Q&A for How to Do a Good Base Coat Clear Coat Paint Job

Totally. All of the sunlight, rain, bird droppings, and whatnot won't damage your paint if you've got a clean clear coat on top.

It really shouldn't be thicker than a piece of paper. You don't need a massive, thick clear coat layer for it to do its job.

It's basically just clear paint. It functions kind of like a sacrificial paint job so that you don't scuff up the actual paint job underneath.

Its not always necessary to sand down to bare metal. It depends on the base coat that you will be repairing. Most automotive finishes can be sanded to take the gloss off the paint but not down to the steel. Using the correct grit sandpaper is very important so you don't leave deep scratches in the paint. Sand-able primer is good option to get imperfections out, sanding between coats allows for a very good finished end result.

Most likely, yes. Your best bet is to apply another coat of the base to try and even out the color before moving on to the clear coat.

Not always, but to get a show-like finish, yes. The sanding and buffing will remove any bits of dust and debris that settle into the paint.

Not necessarily. It's not advisable to do repairs and/or preparations on the freshly painted base coat as it may leave undue repair/sanding/wiping marks on the "exposed" base coat layer that will show up more clear once the clear coat gets painted over. On metallic base coats, the clear coat brings the real shine and the small metallic particles to light, but also can show up repair marks done on the base coat layer. Body and primer preparation should be close to perfect before spraying on the base coat layer(s).

No, as it needs the clear coat to bring out the "metallic shine" and to protect the base coat layer against damages and fading.

70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit is the best temperature for applying the base coat and clear coat.

That will depend a lot on the type of paint that was used. You can add a top coat of clear gloss finish to the paint. That process is normally called base coat clear coat. OR, You can buff some paint to a gloss finish using a buffing pad and special compounds, but be careful and read the instructions about the paint being buffed and the compound being used.

Have you matched the primer colour to the base colour? It can either be several shades of grey or white or black or red etc. You need to check the paint manufacturer's details to achieve the paint matches optimum colour tone which is matched to the vehicles paint code. If you have yet to put your clear coat on the base it may also be little lighter to the eye in comparison. Or thirdly, have you put several coats of the base colour onto the panel/s?

It requires wet sanding between coats with fine wet/dry sandpaper. A good rule of thumb is to only sand until the gloss is off before reapplying another coat. Use the correct grit sandpaper, and don't sand more than you need to.

Depends on the type of gun you are using. if its conventional application then around 50psi at the cap is required. If it's an HVLP gun (HIGH VOLUME LOW PRESSURE) then around 25psi is required. The above is suitable for both base and clear.

Each manufacturer has different specifications, so check the can or go online to the company's website for specifics.

Not letting coats dry in between applications, or working in an area that is too hot or cold could cause the paint to alligator.

Paints fade and some darken or lighten as the paint ages, plus your old paint has been subjected to years of sunlight, dust, rain, etc. You can usually blend paint so there is no defining line between the old and new.

You may get a better final finish, but many times over many years I sprayed many layers of clear coats over each other -- up to 10 layer or more -- without sanding between coats with brilliant finishes.

Clearcoat protects your basecoat from the sun if it is a 2 stage paint job, plus that is what gives it gloss. Your paint will not last without it. Some paints are too expensive to not protect them.

Allow the paint to dry for 15 minutes between coats. Be sure to check the manufacturing label.

This is caused by applying the clear coat before the initial base coat is cured enough to apply clear coat.

While clear coat does make the basecoat look less dull, you can't expect it to be really shiny until after the wax/polish is applied. Depending on just how shiny you want it to be, you may want to smooth out the clear coat too with some wet/dry paper (2000-5000 grit) and/or a cutting compound and buffer before applying the polish.

No, it doesn't. The shine slowly fades away. It often says on the polish container when the manufacturer recommends reapplying it.

You should only sand the base coat if there are imperfections in it. Clear can be added right after the base coat has dried.

Yes, you can. It will look better, but still won't look new. If you're going to the effort of sanding it back, you may as well put down a light layer of color coat, then spray the clear right on top of that. You don't need to sand in between the color and gloss if you don't get any drips, so it's only 1 extra step.

Not if you’re using a base/clear method, and you may still be within the re-coat window for single stage (check the tech sheet).

A recent coat of clear, yes. It's best to wet sand with 1500 grit sandpaper and then buff with fine rubbing compound and power buffer.

No, do the primer, then sand it with 1000 grit when it's dry. After that, do 2-3 layers of base coat, waiting 5 minutes between applications. Then wait 30 minutes before applying 2-3 layers of clear coat, waiting 5 minutes between applications. You can wait up to 9 hours before applying clear coat.

You don't actually sand the paint (base coat) itself, but the clear coat on top of it. If the clear coat isn't damaged and you want to buff it, you can try carefully wet-sanding it with 2000 grit to remove the orange peel before buffing, but remember that factory coats are extremely thin. If the clear is in good condition but just faded, just buff it with rotary or DA and pads/pastes. If you sand the paint (base coat), you will need to repaint.

This is a lengthy process to try to explain, so it might be in your best interest to look up a video online that details the process. It involves getting the panel next to the panel you are working on ready for a gradual dusting of color and then clearing the next panel as well.

It's called blooming. You most likely sprayed in damp conditions. Rub down the affected panel(s) and spray in warmer, dryer conditions.