what causes this when you paint something? how do you avoid it and is there any way to fix it or is it sand everything down and start over?

I have wondered how to get paint to spray without orange peel all my life , I just quit worrying about it and just sand it out , look at new car's on car lot's they have it too so it's not just me , I have read several two page long expaination's of it that tell you nothing , but if someone could say how to prevent it I'd love to hear it ?

Most orange peel can be addressed in the mixture of the paint and the gun setup. Orange peel means that the paint is not atomizing properly. Generally, its a mixture problem,i.e., the paint needs slightly more thinning, the gun needs to be adjusted in terms of fluid and airflow, or your distance from the panel needs to be adjusted (closer). Should be 6-7 inches away from the surface. I like to run fast,close, slightly heavy coats,with a mixture slightly thinner than manufacturer's specs,with a slightly faster thinner speed to prevent runs. Minor adjustments like these will help the orange peel problem.Yes, if you have it, it must be sanded down. The key is to prevent it moving forward if possible...

ok. im going to go after spray pattern first. maybe ill try a little different mixture. can you get rid of the orange peel by spraying thick coats on and sanding it all down smooth?

edit: fixed typo

I'd thin the paint slightly more and focus on shooring on smooth coats,not necessarily thick. A coat too thick is going to lead to runs. I shoot them on slightly thick,but use a faster drying thinner speed to help prevent runs.

if i keep them just slightly think, can i just apply enough thast i can sand out the orange peel? ill try thinning it a little more

I’ve been a member of this site for just about a year, usually I read and learn. But for once maybe I can help someone out.

20 years ago I used to paint professionally now I just paint my own projects and occasional friends. My dad was a painter for 40 years and he pasted some of his knowledge on to me. Probably one of the only things I did listened to him about.

As the guys have already mentioned orange peal is a delicate balance between several variables. But something my dad told me years ago helped me out and has stuck with me since. He told me the biggest influence in creating orange peal is air, typically to much of it. I spent several hours experimenting just to see if that was true and to what degree. Now maybe all the experimenting/practice made me a better painter by finding my grove but here’s what works for me when I apply a base and clear coat system. This is assuming that all the other elements like temp, humidity, the right reducer and everything else is harmonious,

I adjust my gun to the absolute minimum air required to atomize the paint and get the correct pattern and material output. I like a 8”-9” pattern at the same distance. I apply my first coat with a speed that gives me about 80% -90% coverage and overlap ½ the distance of the pattern which makes a 100% coverage. I then make sure that I have given the paint time to flash. I literally use a timer starting it when I start each coat and I take an extra panel to spray just to check the paint and if the flash time is correct. I’m not a big believer in thick applications of paint so I usually only apply 3-4 base coats. I don’t ever color sand the base coat. I usually thin my clear with 10% reducer, adjust and apply the same way but I will usually apply 10-15 coats of clear depending how things look and again making absolutely certain that the clear has had time to flash.

I don’t think I have ever had or seen a finish so perfect that didn’t have some “orange peal”/texture which is what a paint manufacture said exist in all paint. But I have had many paint jobs right out of the booth/barn that would be more than acceptable for many people. Have you ever watched any of those customizing shows like Overhaulin, how many times do see or hear them mention final sanding and buffing? The guys that do the painting for those shows are top notch with top notch equipment. They don't sand and buff because they have nothing better to do but to smooth out the "texture" of the paint for that smooth as glass look. My son and I painted his project this past summer and my wife said that the paint job right out of the booth made her 04 Monte look sick, not that it would be hard to accomplish that considering what I think about the poor quality of most of the factory paint finishes.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Jerry

i think i have my spray and air pressure good. i talked to a body guy i know and he suggested it may be my paint mixture. does too think or too thin paint usually cause orange peal?

how much flash time do you give? will it mess it up to paint it too soon or too long after the last application of paint?

im pretty new to this, but i am intent on learning how to do it. i know it takes practice.

Flash time is usually 10 to 15 minutes depending on which manufacturer's products and type of paint you are using. I use PPG and the base coat can sit for up to 8 hours before clearcoating. After that, the base should be scuffed up first.

i wet sand before clearcoating. is that ok? the paint has a rough texture, but it looks a lot better than before. i used less reducred and lowered my air pressure. how much pressure do you usually use?

Orange peel is paint not atomized enough. To much fluid and not enough air pressure to break it up. Try raising the air pressure or backing off the fluid adjustment or a combination of both. And read this -
http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=12414

i wet sand before clearcoating. is that ok? the paint has a rough texture, but it looks a lot better than before. i used less reducred and lowered my air pressure. how much pressure do you usually use?

NO, you should have no need to wetsand basecoat. The only time you would wetsand it is if you had some dirt/junk in the base. Then after you have sanded, you would need to reapply more base.

Air pressure depends on the gun being used and painter's style. You should mix your paint to what the manufactor suggests. They have spent countless hours and money making a product that works.

lot's of good points here but nothing that is a direct answer to the question
WHAT CAUSE'S ORANGE PEEL ?

AND

HOW DO YOU STOP IT ?

I have tryed all the air and mixing , have heard that too much air cause's orange peel and have heard that low air would cause orange peel paint to thin paint to thick ,,, I think this is like the how many lick's does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop ? we may never know ,,,

I have always want to see the explaination simple like
THIS _ _ _ _ _ blank _ _ _ _ blank _ _ _ cause's orange peel .
THIS _ _ _ _ _ blank _ _ _ _ blank _ _ _ stop's orange peel .
ohh well as long as they keep making 1000 grit we will be fine ,,,

You might try posting your question on this forum. Martinsr hangs out there.

http://www.autobody101.com/forums/

Try raising the air pressure or backing off the fluid adjustment or a combination of both.

Cant make it any more clearer for you.
:clonk:

What kind of gun?
What size compressor?
What kind of paint?

lot's of good points here but nothing that is a direct answer to the question
WHAT CAUSE'S ORANGE PEEL ?

AND

HOW DO YOU STOP IT ?

I have tryed all the air and mixing , have heard that too much air cause's orange peel and have heard that low air would cause orange peel paint to thin paint to thick ,,, I think this is like the how many lick's does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop ? we may never know ,,,

I have always want to see the explaination simple like
THIS _ _ _ _ _ blank _ _ _ _ blank _ _ _ cause's orange peel .
THIS _ _ _ _ _ blank _ _ _ _ blank _ _ _ stop's orange peel .
ohh well as long as they keep making 1000 grit we will be fine ,,,



You simply dont have the experience to know how to CONTROL orange peel. All paints and painters have some degree of orange peel, and all paints spray similar yet different. Some people spray fast and close, some spray slow and high, some overlap 30%, some 50%, some 75%. Some people use Sata Jets, some use Sata knock-offs, some people like Sharpe guns. Its impossible to teach someone how to paint over the internet, trust me i know...... Practice makes for better paint jobs, some people are naturals, MOST are not. Dont give up and keep trying until you find out what works for you. Who knows in 5-10 years you might be a professional :thumbsup:



bob