Expert: William Forster - 3/13/2007

Question
I recently painted my truck with a metallic acrylic enamel, but did get some cluster with the metallic and also a few small and one large run. What steps do I need to take to repair these bad spots? Do I need to sand these panels completely down and reshoot? How long should I wait to do these repairs?

Answer
What color is the truck? Single stage enamel metallics doesn't buff well. Light colors like silver and gold are worst. You can try razor blading the runs, then sanding, then buffing. Stand the razor at a 90 degree angle to the surface, and carefully scrape the surface flat. Start small, don't gouge. If it needs re-shot,ask whoever you bought the paint from how long to wait, all manufactures are different. Even if you give me the company, I can't tell you, I don't shoot acrylic enamel any more, and haven't for years- with any sort of frequency.