My DYI Paint and body work

I recently painted my rear bumper to match my MGM truck. I had traded my original chrome bumper with a member for a base type black one, because I didn't trust my prep skills to paint over chrome. I had to fix a small dent, and then I used Dupli-Color paint and clear. It came out great IMO and cost me $15. It matches well, but has a satin-ish finish. After it cures some, I will wet sand and polish.

Here's a few pics of my work. I'll take one of it on the truck after cleaning and polishing.

 

Damn! That's pretty good..

 

Looks nice. How are you going to wet sand it i.e. process? I have never known the correct method to wet sand things. I am about to embark on the satoshi grill mod and paint it.

 

Thanks. I used 2000 grit paper then polish then wax on a repair to another car about 5 years ago. It came out great. My sister owns that car now, and the paint still looks great.
I didn't trust my work on the front grill. I drive about 25,000 miles a year, and I'm not sure how my work would hold up against rock chips. Instead, I bought a pre-finished MGM grill from the dealership.

 

Wet sanding is almost an art. You have to be sure not to go too deep, or to not be even across the surface. That being said, I prep for wet sanding by getting SEVERAL sheets of 2000 grit wet sand paper (usually black in color), a 5 gallon bucket, some Dawn dish-washing liquid, and a wash cloth. Also helpful is a soft squeegee for auto detailing, but it is not required.

First you should wash the area really good. Nothing will screw up a good wet-sand than having some sand or dirt on the surface. After washing and drying, fill the bucket a little over half way with water, then put in a VERY small squirt of Dawn, and mix it in by hand. The reason for the dawn is that it helps lubricate the sand paper slightly so that it glides better. This is a trick I learned when I took some auto body classes.

Once you are ready you can get the sandpaper together, and dip it into the bucket and begin sanding. Do NOT apply a lot of pressure. Light pressure in a straight line is best. Do not sand in circles. Follow the line of the surface, then go back across at a 90 degree angle from the first. Keep getting the sand paper wet by dipping into the bucket, as well as using the wash cloth to squeeze out the water solution onto the sand paper. Work slow and steady, covering as much surface on each stroke. (small strokes tend to create high and low spots that will show BIG time when you polish)

Stop frequently to dry the area and inspect. When the entire surface area has a "dull" finish, you are done.

Word of warning: If at any time the color of the paint shows up in the chalky residue that comes off while sanding STOP IMMEDIATELY. You have gone through the clear coat and are into the paint. This is bad. lol.

 

Great advice Bill (BamaToy). I lurk a lot more often than I actually post, and I have found that any advice given by BamaToy comes from experience and is easy to understand. I'll use these tips on my bumper when it warms up a little outside.

 

sub'd because I suck at painting! great thread!

 

Alright I am about to start to paint my chrome grill. Should I just sand the chrome or take it completely off to the beige color?

 

We painted my brother's chrome grill black, and it didn't hold up very long. Sanded the hell out of it first too. After only 5,000 miles, it was peppered with small silver spots from rock chips. There must be some products out there to paint chrome (I haven't learned of any). But for $270, I just bought a brand new factory finished grill at the dealer. Perfect match, and it will hold up as long as the surrounding paint.

 

Here are some five year old pictures of a repair I did on a Jeep I used to have. A tree fell on it. My Sister owns it now, and the rattle can paint still looks pretty good. I know I should have replaced the door, fender, and hood, but this way kept the repair area small. A large repair would have needed a "real" paint job.


Anyone know of a good way to paint over chrome.....and last.

 

Reviving an old tread here, but i found a very informative video of a very down and dirty blend repair. It's pretty damn long but you can skip through the parts that don't interest you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qwufdlTnyE
Hope this helps someone.

 

Where in nc are you located OP? im in huntersville