Tips on getting an even and consistent color?

[Emprov]

I'm finishing up a set of speakers for my father in law and, when asked what he wanted the finish to look like, he asked for black. So, I got some Killz and primed them, which went really well, and some black spray paint out of a plain old ordinary can. Well, as expected, the coverage is somewhat uneven and I'm getting an inconsistent sheen on the boxes -- it worked really well on my smaller test pieces but I'm less than pleased with the larger boxes. Any tips on how to get a more even color? I don't have access to a spray booth.

[lakeside]

Try buffing it out (by hand or machine). Local auto parts store should have buffing/rubbing compound, use a type that doesn't contain wax,

Wet sanding is another choice for evening out finishes. Much more aggressive, then buff it out afterwards.

After doing the buffing/wet sanding put a coat of clear on (which can also be buffed and/or wet sanded as well).

Body shops use the above procedures to even car paint finishes.

A little tutorial:
How to Wet Sand Paint on a Car | eHow.com

~Mike

[Emprov]

Originally Posted by lakeside

Try buffing it out (by hand or machine). Local auto parts store should have buffing/rubbing compound, use a type that doesn't contain wax,

D'oh! Can't believe I didn't think of that. Thanks Mike, I'll give it a shot.

[Emprov]

I hit it with 800 and it did a great job of evening the surface, but the appearance ain't all that good. Since I'm going for a piano'esque finish, (though I know that's only a dream) how fine of sandpaper will I need to step down to?

[lakeside]

Hi Emprov.
800 is a bit coarse...go up to 1000-1500, even 2000. Getting a piano type finish isn't that hard. You have to build it up in several coats, wet sanding between each coat. You can apply as many coats as you want. Once you have several coats of black built up then switch to a clear coat... same thing...as many coats as you want, wet sanding between each. Even 2000 grit will dull out the finish a bit....to bring it to a high gloss, buff out the final coat with rubbing compound and a buffing pad. I've done car finishes with up to 12-15 coats total, to give you an idea. The result is worth the effort.

~Mike