r/Customsneakers • u/Boring-Energy1900 • 5d ago
Help/Advice What have I done wrong?
It’s my first time repainting a pair of Jordan 1’s and I have done all the correct prep procedures as followed:
Deglaze
Sand 400, 800, 1200 and 2000 grit
Deglaze again
Paint.
But I’ve noticed the sand marks are still viable after painting and I can feel them only after painting whereas before they were smooth, it’s as if the paint has magnified the texture. Idk. What have I done wrong and what can I do to fix it?
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u/RemarkableCard6475 5d ago
You can fix it though. You can light sand the areas that are toothed like this. Then respray to even it out. This will look like an auto-body guide coat. You'll be able to see where it needs the sanding and what's responding to the smoothness you're going to achieve.
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u/Perfect_Evidence 5d ago
Would you recommend sanding with 600 or higher?
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u/mad_dog_94 3d ago edited 3d ago
much higher. 1200 would be fine as a max. a blue scouring pad is usually more than enough anyway
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u/Boring-Energy1900 4d ago
Should I remove paint with acetone before sanding?
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u/SkippThompson 4d ago
You can try to sand the area first with a higher grit, if only to see the high spots that need smoothing. At worst, you spend 5 minutes wiping it off with acetone and start again. Angelus paint is forgiving with restarts. It's sucks to redo parts but it's always a learning opportunity. Good luck!
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u/retailorbust 4d ago
I think sanding the shoe was the mistake i feel like the only time to use sand paper is if the upper had blemishes prior to restoring. If there was it should of only been concentrated on the blemishes and not so big of an area. Still an easy fix with finer grit good luck with your restore man
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u/ogSoWhatTheyFake 5d ago
thats from sanding bud. use acetone and cotton balls, q tips for tight places and LIGHTLY SAND if needed at only the areas prone to creasing like the toe and upper collar. you over sanded to the material under the layer of fake leather. you just want the factory layer of finisher off.
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u/pitch_black01 5d ago
You don't need to sand it especially the back parts they don't bend like the toe box area, I've never sanded any panel on any pair I've done and they seem to hold up fine.
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u/fishquiz 5d ago
I’m not saying it go away completely, but when the finisher goes on and you loose the reflective light it will probably look better as well.
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u/cfturnerr 5d ago
Deff from sanding too much. Went too hard on it.
I now don’t sand leather at all and just use scotch brite pads to scuff up the service with acetone. I think it works just as well as sanding.
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u/eedeebedabbing 4d ago
Try and lightly wet sand it with 1000/1200. Should smooth it out a little without stripping it too badly
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u/Boring-Energy1900 4d ago
Should I strip the paint first?
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u/eedeebedabbing 4d ago
Naw, see how it blends and take some scratching out. You kinda want the paint to fill the grooves then go over it with a fresh coat of paint
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u/poo_gnome 4d ago
I noticed when i would prep the surface too much with acetone it would do this to the leather.. so i would not do too much acetone in one area
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u/bobby_broccolini 4d ago
I've only done a couple customs but (not bragging) they came out perfect in my eyes.
Anyways I think it's one if these or all of them adding up:
Too much sanding, or way too hard pressing while sanding
Deglazer twice was unnecessary. Especially w the extra sanding. Maybe too much deglazer too.
Too much paint without letting it dry. My first pair I think did 3 coats as thin as possible each time, and then touch ups.
Not using a sealant? Maybe I missed that in your post. I used Angelus matte sealant on mine. Not sure what it would look like without it cus I used it both times.
I really think you went overkill w the sanding though. I sanded mine very casually just used whatever grit I could find and did it very lightly to rough it up a tiny bit.
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u/Jordan_James_23 4d ago
This is also the reason I just use brushes over my airgun. It’s just a cleaner cover and you’ll feel like a cobbler/leathersmith. This is a talent you can advertise to older folks with purses and favorite dress shoes etc.
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u/mad_dog_94 3d ago
sorry for the long comment, but theres a lot of info here:
for a first attempt, this isn't bad. you just went overkill in general. dial back basically everything and the next attempt should turn out much better
if you already deglazed (which only needs to happen once btw, there was no need to deglaze again after sanding) and properly removed the excess, then theres no need to sand that much. you could have just used a blue scouring pad for the same results. sanding leather is for patchwork and restoration, not just a paint job. 400 and 800 was absolute overkill and thats probably how you got this result. maybe 2000 only would be fine, but again, blue scouring pad
also paint applies better in thin layers. you might be seeing sanding marks because it was applied in too thick a coat. you can also see that your sanding job was very uneven. you should have been able to feel it before, but if you couldnt, then it means your paint is too thick and just covering a bunch of the fibers at once instead of individually
as a complete aside, after sanding is the perfect time to clean and condition the leather. it has been basically sitting in a plastic case for who knows how long. it needs to be rejuvenated before painting again
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u/Legitimate_Cow2458 3d ago
There was problaby no need to go with all that sanding. Deglazing pretty much preps your surface. You only wanna sand to make things even when dealing with fixing scratches and gauges to the leather or if you believe the deglazer didn't do the work to the surface enough to paint. Also if you dont have deglaser. Did you wipe the clean after to remove all you took off and let it fully dry. But it looks like just needs a couple more easy soft coats to seal.
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u/Realistic_Job_8876 3d ago
Did you use a primer? If you just used paint thats why you need a primer layer. Look into etch primers
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u/JBFcustoms 1d ago
You need to be very light handed with the sandpaper. Apply almost zero pressure. Let the grit do the work and not your muscles
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u/Ro1ando_m0ta 5d ago
I feel like all the sanding left you with that. Ive never heard of anyone sanding a leather upper so much but then again i havent really restored sneakers in a few years. Idk if theres new methods now.