Scale 35% Krill Extra 330SC....CUSTOM-ARF!!!

[Jetpainter]

Question for @Jetpainter ....or anyone with some good fiberglass painting experience. I will be using SEM self-etching primer over the fiberglass, then auto base-coat/clear coat paint. I've been finishing up the bodywork stuff by wet sanding with 320 grit. Should I go finer than 320? It feels and looks butter smooth at this point, but not sure here? If I go finer it starts to get a sheen, so it seems like I'd be loosing some "tooth"?

Thoughts???

400 grit at a minimum, I would say 500 or 600 for your final sanding would be great. SEM Self Etch works good, but doesn't fill very well. We use it on small sand through areas here in the shop, and have for many years.

 

[Jetpainter]

Back in the 70's when I worked in my dad's garage we sanded the filler with 40 grit, coat of primer, then glazing putty, sand with 80 grit, sand with 220, then 320, paint. Of course the paint was acrylic lacquer or acrylic enamel. Today when when painting models I sand with 220 then primer, finish sand with 320 then base coat clear coat.
I would also close with "I am no jetpainter"!

Back in the Enamel and Lacquer days we used 360 as our final sanding grit. Basecoat is much thinner paint and sometimes the metallic will lay strange and show funny scratches if you use to rough a grit. I will add that I don't miss Lacquer or Enamel at all.

 

[acerc]

I will add that I don't miss Lacquer or Enamel at all.

Ahhh come on, don't you know we invented huffing!!!

 

[TonyHallo]

Back in the Enamel and Lacquer days we used 360 as our final sanding grit. Basecoat is much thinner paint and sometimes the metallic will lay strange and show funny scratches if you use to rough a grit. I will add that I don't miss Lacquer or Enamel at all.

I don't know, it seemed much easier back in the day, we kept a gun filled with primer and you used it at will, 30 minutes it was ready to sand. Today with all the two part stuff seems like much more planning is required. Thankfully I got out of that line of work in 1974.
My base coat experience is limited to Monokote colors , Missile Red, Jet White, light blue, yellow and orange.

 

[dhal22]

Clear coat is the part of painting to worry about. Clear coat will make flat black shine. Get you a MicroMesh sanding kit and sand that clear coat all the way up to 12,000 grit. Of course then you switch to polishing cream.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/cata...-ZV46CflcdkJP1dLbd_vH_cDhqpUOxTRoCvYcQAvD_BwE

 

[Jetpainter]

I don't know, it seemed much easier back in the day, we kept a gun filled with primer and you used it at will, 30 minutes it was ready to sand. Today with all the two part stuff seems like much more planning is required. Thankfully I got out of that line of work in 1974.
My base coat experience is limited to Monokote colors , Missile Red, Jet White, light blue, yellow and orange.

It does take some planning, but at least weathe doesn't affect you much at all. Painting Lacquer on a humid day was miserable.

 

[Pistolera]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Looks like I'll finish with 600 before primer!

 

[acerc]

Excelle

Thanks for the feedback guys. Looks like I'll finish with 600 before primer!

Excellent choice.

 

[Pistolera]

Anyone who takes all the time and effort to CREATE raised panels....and then FLUSH mounts louvers and exhaust exit trim us NUTS!!!

 

[TonyHallo]

Anyone who takes all the time and effort to CREATE raised panels....and then FLUSH mounts louvers and exhaust exit trim us NUTS!!!
View attachment 108509

Very nice, how did you make the raised panels?