Technical ? for old painters

I have painted a couple cars and a few bikes, all with lacquer, all a few years ago. I know the color sand and buff routine, and have had good results. I am about to shoot some lacquer again, in fact have already put on a couple coats. I have never shot clear over any of the previous ones I did, I need to clear this over the emblem decals. Now, the question us: do I color sand and buff the base before shooting the clear or what ?

 

You may want to test a decal first. I have had bad luck clearing over self-stick (sticky back) decals. The solvent-based clears I used lifted the decals. On the other hand, I have had good luck with water transfer style decals and shooting clear over them. In either case I would sand and flatten the area, so the decal lays down nice and gives it the best chance for adhesion and athletics.

 

Lacquer clear or urethane clear ?

I'm guessing you are putting down a lacquer base. Letting it dry throughly. Applying decals, then want to clear ?

 

No need to sand lacquer base if a lacquer clear is going over it. Will just melt together. That one of the nice things about lacquer. I would worried about the decal just melting with the amount of thinner used in spraying lacquer.

 

Back in the seventies and early eighties I sprayed clear over factory decals after blending color in the area with no problems but I can’t remember doing it over fresh decals. As far as sanding and clearing if you’re using candy’s or metallic’s pearls included you need to clear before you can sand and clear. We used to do a thing where we would color and clear then sand and then reclear with lacquer then buff. We called it color sand and flow, it gave the paint a more natural look with a very slight orange peel and no sand scratches. In the days of using lacquer on bikes we would use clear lacquer and then sand them down with 1000 grit and spray clear Emron for the finish coat’s… no buffing.

 

Yeah, the decal maker recommends clear, I am using lacquer over lacquer. Then color sand and buff the clear?

 

One warning: if you have lots of orange peel, it will show in the right conditions under the clear so if your base is really flat that removes that part. If it was mine and the base had set for more than a day, I would scuff it before spraying. I never exp. with extended times before respraying so I'm not an expert on that subject.