Strive for perfection.

Should I risk sanding and spraying a 3rd clear coat?

  • Yes! That looks like hammered $h!t!

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dartfreak75

Restore it, Dont part it!
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I hate to admit it but I am sorta a perfectionist not to an extreme but I never can seem satisfied with my own work. I always have to tinker and try to get it a little better. I sprayed my clear coat last week and the first coat looked so dang good (I should've stopped there) but I wanted that deep glassy look and sprayed a 2nd. The 2nd coat doesnt look bad but its not as good as the 1st it's almost matte looking its gotta little texture to it not the smooth glass feel that I think a clear coat should have. So I have been debating with myself. Should I leave well enough alone and not risk screwing it up even more ? Or should I scuff it and re clear a 3rd coat? On one hand I keep telling myself it's just the engine bay noone will ever notice a less than stellar clear coat in the engine bay. It's not a show car it's just a back yard project. But on the other hand i feel i can do better. Lol so what's yalls opinion leave it alone and move on to something else and not risk screwing it up or strive for perfection and go for a 3rd coat? The pictures are with the 2nd coat on it you can kinda see how it is a little matte looking. My biggest concern is that if I go for a 3rd coat where I'm past my 30 min window to recoat that it wont adhear correct and will end up peeling. Or I cut thru and get into the color and have to start over.

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Leave it, it looks great. I like the satin glow.
The door jambs turned out great they are so glossy and shiny I'm not sure what happened in the bay. It's too bad the jamb is gonna be covered up by the sill trim haha

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I'm really not a body guy. However I am a sucker for a sweet engine compartment. I don't care so much what others think. I would probably scuff and reshoot. Just depends on what you are after.:lol:
 
I'm really not a body guy. However I am a sucker for a sweet engine compartment. I don't care so much what others think. I would probably scuff and reshoot. Just depends on what you are after.:lol:
I am too. There is nothing better that a clean engine bay. I'm not a body guy either this is my first time ever spraying clear.
 
Just for comparison this was the first coat. It looked so good should have stopped while I was ahead! Which is why I am so hesitant to try it a 3rd time haha

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Or you could just buff the clear. A ***** to do under the hood but it would look like a million bucks.
Yea I was thinking the same. It was hard enough to sand in there I have no idea how I'd get a buffer in there lol
 
Do yall happen to know what caused it to be satin on the 2nd coat? Maybe I didnt spray it wet enough or something?
 
I hate to admit it but I am sorta a perfectionist not to an extreme but I never can seem satisfied with my own work. I always have to tinker and try to get it a little better. I sprayed my clear coat last week and the first coat looked so dang good (I should've stopped there) but I wanted that deep glassy look and sprayed a 2nd. The 2nd coat doesnt look bad but its not as good as the 1st it's almost matte looking its gotta little texture to it not the smooth glass feel that I think a clear coat should have. So I have been debating with myself. Should I leave well enough alone and not risk screwing it up even more ? Or should I scuff it and re clear a 3rd coat? On one hand I keep telling myself it's just the engine bay noone will ever notice a less than stellar clear coat in the engine bay. It's not a show car it's just a back yard project. But on the other hand i feel i can do better. Lol so what's yalls opinion leave it alone and move on to something else and not risk screwing it up or strive for perfection and go for a 3rd coat? The pictures are with the 2nd coat on it you can kinda see how it is a little matte looking. My biggest concern is that if I go for a 3rd coat where I'm past my 30 min window to recoat that it wont adhear correct and will end up peeling. Or I cut thru and get into the color and have to start over.

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If you don't make yourself happy now, you won’t be happy with it later. Go with your gut.
 
I can't tell enough from the pictures, but if it's humidity that caused it, its called "blushing ", moisture in the air gets trapped in the paint as it's being sprayed, another coat of clear won't fix it because it's in the second coat of clear. It may just be drier on the second coat, if that's the case another coat could fix it, but there's a chance of lifting, that's when the new paint reacts to the paint that's already been sprayed and makes it wrinkle, I don't know what kind of paint your using but some paint has a window as to how long is too long to respray. It look's mighty good to me in the pictures I'd be afraid of the chance of another coat making it worse, I know the feeling though about wanting it perfect. I'm enjoying seeing your progress, I love that color.
 
the only way a third coat is going to help is to let it cure, get those surfaces flat and hit it again. when it goes on slightly dry , or dries to fast, it creates an orange peel that affects the gloss. you could try a cut and buff, or a 1000 grit cut and reshoot it. or just leave it.
 
Your not going to like leaving it. Let it cure out. Sand and reshoot. If there is a lack of smoothness in the engine bay. It is going to be harder to keep it clean. The surface texture alone will hold dirt and grime.
 
DO you like the way it looks? If so, leave it be. If not, get to work, clyde. lol
 
I can't tell enough from the pictures, but if it's humidity that caused it, its called "blushing ", moisture in the air gets trapped in the paint as it's being sprayed, another coat of clear won't fix it because it's in the second coat of clear. It may just be drier on the second coat, if that's the case another coat could fix it, but there's a chance of lifting, that's when the new paint reacts to the paint that's already been sprayed and makes it wrinkle, I don't know what kind of paint your using but some paint has a window as to how long is too long to respray. It look's mighty good to me in the pictures I'd be afraid of the chance of another coat making it worse, I know the feeling though about wanting it perfect. I'm enjoying seeing your progress, I love that color.
Yea that is exactly my worry! I have read alot about it and was worried about lifting. I am using spi universal clear. I contacted barry (the tech guy) and he said I could sand it with a grey buffing pad and recoat out of the recoat window. I think what happened is my second coat went on too light my cup was almost empty and I'm willing to bet when I held it horizontally to paint the tops its ran out and splattered coming out of my gun. Because I did the door jambs and the firewall with a 2nd coat and they look fine. It only did it on the top surfaces.
 
Better is the enemy of good enough.....
Generally, that’s true.

But, not being happy with the result (not good enough) and trying to convince yourself to live with it will gnaw at you forever. Now is the time to make himself happy and rework it...and then decide if it’s “good enough” for what he wants.
 
Generally, that’s true.

But, not being happy with the result (not good enough) and trying to convince yourself to live with it will gnaw at you forever. Now is the time to make himself happy and rework it...and then decide if it’s “good enough” for what he wants.
I'm not gonna say I'm unhappy with it. I just think it looked better before the 2nd coat. I think I'm just gonna leave it alone. If I start messing with it and make it even worse or the clear starts peeling because I messed it up that would be worse than it is now. I would be far more upset of that then I would the way it is now lol
 
If you do it over, just lightly scuff it with a gray scuff pad, wipe it with wax and grease remover, then a tack rag. Make sure you have plenty of clear in the gun, and spray it right on the ragged edge of running. Holding the gun too far away from the surface, not enough air pressure, high humidity, etc, will all cause it to dry dull. Go on SPI's website, and read "The perfect paint job" if they didn't send you one with your stuff you ordered. Lots of good tips in there. Check out some of Gun Man's videos on You Tube also. I have learned a lot from him also. Good luck. :)
 
Yes I am a body paint guy.

Yes you can put one more coat of clear on it.

Yes, just take a Scotch Brite scuff pad and give it a light scuffing so the next coat of clear will stick.

Then just blow it off, tack it off with your tack wrag and spray on one more coat of clear.

All the hard work is done already, just needs the final coat of clear now.

Looking Good . . .
 
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