What can you tell me about steel wool?

MilitiaMan

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 2, 2008
Messages
1,960
Reaction score
100
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
First, I have NEVER used steel wool of any kind on any of my cabinets/restorations. I do a lot of prep work and a lot of sanding between paint coats (with very fine grit sandpaper), but have never used steel wool of any kind.

The one thing that has always puzzled me is when people say they "sand" their final coat of paint before applying the clearcoat. I have never been able to do this as no matter what grit sandpaper I use, I always wind up with some "greying" of my final coat of paint, which I would not then want to apply clearcoat over.

So ... I always sand between every coat of paint (to elimnate any orange peel effect). But I do NOT sand between the final coat of paint and the clearcoat and I do NOT sand after the clearcoat is applied.

Am I missing out on possibly a nicer, smoother finish by not doing this final step?

And would a very fine steel wool give me a smooth, final coat without "greying" the final coat of paint?

What can you tell me? I am thirsty for steel wool knowledge.

Steve
MM
 
You can use it to plug holes so rodents don't have access - they don't chew steel wool (most don't, anyway). :)

Not the knowledge you are looking for but knowledge nonetheless.
 
Steel wool burns.....more useless steel wool trivia.

Actually if your paint is fully dry and you sand with 600 grit you shouldn't get a greying. At least I haven't noticed it. But then I always wash the surface after sanding and before final coating to pick up any stray particles.

ken
 
personally I do the same as you. I do not sand my final colored coat. I do however sometimes sand and buff my clear coat. When doing this I use a 2000-1500 grit sand paper. Not sure but sanding your last colored coating with a super fine grit paper then buffing might give you a smooth finish with nice bright color. I've never tried this though.
 
You should be able to use a 600 grit paper to sand between coats, and your final coat before clear.. The question is what kind of paint are you using?

Normally, I just knock the nibs, and stencil edges down with 600. I don't worry about smoothing color coats. Most color coats go on smooth anyways. It's the clear that does the orange peel. Due to the higher solids/viscosity.

Try using a smaller nozzle when you paint. Think of it like this. If you use a 1.5 or 1.7 mm nozzle, it's like shooting golf balls. Fill the bottom of a bucket with golf balls. An even coat of them leaves an uneven surface. Now change your nozzle to a 1.3 and you are shooting BB's. Now fill the bottom of a bucket with BB's. Smoother surface right?

Orange peel is going to happen. How much you have depends on the quality of gun you use, and the quality of paint. Using a $15 harbor freight gun. More orange peel. More sanding, More work. Use a $300-$500 gun with better pressure control, and atomization. Less orange peel, less sanding, less work.

Use cheap paint. Same idea..

So if you are sanding previous color coats, are you not getting the same greying you describe when you sand the final color coat? Perhaps you mean the colors are lighter, like a slight white flim? The clear takes care of that.

Hope this helps.
 
You should be able to use a 600 grit paper to sand between coats, and your final coat before clear.. The question is what kind of paint are you using?

Normally, I just knock the nibs, and stencil edges down with 600. I don't worry about smoothing color coats. Most color coats go on smooth anyways. It's the clear that does the orange peel. Due to the higher solids/viscosity.

Try using a smaller nozzle when you paint. Think of it like this. If you use a 1.5 or 1.7 mm nozzle, it's like shooting golf balls. Fill the bottom of a bucket with golf balls. An even coat of them leaves an uneven surface. Now change your nozzle to a 1.3 and you are shooting BB's. Now fill the bottom of a bucket with BB's. Smoother surface right?

Orange peel is going to happen. How much you have depends on the quality of gun you use, and the quality of paint. Using a $15 harbor freight gun. More orange peel. More sanding, More work. Use a $300-$500 gun with better pressure control, and atomization. Less orange peel, less sanding, less work.

Use cheap paint. Same idea..

So if you are sanding previous color coats, are you not getting the same greying you describe when you sand the final color coat? Perhaps you mean the colors are lighter, like a slight white flim? The clear takes care of that.

Hope this helps.

That does help. It sounds like even though I believe I am using a fine enough grit sandpaper, perhaps I am not.

I will try again with something in the 1500-2000 grit range and see if I still have the same results. The "greying" I refer is to is actual very light scratches in the paint coat that rub away the "color" and leave a "greyed" look behind. Do you believe that buffing the paint is actually going to get rid of that and bring back the color that was there before the light sanding? I don't see that happening, but perhaps - again - I am possibly not using the correct grit sandpaper for the "in-between coats" sanding.

The gun I am using is not a Harbor Freight gun, but it isn't a $300.00 gun either -- it's your basic "big box store" middle of the road Kobalt that I paid around $75.00 for. I think it has pretty good atomization and control.

I think I just need to keep spraying and sanding until I learn what works best.

So ... it sounds like steel wool isn't the answer. I just need to keep working with the tools I have a refining my technique?

Steve
MM

P.S. Thanks for all of the comments ... even the funny ones!
 
It doesn't come from steel sheep.

Really? I always thought that it did. I guess that makes more sense - because I always wondered where the ferrous sheep lived where they could be inside. Otherwise, they'd rust when it rains.

So, what, steel goats then?

-Ian
 
As for using 1000-2000 grit, save that for clearcoats.

Sounds to me like you are refering to the dulling that happens when you sand. If you sand it at all, yes it will dull the color with a whitish film.
You can buff the paint back out, depending on what you sanded it with, and what kind of paint you are dealing with.

For final sanding of clears, depending on how much orange peel is there, you can start with a 600 grit for a quick smoothing, then jump to 1000, then 2000. After that get a buffer, set it around 2500 RPM, and get a good glazing compound. It'll buff the dull out. But then it will be shiny, so you will have to do the whole cab.

Typcial paint layout goes like this.

Primer, sand
First color Knock Nibs off, maybe a light sand with 600
Second color Knock nibs, and sand stencil lines with 600.
etc. for all colors. If you need to smooth anything out do it. Don't worry about the greyish color.
Now shoot your clear. the clear fills in the scratches, and brings back the color. Now you can sand and buff you clear.

Now this is for Automotive paints. Latex I haven't tried. Oil based you can sand and buff. It's like the old enamel paints.




That does help. It sounds like even though I believe I am using a fine enough grit sandpaper, perhaps I am not.

I will try again with something in the 1500-2000 grit range and see if I still have the same results. The "greying" I refer is to is actual very light scratches in the paint coat that rub away the "color" and leave a "greyed" look behind. Do you believe that buffing the paint is actually going to get rid of that and bring back the color that was there before the light sanding? I don't see that happening, but perhaps - again - I am possibly not using the correct grit sandpaper for the "in-between coats" sanding.

The gun I am using is not a Harbor Freight gun, but it isn't a $300.00 gun either -- it's your basic "big box store" middle of the road Kobalt that I paid around $75.00 for. I think it has pretty good atomization and control.

I think I just need to keep spraying and sanding until I learn what works best.

So ... it sounds like steel wool isn't the answer. I just need to keep working with the tools I have a refining my technique?

Steve
MM

P.S. Thanks for all of the comments ... even the funny ones!
 
cats don't like it when you scuff steel wool on their butthole, does that help?
 
You can shove it in your tail pipe to quiet your exhaust way down to pass test if needed...


Also.. you use steel wool to polish/buff varnishes..
 
heh as a kid i used to clean the old mans train set tracks with the stuff..

then afterward id lay it across the track and crank up the power transformer..

its neat stuff when you pass electrical current through it...
 
DO NOT,I REPEAT DO NOT scratch your nuts with it , chaffs like a motherfucker
Space_cowboy walks down the street, past the liquor store, past the pawn shop, past the liquor stores (three of them!). Turns into the hardware store and sees a guy with a purple hat behind the counter....

S.C.: Hi, Little Fred!
L.F.: Yo, 'Cowboy.
S.C.: You got any specials today?
L.F.: Sho'nuf. Check this out...(throws some #0000 steel wool on the counter)
S.C.: DAY-UM, Little Fred! That is FINE! (takes it home)
 
Back
Top Bottom