that i want...i dont want to have to cover the pods with a material...will painting them with multiple coats help cover some of the imperfections? or do i have to re-bondo and sand again?"it was a rhetorical question...what have i told you about thinking"

The key to sanding anything is to know when to change grits. Use a coarse grit and power tools to rough out the shape. Use progressive finer grits to get rid of small bumps and scratches and do it by hand. Power tools can make rapid changes and if you aren't careful will cause more harm than good. If need be use spot putty for filling small holes/scratches as it is easier to sand. Patience is a virtue.sparky

kaace wrote: i'd like to think i am missing something...maybe wet sanding? its a stock plastic to fiberglass/filler transition...if i can just get it perfectly smooth i can paint it and be done with it...i have never done one with paint...i have always covered my pieces (just a few total..new to the fiberglass fabrication aspect of car audio...but willing to learn :)

very true, wet sanding will get your project smooth like glass, provided you use the proper grit sandpaper. this entire process is a game of removing scratches until they become so small they are not visible through the primer and paint layer. if i may, i would like to suggest my method.(this all begins after body filler) first, rough sand to achieve shape(personally i use 24-36 grit to take off material quickly) using some kind of sanding block; this doesn't necessarily mean square or rectangle-you can use a section of garden hose or some other tube, but be creative. then, you can begin to use progressively finer grit sandpaper(ex. 120,200,400) to remove the scratches you gained from using the coarse sandpaper. by now you should have a surface that feels smooth like sanded ply or mdf. next, comes the spot putty if you have any pinholes, then sand again, then comes the high build primer; as a rule of thumb, i always use high build primer before paint. spot putty and sand as needed. NOW comes the wet sanding(last step before paint prep); i use 1000-1500 depending on the size of the project, but after this step your project will look so smooth your fingers will glide over the surface and it will feel smoother than glass. listen, i'm no professional, but i've had great success using this method and i hope this helps. oh yeah, and take your time-it makes all the difference.