Cabinet finish - When to buff out?

[BobEllis]

If you're spraying a coat flat enough that 600 grit really flattens it, you're doing a lot better than me. Every spray leaves a bit of orange peel. Using too fine a grit will follow the contours of teh orange peel, leaving a less than flat surface. Depending on how large the surface is, it may not be noticable. But for a really flat surface that looks like a mirror start at 320 and work up.

The clear coats add "depth of image" - makes it look more like a pool of black glass. They do add protection for custom paint jobs - flames, metalflake, pearls, etc.

I always shoot a little extra finish on the edges to help avoid sanding through.

Your finish looks like a standard lacquer. You can safely shoot several coats in a day, let it harden overnight and sand out. Give it a week or more before the final rubout. If you do a good job between coats, it ought to look decent enough while you wait to harden.

[Vikash]

After four base coats applied. In all honesty if I stopped here I wouldn't be disappointed.

[BobEllis]

lookin' good!

[mwmkravchenko]

THe fun begins!

MArk

Cabinet maker who went to WHATSAMATTAU too!

[Vikash]

I started again more or less - this time with a compressor and spray gun to hand. A little different to spray cans I'll say!

Cellulose primer and basecoat. Some coil heaters work wonders in keeping the temperature up for a better spraying environment.

I'm in two minds whether to clearcoat them or just to flat back and polish without. I've been told that black is the one colour that doesn't need the clearcoats (by the paint suppliers)

I've lost count in the number of primer coats sprayed, which was basically to ensure that the joints don't show through. However I stuck them in front of the gas fire after finishing the basecoats rather then waiting a week(s) to move on to the next stage - the shrink back is amazing! Those stinking joints have come through.

I'm thinking of sanding straight to 1200grit, then a rubbing compound (Halfords), then to some Meguires fine cutting polish.

Any comments welcomed.

[Vikash]

And here's the DIY spray booth

[BobEllis]

Good job spraying. Isn't the difference between gun and can amazing? Your booth looks like mine

The black lacquer I sprayed did not need a clear coat to look good. Pianolac does, but that is a different system. Hey, if the paint supplier is telling you that you DON'T need to buy more from him, that's saying something

Take your time working through the grits. Get almost all of the orange peel with 320 grit before going to 400. The spots left after 320 should be very shallow. By the time you are done with 400 grit, there should be NO orange peel. From there you are just removing the sanding scratches until you can use the compound.

Be careful at the edges. Keep the pressure on your block over the flat surface so you don't sand through.

[AuroraB]

Great looks, Vikash....
Heating to say 50-60 deg (as we are dealing with wood) at least overnight, should speed up the hardening process quite considederably....
this is the classical way of doing it with cars..
Don't know about the modern water based stuff, though...
The garage guys should know I guess

[toque_101]

Vikash, looking very nice! When finished, are you planning to post something on your site about the process you used to paint them? I would be pretty interested in seeing it.