fender. Here, his consistent sanding direction is illustrated. Since
he’s sanding a clear coat, the high-solids paint surface turns white
after sanding. Sanding with 800-grit is the first step and is the
“leveler” that removes all paint surface imperfections. The
following sanding steps will remove the previous step’s sanding
marks to a mirror finish.“A high-solids clear doesn’t go on as smooth as you’d like,” Kopecky
said. “Each coat adds chances for flaws and for most, regular clear is
fine.”
Once the paint has cured, its smoothness can be addressed in the
sanding process, but not before the paint is thoroughly and carefully
cleaned of any dust or other debris that may have settled on the surface.
For this task, Kopecky doesn’t use a hose and old rags, but a sealed
squirt bottle to mist the surface and a clean, lint-free towel to dry the
surface without contaminating it with dust or other debris.
“If there’s one grain of sand, the party is over,” Kopecky warns.
Once the surface is completely clean, it’s ready for Kopecky’s sanding
method. Although paint manufacturers recommend working in two-foot
areas, Kopecky sands the length of a panel, although he divides it in
sections from top to bottom at natural body lines.
After sanding the middle section with water-soaked 800-grit wet or
dry automotive sandpaper, Kopecky repeats the process the length
of the fin. Along with moist sandpaper, he uses a spray bottle to