Paint Help: Engine Cover Debacle

So I thought for something to do today I'd paint my engine cover. I got it off, took my time masking it and had it perfect...started spraying and finally got a nice even thick coat on it and WHOSH.....damn gust of wind blew up and blew some dust and small debris into my garage and all over my bloody cover and stuck to the paint. I thought I could wipe it down while it was wet and get it off enough to start over but it turned into a mess.

So how do I clean this up to start over? Paint thinner or sand it? What grit sand paper? help?

 

let it dry and sand it again

 

320 grit

 

Wet sand it with 280 until most of the paint is gone. Then wet sand with 400 to get it really smooth, then paint again. Whatever you do, don't use paint thinner or remover on it. It's plastic, thinner will eat it up.

 

I was going to get thinner but stopped and started thinking about that. What about a light wipe with thinner (LIGHT). How do you wet sand? Is it a diff paper than dry sanding?

 

ya the paper is wet in wet sanding but the technique is the same

 

Just keep a bucket of water near by and dip you sandpaper in it every few minutes. Wet sabding keeps the paper from loading up and will give you a better finish.

I light wipe with thinner migh work but the potential to do damage to the cover is there so I wouldn't risk it. I wouldn't do it unless you were prepared to buy a new cover in case it hoses the cover.

 

sand it down and use plasti dip on it, it's kind of like a thin line-x. I've used it for dozens of projects, it works awesome and it incredible durable. Obviously with the name plasti-dip its for plastics but it also works great on everything else i've tried including wood and aluminum

 

I add a few drops of dish soap in the water bucket when I wet sand.

 

Bring it with you on sat i will fix it for you ....

 

It has been fixed. Spent the last 2 hours sanding and sanding and sanding and finally got it all cleaned up, remasked and painted (with the garage door down!)...mind you I think I'm stoned and painted my lungs


So here's another question. Because I sanded it it wasn't 100% smooth so my painting job has resulted in a textured look. Can I sand that smooth before clear coating it ?

 

NOooooooooooooooooooooo you can't .... even the finest sand paper will take the pain off .. dude i think painting is not your thing ... lol dont mess with it ....

 

oh btw no point painting your lug nuts .. the paint will come off next time you change your tire or take the tire off for any reason ...

 

Painting is def not my thing!!

 

i can see

 

lol to start off even the paint can says use multiple light thin coats. you messed up from the start. your paint is going to melt off now... lol jp man. hope it turned out good.

 

yeah i;;; look at it sat and see what we need to do to fix it im sure i can fix it for him .... im a pro when it comes to painting .... ;-)