Tom G
Member
Registered: 4th Aug 08
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
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Need to sand down my mirrors and both bompers on the 3i so they can be painted.
What grit do i need?
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Phillips_91
Member
Registered: 20th Jan 10
Location: Blackpool. Drives: Sapphire Black Mk4 Astra 1.8
User status: Offline
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start with something like 300, then 500, 700 etc right upto 1500 
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Tom G
Member
Registered: 4th Aug 08
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
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when do you change to a smoother paper?
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kazazza
Member
Registered: 5th Oct 09
Location: Herne Bay, Kent
User status: Offline
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Just when you need to get the finish smoother, its really just a judgement call. 1500 may be a bit too fine though. Thats pretty much like rubbing paper on it.
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Nic Barnes
Member
Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
User status: Offline
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depending on what it is, 800 is normally about as fine as i get to.
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Phillips_91
Member
Registered: 20th Jan 10
Location: Blackpool. Drives: Sapphire Black Mk4 Astra 1.8
User status: Offline
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theres no real set in stone time to change, you'll know when it feels right to change, and yeah maybe 1500 is a bit fine, thats what i went to on my mirror as i wanted a really smooth finish but i didnt go that far on the morettes and then realised after painting that it still had score marks in the plastic 
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alan-g-w
Member
Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
User status: Offline
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I painted my plug cover and grille on the XE, used 800 iirc to rub it down then just put 2 coats of primer on, 2 coats of paint and 3 coats of laquer.
Turned out like this:
My mate that helped me out is doing a vehicle body repair course at college. He went to his work experience and told them about him helping me out - they told him that you don't even need to rub things like that down, all you need to do is give them a quick rub with some Scotchbrite and then apply your stuff.
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Bonney
Member
Registered: 14th Nov 04
Location: St Helens
User status: Offline
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Thats all i do with plastic. Just a good de grease making sure i get every part clean, Then a good scotchbrite, then a good quality plastic primer, filler primer if required, and finally a good few coats of a good quality laquer.
Leave for a couple of days in a warm room to harden, Then polish up with some g3 cutting compound followed by some polish.
Have never had any problems doing this, and comes out great everytime!
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AndyCorsaSport
Member
Registered: 12th Feb 06
Location: Horsforth, West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Depends on the condition of them, if they are mint, just scotch them. If they are stone chipped flat the chips out with 320, then just 800 the rest.
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline
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You don't need to go that fine if the surface is already flat, just enough to give the paint something to adhere to. Scotch pad is enough if the part has no repairs.
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alan-g-w
Member
Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
User status: Offline
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Aye, as is being said. The mark on the plug cover is where the paint had chipped before, thought the primer would have hidden it.
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Phillips_91
Member
Registered: 20th Jan 10
Location: Blackpool. Drives: Sapphire Black Mk4 Astra 1.8
User status: Offline
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just remember that the paint is extremely thin and wont hide many blemishes, so if you can see something when it's sanded down then it will stand out like a sore thumb when painted 
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