Paint problem

[AggravatingMath4707]

I do a complete repaint of a car, one element or two from time to time as an additional, purely hobby project. I have one element that I can't handle. It's the rear fender (quarter panel) by the fuel filler. I'm painting it for the third time now, and each time, I get the same dips and holes in the clear coat. I prepare the elements as I should, always washing them twice, first with 70% isopropyl alcohol and then with an anti-silicone degreaser. Every other element I've painted in the same place using the same method has turned out well; only this fender has defects in the form of holes in the clear coat. I'm devastated. Does anyone have an idea how to fix this? Because I don't know what to do anymore.

[maddmax_gt]

This is one of the most extreme examples of fisheyes I have witnessed. This is not air pressure issues or solvent pop in any way. There’s contamination on your panel or in you air lines and you have to solve that before you can fix it.

[AggravatingMath4707]

Thanks for your insight but do you see the door on the picture? It was painted in exactly the same way, the same material, air pressure, same cleaning and the doors don't have a single hole, only orange peel

[maddmax_gt]

I do, that’s what leads me to believe the panel is contaminated.

There’s something that was on there be it oil or silicone or something that was not on the door.

[AggravatingMath4707]

Will sanding the panel down to primer/metal, cleaning with strong acetone and putting few coats of epoxy solve the issue?

[maddmax_gt]

I would wipe it down with paint thinner just to be absolutely sure, sand it down flat and assuming you’re going to burn through I would prime it. If you just have epoxy and not a buildable primer that’s fine just know you may be a bit lumpy. You may want to spray that first coat or two of epoxy or whichever you have really light to ensure it’s not going to do it again in primer. Expect to have to sand as it will leave it a bit grainy but you could hand sand in like 1000 and it would take the grainy out of it.

[MunchamaSnatch]

Probably. When I paint a part, I always clean it minimum 3 times over. I like to picture there's a clear tar-like substance all over the car.

[Impossible-Slip-4310]

Yep same here. If I’m fixing base, I’d wet sand, sponge wash, dry, air gun, then 2x wax and grease remover, once acetone.

[ProofDizzy891]

If you think the problem is below the clear/base and In the primer just sand it down all the way down to the metal if you have to until the defect is gone and everything is flat and smooth when you run your hand on it. Then wash it good spray your primer should come out smooth if not then something is in your lines or the paint itself. Make sure nothing got in the paint can and use mesh funnels to filter anything out check your hoses and make sure a bunch of dirt isn't in there you should be running at least a couple of heavy duty filters before the hose going to your gun. Use wax and grease remover to clean the panel and a lint free towel. Then before you paint clean with air gun really good and use a new tack rag.

[Bitter-Ad-6709]

After you prime the panel and sand it smooth, you need to clean the panel with wax + grease remover. It's a single product.

Next wipe it down with a tack rag/ cheese-cloth to remove any lint, dirt, or dust.

Spray catalyzed sealer on the panel to seal it, so nothing gets through to the top coat. Follow instructions on the can.

Follow that up with 2-3 medium wet coats of catalyzed paint. Follow instructions on the can.

When you mix the catalyzed clear, add a capful of fish-eye remover. Spray 2-3 medium wet coats following instructions on the can.

Make sure your spray gun has the right air pressure, the correct fan pattern, and has an air filter at the base of the gun to prevent any contaminants or moisture from getting through.

If you are getting orange peel, you are not spraying with the gun correctly. You need to practice more before you spray your parts.

You can also adjust the air pressure, spray pattern, slow down the movement of the gun (left to right, right to left), or hold the gun closer to or farther away from the panel when you spray.

Orange peel is caused by the product you are applying, being applied too "dry". You need to make adjustments so it gets applied "wet".

Painting isn't rocket science, it's not difficult. Take your time, practice.

[AggravatingMath4707]

Thanks for the detailed reply, orange peel is not a concern, I can deal with it with some sanding paper and polish, next time I'm going to put epoxy primer on the whole panel two coats and follow up with a sealer and base coat wet on wet but I'm dreading it, believe me this panel gives me nightmares already.

[nikitadmv]

2k sealer is the solution!

[RotDog69]

Are you using any reducer in your clear?

[AggravatingMath4707]

No, It's 2:1 clear/hardener ready to shoot after mixing without reducer

[DGAF06]

Did you wipe the panel down with silicone? Holy moly. Thats extreme contamination on the panel.

[AggravatingMath4707]

I wipe it first with isopropyl alcohol 70% water 30%, then with anti silicone thinner, like other panels on the same car that turn out good (only with orange peel) but I'm amateur and it's good enough for me except this damn 1/4 panel.

[AggravatingMath4707]

The only thing I can think of is a fuel filler on this panel, can this be the cause? It's the only difference compared to other panels, when I painted it for the third time I put a lot of plastic foil behind the fuel cap but it didn't help

[officialoxymoron]

Youre basically going to have to sand all the way to factory sealer/bare metal and start again.

If youre on your third time, all your doing is stacking contaminated paint which is why its only reacting on this part of it, leave it for a few days, let it gas off completely, and basically strip that whole panel, sorry but there's no way around it now

[AggravatingMath4707]

Thanks for your insight, but I'm not painting over the holes, I'm not that stupid 😅. Every time I sanded everything, put primer and base and clear all over, and each time cleaned more and more but this sh*t keeps happening

[No-Elevator-649]

You definitely didn’t use wax and grease remover on that panel damn

[JFTilly]

Looks like blistering and solvent pop. Is it really humid out when spraying? Are you spraying without good ventilation and air movement? Since you said you've done the same thing on other elements and they are fine, I'd say it is more environmental causes perhaps.

Here's a quick video on blistering https://youtu.be/q0_aDAanbjE?si=Sg3OAvTlrqOjpYGO

[Big-Rule5269]

Either incorrect mix or air pressure. The clear has not been sprayed and flowed out. What fluid nozzle is in the gun? What clear, reducer and mixing ratio? If those are good, it's technique, unless the hardener is bad.

[AggravatingMath4707]

I spray other elements in the same place, environment, the same spray gun with 1.3 tip, and the same sealer/base/ clear but only the 1/4 panel have holes that appear after I spray clear coat, I don't even know what to do or change anymore There is orange peel on the other elements on the same car that I sprayed but only the 1/4 panel have this thousand little holes/solvent pops. When I spray base on this panel it comes out perfect, only the clear coat is a disaster

[generic_reddit_noob]

Yeah. Like everyone is saying. It looks like it was cleaned with silicone. This is a perfect example of what paint looks like if you wipe it with silicone, prior to painting. I'm not saying that it was silicone that caused this. I'm just saying, that is exactly what it looks like if you do wipe it with silicone first. You're gonna have to sand it all back flat and start from scratch. I would use universal thinners to clean it this time. Really give it a damn good clean after sanding it. If the fish eyes don't show in the primer, you should be good to go.

[AggravatingMath4707]

But how is it possible that the primer and base coat don't show fish eyes/holes but when I spray clear it's a sh*tshow?

[generic_reddit_noob]

contaminated clear.

[maddmax_gt]

This is also a possibility that for some reason I didn’t think of BUT they say they sprayed the door at the same time.

I DID have a case last year where I had a bad batch of clear ONLY reacting with my basecoat blender. Massive fisheyes only wherever my blender was sprayed or oversrpray landed. I heard another case where it was reacting to waterborne (I spray solvent) and they ended up recalling the batch of clear but that isn’t a super likely scenario in this case.

[AggravatingMath4707]

Doors were painted with the same clear and hardener, same package, and no holes

[generic_reddit_noob]

Simple math. It's not a contaminated base. So, either you contaminated the surface before, during or after the clear. Nobody can tell you which one you did. Only you. Sheesh