So I finally got to this project, with less than optimal conditions. It's colder than I'd like it to be, but it won't be warm enough for a long time, and I don't have the time to wait....
Here's what I'm working with....
My tools...
First up, sanding the deep scratches with 180 grit...
Then sand the sections of 180 with 400 grit, and final sanding of the entire fender with the red scuff pad. Final sanding prior to paint should be about 600, recommended by duplicolor, but I'm priming it first, which will fill in the sanding scratches...
Laying a heavy coat of primer...
After 60 minutes of set time (fast drying primer was used), the first coat of paint was applied. This stuff sprays on like water, and runs just as fast, so several light coats are highly recommended...
Hard to see, but here is a run. I test shot this area to see how it would lay. It ran almost instantly with a heavy shot, I sprayed here as it won't be visible once installed...
Here is the second coat of paint after 30 minutes of set up time, duplicolor recommends 10 minutes between coats, but with the temps at about 45*, I tripled the time...
Here is the first coat of clear after 45 minutes of setup time....
Not pictured is the final coat of clear, again, 45 minutes later. Looks the same as the first coat. There is orange peel after the final coat was applied, but to be expected. There are a couple of imperfections, but I'm not expecting a perfect finish. I could probably buff out the orange peel and imperfections. I'll see how it turns out after a day of curing. After I applied the final coat of clear, I took my heat gun and warmed up the bottom side of the fender, to help the paint cure and stick. Heating the painted surface would be sure to put debris into the paint. Overall I'm quite impressed with the rattle can paint. I'll post a comparison pic once installed to see how close it matches the rest of the paint. I'm not expecting a perfect match, as my truck's paint is 12 years old, and I'm sure has faded from the original color...
SVT