After some searching, it seems like people are wet sanding after demold then Clear coating… What im concerned about is sanding through the CF fibers… after the infusion the top layer seems wayy too thin to wet sand… Am i being paranoid? can I just spray clear coat right after demold? I’m using a chemlease, will i need to clean/prep?
TIA
You need the clear to stick to something.
When you wet sand like this you don’t push hard, you’re just trying to lightly scuff the surface evenly with 1000grit sandpaper or so. I use 1000 grit. Some will argue you need to do 1500.
There’s also some stuff I was given to me called “final sand” It’s like a paste and comes in a tube. I’ve used it before once before clearing. You put some on a part, take a fine scratch pad located in your favorite local auto store, and work it around the surface. And rinse off afterwards.
Or you could just take a fine scratch pad I guess and do it without the final sand product.
awesome! i’m trying to source some now, waiting for the lady to call me back!
If i did decide to just go the wetsand route, what grit is recommended?
I think that was better use a more coarse grit, same like 50 to 250, the idea, would be get a surface like after peelply surface, not?
Regards
No. Don’t go lower than 320.
Just pretend like you’re about to clear a car… That’s what I was taught. I never tried anything under 1000 grit for clearing over epoxy.
400 for me…
You guys have never had issue with seeing scratches underneath the clear with that low of grit?
I usually wet sand with 600grit before clear coating
If there is no gel coat I’ll sand with 600. Gel coat will be 320 or 400. 220 if I’m feeling frisky.
But to simply answer your question. How do you clear coat after infusion? Pay someone else. I’ve learned sometimes its better to pay somebody to do what they do so you can get paid doing what you do.
I’m new to carbon composites but so far I sand the part with 600 or 800 wet/dry and then clear coat.
And what method are you using to apply the clear coat? How do you prevent bubbles on the surface?
I use a HVLP spray gun to apply then after cure I wet sand the clear with 1500 then 2000 grit and finally polish. Clear coating is a technique that must be learned from experience after a few times you will get the hang of it. I am still learning. I’ve read of guys that can apply the clear and it doesn’t need any other finishing.
Unfortunately I haven’t any spray gun, at this moment I have prove apply coat with a brush, a spreader, and with my hand!(and a glove), with my hand I have get the best results, lower bubbles, and more uniform spread.
I have tried to remove bubbles applying heat( hairdryer), but seems that some times is worse, bubbles are made bigger and when it explodes form a little crater. Maybe. Am I applying too heat, or for too time ?
How do you make to remove all bubbles? If it’s possible…
Regards
john you are 100% correct. i actually searched and saw one of your older posts that said the same exact thing. I HATE painting. no reason to try to save some money doing it myself when ONE little mistake can cost me HOURS in labor to fix. if i have to scrap one part that i goofed on id be in the hole HUGE$$. im leaving the clear coating to the professional painters 
thanks for the advice tho! i did manage to get a sample of the final sand stuff. im gonna test it out and practice on my “non production” parts!
With an infused part there will be virtually no resin layer on the cosmetic surface of the part which was incontact with the molding surface. Does anyone get sand thru into the carbon? I have sanded on occasion so gently and start seeing the carbon just even breathing on the surface…
when you sand use soap water which makes water whitish…when you see the water becoming black you’re sanding the carbon wave 
Yes putting a very little amount of soap while wet sanding helps a lot. I used to work at a body shop when I was younger and learned that anything above 6-800 is kind of over doing it sometimes a waste of time… Yes some may argue to go to 1500. But I have learned that clear likes to stick better to 600-800 grit. Most clears are made nowadays to be sprayed over 600 grit sanding. And most clear coats will still need to be wet sanded and buffed after clear coating. Unless of course you have an amazing dust free spray room and good spray technique and are in a perfect environment… Typically I will sand a part with 600 after demolding and then spray clear. After clear has set and dried I sand using 1500-2000 then 2500 depending on what imperfections I find. Then a nice polish using various cutting compounds, then I finish with a glaze to give a nice wet look shine.
I never go any higher than 600 grit. I’ve done 320 lots of times. You can’t see any scratches.