How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

[Michael G.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

I also wanted to add this pic that I found online a while back. I'm thinking that this is the look that I should be trying to achieve for a factory finish, right?

Paint in the image supplied appears to have a great deal of grain....too much. This is not the same as orange peel. Paint doesn't appear to have had enough time to flow out and settle. Believe your shooting for too much of a grainy appearance in your paint job.

[Russ S.]

Re: How much is too much when polishing lacquer?

Thanks Michael, I'm on vacation now for about two weeks and on the drive out, talking to the painter did cross my mind so I'll do that when I get back. He lives 12 hours from me so I'll have to send him pics. It would be interesting to hear what he has to say and how to fix this because I'm sure the problem is at my end. Given his reputation I find it really hard to believe that he "blew" my paint job.

As for the pits maybe that's not the right term. Obviously when you partialy wet sand an uneven surface(orange peel) you level off the high points and make them flat. If you only sand down partialy you will still have the low spots and that's what I'm calling pits. Maybe depressions is more like it....

My thinking is if only the very tops of the bumps were wet sanded down then it would be easier for the polisher to round the edges of the "pits" and leave it with that orange peel look. That's why I'm thinking that maybe I sanded too far? I sanded too far and now they "look like pits".....

He blew your paint job!!