how smooth is smooth enough?

Hi everyone...

I am approching the end of my first fiberglass project. I am currently sanding a cover plate from my trunk in preparation for paint.

I have read a dozen times that when painting, every surface must be absolutely smooth in order to end up with a finnished product that looks at all respectable. 

My question is how smooth is smooth enough? Curently, my piece looks looks like a girl with very nice legs, but with a *bit* of cellulite<<<I guess that's the best way I can describe it. If anyone has pics of their past projects in the stage just before primer, I think that would help a lot.

Also if anyone could detail the paining process...my understanding is as follows:

'glaze coat' not sure what this is or if it is necessary, but i think it happens in the beginning of the process?!?!

high build polyester primer: to fill in very small holes and promote adheason, drips sand down like chalk with very fin grit sandpaper

paint

clearcoat

thanks for helping a newbie out!

~Alvin

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HOw smooth is smooth enough???there is the question of the day...

This is smooth as a fat chicks ass below




THIS PICTURE is as smooth as Jenna Jamesons big round voluptous bre.......enough said. Below






To me...smooth enough is when you can take two fingers and start on one end..WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED..you dont wnat anyother senses screweing up your perception..go back and forth..whenever you feel a pit..or a spot that is wavy..circle it with a marker....at this point you should have a piece of fiberglass that is as pimply as a fat chicks ass as well. Now you want to take bondo and lightly glaze over those areas..then sand..and TEST AGAIN. when you have smooth as a baby's ass..then you spot putty (unless you use a high build primer) and start wet sanding.

any questions AOL IM PimpGtiVR6 337

Nick

right on. I'll be outside sanding for like 6 hours before I'm satisfied with it, and thats even before I do any of the bondo stuff. If ur gona carpet something, it can have pits and crap, but to make that nice fiberglass painted finish, it needs to be 99.9% free of any voids, that means using like 1000 grit paper when sanding and using high build primer and just sanding, sanding, and sanding.

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"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"

02 Jeep Grand Cherokee

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thanks guys...

I am definately closer to a fat chick's ass than jenna's right now. I will try and post some pics tomorrow perhaps...

This whole sand, bondo, sand, bondo, repeat, repeat business is a lot more work than I thought...But I guess that's why the pros get paid so much huh!

Thanks for the help!

~Alvin

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Resin, rough sand, body filler as needed, rough sand, high build primer, sand (80, 220, 400-500), paint. For vinyl, carpet, flock, etc. you can stop at 80 grit. As long as there aren't dips or pits you can stop at about 400 or so for paint. I see people recommend sandpaper up to 2000 grit or even wet sanding. That's just a huge waste of time. Your surface does not, and should not, be glass smooth to that level. You need something for the paint to stick to.

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It should feel like marble with poweder on it. So pretty much smooth as sh*t.

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dream it, build it, fiberglass it

Aww, jeeze, dont go tell'n me that u dont use high grit paper when sanding primer and stuff. I dont do wet sanding but I do sand down the primer with the 1000 grit paper, IMO it just makes the finish look a little better but yeah, u dont 'need' to do this persay. I dont sand the actual fiberglass with 1000, I usually stop at around 400 or so then primer it with high built and then sand the primer with the 1000 grit to get a smoother finish. Onces thats done the paint will stick to the primer.

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"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"

02 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Monster System on its way.

So "u dont 'need' to do this" but "dont go tell'n me that". Got it.

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hey! I just speak the language! Dont mean I can use proper grammar or spelling! GRRRR!!! haha, that was kinda dumb though..... then again this is me were talk'n about.... haha, oh well, f**k it, just listen to caraudiohelp, at least he used proper grammar and sh*t.

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"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"

02 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Monster System on its way.

I wasn't ripping on your grammar or your spelling. I was just goofing around because you wrote that you don't need to do it but still thought it should be done. Grammar and spelling are out the window on the Web.

Anyway, I think the bottom line for tnrplaya is this. You don't need to sand past 400 grit on your primer but if you want to you can. Try it both ways and see if you can tell a difference. The thing you need to worry about the most is the dips and not the smoothness of the surface.

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this is the easieset way to finish a job quickly.

sand with 80 grit. then use polyesterprimer.
sand with 180,220 then 320 grit if ya wanna go that high.
then use a filler/sanding primer. sand this with 220,320,400 grit.
then use a surfacer/bleed check primer close to the color of the base coat. this will make the basecoat cover quicker with less paint needed.
sand the surfacer primer with 400,600, and 800 wet.
then spray the base coat.
then clear.
then color sand with 1000 or 1200, 1500, then 2000.
then buff




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Audiomechanic has my process. I would have to say that is the EXACT method i use.

Nick

audio mechanic and pimpgtivr6, do you guys have some pics of either finished work or even better would be the progress after each step? that would be super helpful. thanks!

~alvin

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i dont have any..cause i always forget to take pics..but im starting a box in a 2001 vw on monday..i will post pics of evwry step

pimp... u deal with alot of VW's?

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pimp, I need to see the veedub... what are your plans for it?

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