When wet sanding, you don't have to go all the way down to the wood surface. Just "knock down" the surface imperfections. Take the sandpaper out of the water and shake off the excess. Keep a paper towel handy for drips.
The fin on the right had some "orange peel" from the spray.
When wet sanding, I try to just knock down the roughness.
The picture shows the fin after wet sanding with 400 grit.
Try to stay away from the edges, it's too easy to sand off the paint and expose the balsa underneath. TIP: I use my finger slightly above and over the edge to act as a "bumper" to stop the sandpaper before it has a chance to roll over the edge.
The edges tend to take care of themselves, just don't get too close.
TIP: Wet sanding the body tube is easy, until you reach the ends.
My finger is set inside the edge, once again acting as a bumper so the sandpaper is pushed up before rolling over the end of the tube. The paint isn't sanded off exposing the raw tube edge.
Keep any water away from the inside bare tube.
A coating of CA glue, applied with a Q-Tip, will seal the tube ends and keep any water from soaking in.
I see you sanded the orange peel off, then what is next? Do you spray gloss white again or do you spray clear gloss coat?
ReplyDeleteHi David,
DeleteI spray the color coat, usually gloss white, a bit heavier for the final undercoat. The trick is to spray it so it looks wet but not near enough to run or drip.
More info:
DeleteI rarely use a clear coat on a finished model.
White undercoats are always used, wet sanding between coats.
After the final "wet" glossy undercoat, masking and other different colors follow.