Sanding the crap out of my car, should I do single stage paint?

I am working all the spider web cracks out of my car and was wondering what is going to be the best for me when I decide to paint it black. I figure these spider web cracks may come back in other spots so is single stage easier to touch up or should I go 2 stage?

Be sure not to sand through the gel coat thinking you'll get rid of deep spider cracks. Raw fiberglass looks awful painted! You have laboriously "Dremmel" each crack past its and and fill with good epoxy filler like West Marine product line. Then you can apply an epoxy high build filler and block sand again.

Wolfgang has it right on the mark. The only way to get them to stay gone is to repair the crack in the gel coat by filling them. I will normally grind them out (large areas), glass it back in and spray a Hi build polyester primer over. That will soak into the glass fibers and lock it down and keep the paint from showing the glass in few months. On smaller repairs, I will use epoxy filler. Do not get too far into the glass. Good luck with the project.


Steve the other half of Angela

I am not sure single stage is easier to touch up. If the cracks come back to such a degree that you want to repair them then its going to be a decent project and a good sized panel to repair.

On mine I used a single stage paint, but have since moved to BC/CC. And it was more then just a few spider cracks.... I did like shooting the single though.

Duramax epoxy is a real good rezen for crack repairs. soaks in good and lockes um up tight.

MAke sure you do it inside and out. on each repair..

Are you saying dremel the outside where it shows and on the underside? I as just fixing the outside spider web cracks not even sure I have access to the other side of the glass on most of these.

Just the top. I also like 3M HSRF to fill the dremel cuts.

BC/CC is easier to repair.
However,
Single stage can be compounded ;; but ONLY if its non-metallic color.
Metallics will dull if compounded into the flakes.

http://community.webshots.com/user/WINDAVIT

The spyder cracks are a result of the gel coat cracking under impact. The glass is somewhat pliable, it will flex without damage to it. The gel coat however is brittle. Your repair should be down to the glass and about a .25 inch from the center both directions. You will see more cracking if the glass was laid down to long after the flash on the gel coat (i.e. gel coat was to dry) if this is the case you will see the gel coat popping of the glass work as you perform your work. This will be a bad situation, as you cracks will continue to appear and just get worse even after a good repair has been done. Two stage paint, Base Clear will blend and polish cleaner.


Steve the other half of Angela

Matt,
Did my repairs 4 years ago as discussed and still going strong - no return cracks using the method and material you saw in my pictures. It will work.

Putting a patch of glass behind the crack should keep them from returning.

Thanks for the help guys doing a bunch a work on it but I know it will come out great.