prepping plastic

Ok, I searched around and this is what I've come up with for prepping the plastic trim:

-some people said 200, others said 600 grit sand paper (it matter if wet or dry?) any special technique to sanding?

-prime it (what type of primer?)


tape off, sand, prime, sand, prime, sand, paint.

That sounds about right? I just need to know what grit to use and when

I'm worried about using masking tape to tape off - will it take off the clearcoat when I take it off? My friend's 95 civic had something painted, and they used masking tape to tape something off, and when they removed it, it took a nice chunk of clearcoat with it.

Also, how long do I need to let the paint dry before I apply clearcoat? And lastly... I need to repaint a corner on my rear bumper... I've heard that I can just repaint that part and then blend it in w/ the rest. Does blending just consist of pulling the paint gun slowly further away from the paint as you get further from the repaited spot?

Thanks,
Patrick

any how-to pics would be helpful =P

 

[hydroxy]

also - do I HAVE to prep the plastic? I can't just simply paint over what is already there?

 

[DeRocha]

You will need to rough up the surface to give the paint something to hang on to. After sanding you should also wash the parts to remove any oils/grease that may be present (I use regular dish soap). As for masking you can use the blue masking tape (it has a lower adhesive) and will come off much easier.

 

[DeRocha]

Think of painting like rock climbing...It is much earsier for the paint (the climber) to stick to a rock face that has many irregularities rather than one that is smooth...

 

[MONMIX]

3M red scuff pads is what we always use.
hit it with some anti-static degreeser.

Blending clear will require wet sanding and buffing.
Six one / hald dozen the other.

 

[99SportX]

Here's something you might find useful: http://ftw.truckmoxie.com/forums/topic.ten?id=132288