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Been sanding with 1000 grit for days. I don't think I,ll ever get the clear coat off. Help. Should I go to a heavier grit and use a mechanical sander? Do I need to get it all off or just smoothed down to where it can be re polished.
I don't know if I would use a mechanical sander, as to me it would be to much to quick in my opinion...I would maybe go down to a 800 or so..but keep in mind the lower the grit of sand paper that you use the more work it will take to polish it out in the end...I would wet sand for sure and it would make your life a lot easier
I started doing this about 3 months ago. Started with 220 using a palm sander I bought at Harbor-freight. You can tell when you make it through the clear coat. It is not a standard clear, more like a hard plastic. Don't be scared cause those tops are thick enough. I have to finish up final sanding and then find some clear with flex agent added to shoot it.
GL
Chris
I started doing this about 3 months ago. Started with 220 using a palm sander I bought at Harbor-freight. You can tell when you make it through the clear coat. It is not a standard clear, more like a hard plastic. Don't be scared cause those tops are thick enough. I have to finish up final sanding and then find some clear with flex agent added to shoot it.
GL
Chris
Ok I'll try that,no wet sanding with the palm sander right? How was the dust situation?
I did it dry and outside on some plastic saw horses. You will see the coating as you go through it. Just work across and keep blowing it off with air gun. Once through it you'll notice where it is gone and still on it. Just don't sit in one spot, do a section at a time. You will understand once you get through it. Then do a section at a time until through it. Then go over with higher levels of paper. Also clean off and hold up to sun and look through it to see of crazing is disappearing. Sometimes you can get it all and sometimes not.
Chris
I did it dry and outside on some plastic saw horses. You will see the coating as you go through it. Just work across and keep blowing it off with air gun. Once through it you'll notice where it is gone and still on it. Just don't sit in one spot, do a section at a time. You will understand once you get through it. Then do a section at a time until through it. Then go over with higher levels of paper. Also clean off and hold up to sun and look through it to see of crazing is disappearing. Sometimes you can get it all and sometimes not.
Chris
Thanks Chris,I appreciate the insight. May have to wait on the outside for awhile up to 10' of snow coming tomorrow.
I did it dry and outside on some plastic saw horses. You will see the coating as you go through it. Just work across and keep blowing it off with air gun. Once through it you'll notice where it is gone and still on it. Just don't sit in one spot, do a section at a time. You will understand once you get through it. Then do a section at a time until through it. Then go over with higher levels of paper. Also clean off and hold up to sun and look through it to see of crazing is disappearing. Sometimes you can get it all and sometimes not.
Chris
Hi 40 here today so I power sanded with 220 grit for couple hours. It's getting the clear coat down but am I supposed to get it completely off? How do I know when to start polishing
Thanks
Don
What are you going to do when done? Polish or paint? Polish, then you need to keep working up the sand paper grades till you get up in the 2000 grit or higher. Then polish the top. If painting, sand up to the 800 to 1000 range is what most have done before they painted it.
Chris
What are you going to do when done? Polish or paint? Polish, then you need to keep working up the sand paper grades till you get up in the 2000 grit or higher. Then polish the top. If painting, sand up to the 800 to 1000 range is what most have done before they painted it.
Chris
Polish. Just can't figure when enough sanding is enough, the clear coating is now dull, flat but not off. Ill sand more up to 2000 or higher, but do I need to get all the clear off down to bare Lexan?
I bought my C5 with a nasty, crazed top. I lucked out and found a nice top cheap on CL. If I ever have to fix it I'm just going to paint it body color. The clear roof just isn't cool enough to go through all the trouble.