Brian Dee
Super Moderator
Colour Sanding And Buffing.
Well you have spent many, many hours doing bodywork, filling, priming, blocking, sanding, basing, and clearing. The list goes on and on. Finally it’s complete, or is it. Noooo, it has to be colour sanded and polished (buffed) for that three foot deep shine. But where to start. There are many different theories on this subject, and apparently they all work the best. But I will tell you what I have been doing and products that work for me. So you can decide for yourself if you want to try it.
Once the clear coat has been applied you will no doubt have some a little surface contamination
and some orange peel on the surface. This surface contamination such as dirt and dust particles can be greatly eliminated by wearing a shoot suit with a hood. As most of this contamination comes off you
the painter..
Now you are ready to sand the surface. After waiting the appropriate amount of time for the clear to dry. Best to follow the manufactures directions on this. But 24 hours is a safe bet. I will usually start with 1000 grit paper. Remember to soak the paper in water before using it. This will soften it slightly, and prevents the edges of the paper from adding unwanted scratches to the surface. You can also add a little dish soap to your sanding water to help lubricate the surface. I use surgical soap, as it does not have any additives, such as oils, perfumes, or phosphates in it. Start sanding the surface with the 1000 grit until surface takes on a dull gray sheen to it. You maybe able to start with finer grit, if the clear coat is free of orange peel.
But starting with 1000 will get rid of that orange peel. If it is really bad, you may want to start with 800
to slightly knock it down the surface. Go carefully with this girt, and stay away from ridges and sharp corners, then go with the 1000. Or you maybe able to right into jump in to 1500 or even 2000 grit. right off the bat It just depends on what the clear is like to start with. Just remember you want to level the surface. When you’re sanding, go in one direction, not in circles. The reason being is as you use the buffer, which has a circular action to it, it will move across your sanding pattern at a
right angle. This will make it so much easier to eliminate the color sanding marks. When you’re sanding with the wet and dry. Or even before you start this process make sure what ever you are sanding is clean, really clean. You don’t want any dirt or grit to get between your paper and what ever you’re sanding. I guarantee this will ruin your whole day. And what ever you do not lay your paper on a workbench. I assure you that you will get dirt particles contaminating the sand paper. Just keep it in you’re bucket of water. So now you’ve gone through the process of using different grades of paper from 800-1000 right up to 2500 if you want to. Using 2500 or even finer will certainly reduce the amount of time you spend with a buffer in your hand. Just remember to take your time and get rid of all those micro scratches. When all said and done you will certainly be glad you did. Well it’s time for the show finish to come to life.
Buffing/Polishing.
Here’s where everyone has his or her own perfect way to buff and polish. There are so many compounds, buffers and supplies out there it’s very confusing for the first timer doing this. In the past many shops had and used different grades of compounds, buffing pads. and who knows what. That made it very easy to grab the wrong pad or compound and cross contaminate. The results could and were very often disastrous. Buffing machines were and still are another story. I hear all the time I just use an air grinder and turn down the pressure to control the rpm. Well I have news for you. That maybe very well the case. But doing this will greatly decrease the torque of that 20,000-rpm monster. This is definitely not what you want. So get your self a proper machine. There are a number on the market that will do it for you. But the most important thing is that it has to be a variable speed. Look for one that will operate from 800-1000 for the low speed and no more than 1900-2200 for the high. Using anything that will turn higher than this and I will guarantee you will burn through the clear coat. Just take your time and you’ll end up with a show finish
Well. as for the buffing compounds, that’s where everyone has their opinions on this subject, and it is a broad one. Personally I use Wizards or System One. With these two products you need only two pads, one for the initial cut and one for the final buffing. Each of these compounds wears itself out as you use them, so there no real danger of blowing through a clear coat or a burn through. But still stay away from high ridges. The reason I use either one of these compounds is one, the ease of use, and no fillers in them. So micro scratches don’t come back to haunt you. You don’t need to glaze after buffing, as there are no swirl marks to be seen. It’s a chemical cut rather than an abrasive cut. This is what works for me, but I’m sure you have your own methods, and they may work just fine for you. But if your not happy with your finish, give this method a try. I know it will make you smile. Just thought I’d pass on a little info. Oh. forgot.
Have fun.
Well you have spent many, many hours doing bodywork, filling, priming, blocking, sanding, basing, and clearing. The list goes on and on. Finally it’s complete, or is it. Noooo, it has to be colour sanded and polished (buffed) for that three foot deep shine. But where to start. There are many different theories on this subject, and apparently they all work the best. But I will tell you what I have been doing and products that work for me. So you can decide for yourself if you want to try it.
Once the clear coat has been applied you will no doubt have some a little surface contamination
and some orange peel on the surface. This surface contamination such as dirt and dust particles can be greatly eliminated by wearing a shoot suit with a hood. As most of this contamination comes off you
the painter..
Now you are ready to sand the surface. After waiting the appropriate amount of time for the clear to dry. Best to follow the manufactures directions on this. But 24 hours is a safe bet. I will usually start with 1000 grit paper. Remember to soak the paper in water before using it. This will soften it slightly, and prevents the edges of the paper from adding unwanted scratches to the surface. You can also add a little dish soap to your sanding water to help lubricate the surface. I use surgical soap, as it does not have any additives, such as oils, perfumes, or phosphates in it. Start sanding the surface with the 1000 grit until surface takes on a dull gray sheen to it. You maybe able to start with finer grit, if the clear coat is free of orange peel.
But starting with 1000 will get rid of that orange peel. If it is really bad, you may want to start with 800
to slightly knock it down the surface. Go carefully with this girt, and stay away from ridges and sharp corners, then go with the 1000. Or you maybe able to right into jump in to 1500 or even 2000 grit. right off the bat It just depends on what the clear is like to start with. Just remember you want to level the surface. When you’re sanding, go in one direction, not in circles. The reason being is as you use the buffer, which has a circular action to it, it will move across your sanding pattern at a
right angle. This will make it so much easier to eliminate the color sanding marks. When you’re sanding with the wet and dry. Or even before you start this process make sure what ever you are sanding is clean, really clean. You don’t want any dirt or grit to get between your paper and what ever you’re sanding. I guarantee this will ruin your whole day. And what ever you do not lay your paper on a workbench. I assure you that you will get dirt particles contaminating the sand paper. Just keep it in you’re bucket of water. So now you’ve gone through the process of using different grades of paper from 800-1000 right up to 2500 if you want to. Using 2500 or even finer will certainly reduce the amount of time you spend with a buffer in your hand. Just remember to take your time and get rid of all those micro scratches. When all said and done you will certainly be glad you did. Well it’s time for the show finish to come to life.
Buffing/Polishing.
Here’s where everyone has his or her own perfect way to buff and polish. There are so many compounds, buffers and supplies out there it’s very confusing for the first timer doing this. In the past many shops had and used different grades of compounds, buffing pads. and who knows what. That made it very easy to grab the wrong pad or compound and cross contaminate. The results could and were very often disastrous. Buffing machines were and still are another story. I hear all the time I just use an air grinder and turn down the pressure to control the rpm. Well I have news for you. That maybe very well the case. But doing this will greatly decrease the torque of that 20,000-rpm monster. This is definitely not what you want. So get your self a proper machine. There are a number on the market that will do it for you. But the most important thing is that it has to be a variable speed. Look for one that will operate from 800-1000 for the low speed and no more than 1900-2200 for the high. Using anything that will turn higher than this and I will guarantee you will burn through the clear coat. Just take your time and you’ll end up with a show finish
Well. as for the buffing compounds, that’s where everyone has their opinions on this subject, and it is a broad one. Personally I use Wizards or System One. With these two products you need only two pads, one for the initial cut and one for the final buffing. Each of these compounds wears itself out as you use them, so there no real danger of blowing through a clear coat or a burn through. But still stay away from high ridges. The reason I use either one of these compounds is one, the ease of use, and no fillers in them. So micro scratches don’t come back to haunt you. You don’t need to glaze after buffing, as there are no swirl marks to be seen. It’s a chemical cut rather than an abrasive cut. This is what works for me, but I’m sure you have your own methods, and they may work just fine for you. But if your not happy with your finish, give this method a try. I know it will make you smile. Just thought I’d pass on a little info. Oh. forgot.
Have fun.
