Getting a Smooth Glass Clear Coat Finish With Hydrographic Film
There are many reasons that you might not get a perfect clear coat, like if your part has a run in it or there is some trash in the clear coat. There are a few methods you can try to get a smooth glass clear coat finish.
Putting the First Layer Down
The first method that you can use to improve the clear coat on a particular section is to scuff it down and put a new clear coat on it. The other method of getting a better clear coat on a section is to buff it. Buffing out the part makes more sense if you are pressed for time, and buffing out small areas of the clear coat usually works out just fine.
The first way is scuffing a section using a Scotch-Brite pad to remove any blemishes and then scuffing the rest of the part to get a dull finish all the way around. A red Scotch Brite pad could work, but it is also important to note that using a red Scotch-Brite pad could cause some additional sand scratches. A good clear coat will usually cover up these sand scratches, but it is something you should be aware of. A gray Scotch-Brite pad might work a little better for actually scuffing down a part because the sand scratches likely won’t be as bad and possibly show through.
Another method of scuffing down a section is to use sandpaper. An 800 or 1000 grit roll of sandpaper is a good choice for scuffing down an area so you can redo the clear coat if you don’t have major runs in it. One advantage of dry sanding the clear coat is that you can quickly see which areas have a dull finish and which have a glossy finish. You can also see which areas you’ll need to keep sanding.
As you are sanding the clear coat, you are removing the specs and spots in the clear coat. You should keep your sandpaper clean. You can even use air to get rid of the buildup on your sandpaper. If the section you are sanding has holes in it, you should be careful when sanding around those edges so you don’t go through your clear coat. If the clear coat does have a lot of specs in it, you could even put a second coat on it.
Can You Put Too Many Coats on a Section?
You probably should not put more than four coats of clear on a specific area. Adding a second, third, or even fourth coat of clear gives you more layers of clear coat so you can sand out all the specs. Additional coats of clear help you sand out all the specs because you are less likely to actually get rid of all the clear coats on the section. Just make sure as you are sanding, you don’t sand too much and go through all the layers of clear coat.
Can You Use Sandpaper and a Scotch-Brite Pad Together?
You can use a Scotch-Brite pad if you are sanding sections with lots of corners and edges and your sandpaper cannot scuff those areas. After you are done sanding down the area and the clear coat is smooth and dull, you can spray on more coats of clear and give the parts a smooth clear coat finish that makes it look like glass if done correctly.
