DGK

Member
If I paint with urethane paint and want to put decals on and clear coat tin work do I put decals on then SAND with 1000 grit sand paper? How long do I wait to put decals on fresh pain?
 
This is a tech sheet question. This is what I would do [I use Matrix auto paint lately]. Apply decals to last[thoroghly dry] basecoat. Dust on very light clearcoat. Dry time what the sheets say. Second coat slightly heavier [ but not HEAVY] just slightly more than first. Third coat heavy -- let it flow but avoid runs by knowing when to stop. No sanding at all. Temp and times by what the paint maker specs out in the sheets. Now in the event of some orange peel in the last basecoat I would go 1000 1500 2000 to flatten down the orange peel[Only because I have a dvd called Cut and Buff explaining this].But if my base was flat I would skip sanding at all. I am an old lacquer guy and am only adjusting to the newer paints recently. Disclaimer. I am not a body man and they know way more than I do. To answer main question whatever the "cure time" states in the tech sheets before decals and maybe a little more for good measure.
 
One can do whatever one wants but my advise is to apply decals last and leave them alone. Vinyl or mylar decals are NOT designed to have a harsh solvent laden clear coat applied over them. You still see an adge and these new decals from a quality supplier will not peel or edge lift. There is absolutely no advantage to doing it. Here is one disadvantage though. A vinyl decal will expand/contract in the sun at a different rate than the clear coat over the top of it. How long before it gives up and delaminates from the decal? Then you have a mess. I'm sure everyone has seen, at one time or another, an old decal on an old piece of equipment that had fine lines/gaps running randomly through it like someone cut it. That is from shrinkage from heat/cold temp range differences. It's also why the old acrylic laquer and nitrocelluose laquer on cars would "spider-web" or shatter after years of cold/hot exposure. That's why the older custom show cars HAD to be kept in climate controlled area. They had very thick build up of laquer for the glamor look and the thicker it was the quicker it would "shatter" from heat cycles. I've seen them shatter in two years. When that summer heat/sun beats down at a show or where ever , that metal will expand at one rate and that decal at another and that clear over the decal at still another. How long before something "shatters"?? Some will come on and say they do it all the time and no problems.Good deal , for them. Maybe they don't have the same heat/sun/ exposure time. If you want to roll the dice , go ahead. Tell me what the perceived "gain" would be in your mind. Everything is based on risk vs gain. Only you can make the call.Personally I see zero gain so it's a no brainer.
 

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