Expert: William Forster - 8/3/2007

Question
Hey, how's it going?  I recently had a couple dings close together put into the door of my truck where a branch fell onto it. Both are about a quarters size and scratched down to the metal.  I filled the spots with a filler putty and sanded even and smooth with the paint, then i applied primer and sanded as well until it was smooth.  I had some paint mixed up by a local shop that matched my paint and i brushed a light coat on pretty even, it has been on for two days and am kinda worried it wont be dry enough?  Can the paint be sanded before the clearcoat is applied so that it will be totally smooth??

Answer
Yes, it can, but you are using a brush? Automotive paint is designed to be sprayed, not brushed. I have no clue what sort of results you are going to have, even if you had told me what sort of paint it is. When you spray a base coat paint, it's usually just a matter of waiting 15 minutes before the next coat of base. Brushing? I would imagine that waiting 24 hours is plenty. Problem with brushing, is the clear will burn into the base if it's over applied. If your paint is a solid color, you might get away with sanding the base smooth, and applying clear. If you have a metallic color, you can not sand the base coat. Sand scratches will show through the top coat. Good luck to you. Bill