Can someone help a Noob fix his headlight repair? Sanded fine. Botched the clear coat/ overspray/runs/Cracks.

[CountChocula]

Hi everyone.
Long story short.
Laid clear coat on sanded/ polished/ prepped headlights on too heavy.
Cracks, runs, and orange peel.
Need to know best steps to fix/ remove new very thick clear coat.

If it matters 2010 Subaru Legacy GT.
Watched seemingly every video and chose to tackle.
Prepped it perfectly. Looked great. What's sad is I'm selling the car and could've just left it looking shiny and clear but didn't want the new owner to have to redo it in a year. (We're in Colorado the sun is brutal) So I decided to put on the clear coat.
Rustoleum Clear American Accents.
Was getting dark and windy and colder (maybe 50) and so I sort of rushed to finish the job and let cure overnight thinking I'd have some orange peel.
Also I only masked lightly and didn't have the right angles because I didn't want to overspray which I think was the biggest problem.

Literally was the worst spray paint job on the planet.

I tried resanding with 600 grit wet but can still see the valleys of the cracks on the finish.

I even tried some OOPS Latex paint remover (maybe made it worse?)

Just trying to find the best steps to remove THICK clear off the lights.

My equipment: plug in drill with 3 inch sanding discs of varying grit.

What speed are we using and is there a better way to sand evenly on a very contoured headlight? Seemed like it would always grab and burn in on some of the edges that were like a rounded 90 degree almost.

Also I have some Jescar Powerlock Plus and Colonite 845. Would coating a few coats of each be fine in the future for long term UV protection for a sanded and polished but NOT CLEARCOATED corrected headlight? If it's reapplied maybe 1x a year? I really don't want to spray again after I'm done.

ANY ADVICE HERE WOULD BE HELPFUL AS I CLEARLY HAVE NO CLUE WHAT I'M DOING!!

Thanks
The Count

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I'd start by hand sanding with something aggressive like #320 or #400 grit.

Tape-off the paint around the headlight so you don't accidently sand on car paint.

IF the hood is close to the headlight, pop the hood to get the paint away from the headlight so you don't sand on it nor have to tape it off.

I've blocked out headlights to remove OEM coating using #320 before. Took some elbow grease but did the job.

When you sand with a drill, which is a type of rotary, you're not sanding, your grinding and if you're not careful you GOUGE the plastic and then you WILL have to block this out to get it flat.

I have not looked lately at Lowe's or Home Depot to see what grit sand papers they carry but I would get something coarse and then work you way up to fine. The buff out your sanding marks, apply any brand of sealant, stick a fork in it and call it done.

 

[CountChocula]

Thanks Mike
Great advice.

Went to Home depot and lowes and was not impressed with what they had for sandpaper.
I had the thought to just do it by hand but I can't figure out the right method.

All sanding blocks seem flat. Is there a better one for rounded contours or are we just using the paper on it's own?
How about something like this: https://www.amazon.com/POLIWELL-Hea...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

As far as other equipment...I do have a Harbor Fright Dual Action Polisher and a Wen 6010 Random Orbital Polisher as well. Any sanding pads to go on those instead to avoid the rotary action of the drill?

Thanks

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Thanks Mike
Great advice.

Went to Home depot and lowes and was not impressed with what they had for sandpaper.
I had the thought to just do it by hand but I can't figure out the right method.

All sanding blocks seem flat. Is there a better one for rounded contours or are we just using the paper on it's own?

I just use the paper and my fingers or a Meguiar's hand backing pad,

E7200
Meguiars Sanding Pad, wet-sanding pad, Meguiars sandpaper pad


In the link you posted, we carry those round block and sell them as wax spreaders for applying wax by hand, they are called the Polish N Pal.
Pinnacle Polishin? Pal




The sanding discs they show start at #1000 grit, in my estimation, that won't be low enough to get in and get the job done in a reasonable amount of time. We sell a kit of Abralon 3" discs that includes a variety of grits including #500 grit,

MIRKA Abralon 3 inch Assorted Sanding Discs - 10 per box


And of course all the different grits in their own box
MIRKA Abralon Sanding Discs


Maybe #500 and a lot of work will sand off the paint you sprayed, but I'd still look for something even coarser to start with - but I'm just "guessing" on the hardness factor. Hard to give specific recommendations without being there and sanding myself.

The harder the surface the hard it is to sand. The softer the surface the easier it is to sand.


After SEMA I'll try to pop into Lowe's and Home Depot and see what kind of selection they have for doing this type of grunt work. I know they care ROLLS of some really aggressive stuff and also sanding discs for wood working of some fairly aggressive stuff.

Think outside the box and take a look at everything that could work.

As far as other equipment...I do have a Harbor Fright Dual Action Polisher and a Wen 6010 Random Orbital Polisher as well.

These will be useless for machine sanding. The HF will work for the "finishing" side of this project but not the rough work.

Any sanding pads to go on those instead to avoid the rotary action of the drill?

Thanks

We carry 6" and 3" discs from 3M and Mirka - the lowest grit being #500 in the Mirka Abralon line.