Sanding Gel Coat; RV-8a Wing Tips

[Bill Phillips]

I'm about to prime my wing tips in prep for painting. What grit sandpaper should I use on the gel coat? Rough enough to allow the epoxy primer to stick, but not eat into the hard shell. Thanks for the info and best regards, Bill of Georgia RV-8a Painting

[carbheat]

Use 600 minimum, but I recommend 400 grit. Sand it off. The gel coat does nobody any favors down the road if it fractures under your paint---and it will eventually---leaving surface fractures on your paint job. You are well-advised to get rid of it, fill in pinholes with straight epoxy, then sand down again before surface priming. Use 600 grit just before the first topcoat of paint.

[tadsargent]

Use 320 wet with a guide coat. 600 will just polish is.
Best

[Bill Phillips]

Thanks my friends. I tend to agree that the coat will or may crack somewhere, but I have been painting for two months now and I'm ready to get done. So 320 wet to the hard candy shell, prime and paint and be done with it. Thanks again, Bill

[KTM520guy]

I sand wing tips first with 180 then spray a couple coats of fill primer. Sand that with 320 then it's ready for paint.