Scared to cut and buff my paint

turtlebain · Jul 21, 2015

Then just clean and clay bar, apply your wax / sealant of choice. Easy.

When you wash if it's really dusty, use a foamer spray soap foam all over the car let it sit for about 5 min. Rinse off, then do the wash. This will get a bunch of dirt off first and add lubricity to help you wash without scratching. Definitely use 2 bucket method.

jakelandry · Jul 22, 2015

I'm telling you, I painted cars. It doesn't matter if it "needs" a buff or has marks or anything like that. A clay bar and wax is a waste of time. It doesn't do anything but temporarily shine a turd and everyone that tells you that it's the best option has never see a properly cut and buffed car. If you want the best results you cut the clear down with wetland paper by hand to remove orange peel. Yes the paint has orange peel, all paint does. While you cut that down it doubles over removing any small scratches or anything to that nature. Once you're done with that you get a variable speed buffer. They look like a giant angle grinder. You get a wool pad, set it to 1100 rpm and don't go any higher regardless what the Internet or anyone says. Park in the shade. You put rubbing compound on the pad and smear it around. Then you buff, keeping the buffer flat on the surface. You don't stay in one spot and you don't turn the damn thing on its side like everyone on earth has some obsession with doing. Once you get all the sanding marks out with that, and it'll take a very very long time with lots of pulling the car out in the sun to see if they're completely gone from several angles, you swap to a foam polishing pad and you polish it at 1500 rpm. I use farcela compound and different polishes for different colors. On that color just about any polish should be fine. Expect this to cost quite a bit. Makita variable speed buffer = $230 pads and compounds = $60 sand paper = $20 hours and hours of time = variable expenses.

StevetotheH · Jul 22, 2015

jakelandry said:
I'm telling you, I painted cars. It doesn't matter if it "needs" a buff or has marks or anything like that. A clay bar and wax is a waste of time. It doesn't do anything but temporarily shine a turd and everyone that tells you that it's the best option has never see a properly cut and buffed car. If you want the best results you cut the clear down with wetland paper by hand to remove orange peel. Yes the paint has orange peel, all paint does. While you cut that down it doubles over removing any small scratches or anything to that nature. Once you're done with that you get a variable speed buffer. They look like a giant angle grinder. You get a wool pad, set it to 1100 rpm and don't go any higher regardless what the Internet or anyone says. Park in the shade. You put rubbing compound on the pad and smear it around. Then you buff, keeping the buffer flat on the surface. You don't stay in one spot and you don't turn the damn thing on its side like everyone on earth has some obsession with doing. Once you get all the sanding marks out with that, and it'll take a very very long time with lots of pulling the car out in the sun to see if they're completely gone from several angles, you swap to a foam polishing pad and you polish it at 1500 rpm. I use farcela compound and different polishes for different colors. On that color just about any polish should be fine. Expect this to cost quite a bit. Majors variable speed buffer = $230 pads and compounds = $60 sand paper = $20 hours and hours of time = variable expenses.

Agreed completely. If you do not wet sand the car after paint, then the job isn't finished. This is the final step in any paint job.

Even matte/satin clear coats require you to wet sand the intial clear before spraying the flat/satin clear. You can do it half ass and skip the clear/wet sanding, but then you will end up with a half ass paint job. All good paint jobs involve wet sanding at some point. The only question is did they spray some cheap clear or something good. The cheap stuff never hardens, it remains soft and will never become super glossy no matter how much you knock it down. This is why you don't let Maaco use their paint on anything you care about.

wishihadatalon · Jul 22, 2015

I agree with wet sand. If you want to get the best results, you need to sand down the orange peel so that the clear is all level. The only thing to be mindful of is that anything you do on the paint (wetsand/buff/polish) you're removing clear, so having an understanding of how thick the clear was laid will be important. One thing I don't agree with, and it's only because the OP doesn't have much experience, is the wool pad and rotary variable speed buffer. Wool (very aggressive) and a rotary are a sure fire way to damage paint if you have little to no experience with buffing/polishing a car. A dual action random orbital with a good lake country pad and cutting compound will be slower work but give you the same or better results with little to no chance of damaging the paint. Random orbitals also make it very hard to get buffer trails which are pretty easy to get with a rotary and a wool pad (again experience).

If you're looking for solid advice on paint correction or detailing, I suggest you go to www.autopia.org. The forums there are filled with professional detailers who are always willing to help.

turtlebain · Jul 22, 2015

I think a lot has been said on the subject already. jakelandry that's why I asked him what he was trying to correct in the paint.

And I'll say once more clay before you buff/ polish, because if you don't you will be adding swirls to your paint. It absolutely is not a waste of time.

rrussell · Jul 23, 2015

jakelandry said:
I'm telling you, I painted cars. It doesn't matter if it "needs" a buff or has marks or anything like that. A clay bar and wax is a waste of time. It doesn't do anything but temporarily shine a turd and everyone that tells you that it's the best option has never see a properly cut and buffed car. If you want the best results you cut the clear down with wetland paper by hand to remove orange peel. Yes the paint has orange peel, all paint does. While you cut that down it doubles over removing any small scratches or anything to that nature. Once you're done with that you get a variable speed buffer. They look like a giant angle grinder. You get a wool pad, set it to 1100 rpm and don't go any higher regardless what the Internet or anyone says. Park in the shade. You put rubbing compound on the pad and smear it around. Then you buff, keeping the buffer flat on the surface. You don't stay in one spot and you don't turn the damn thing on its side like everyone on earth has some obsession with doing. Once you get all the sanding marks out with that, and it'll take a very very long time with lots of pulling the car out in the sun to see if they're completely gone from several angles, you swap to a foam polishing pad and you polish it at 1500 rpm. I use farcela compound and different polishes for different colors. On that color just about any polish should be fine. Expect this to cost quite a bit. Makita variable speed buffer = $230 pads and compounds = $60 sand paper = $20 hours and hours of time = variable expenses.

I agree with this guy. I'm also a painter of 20+years and PPG, BASF, Axalta, Sikkens, Chem Spec certified painter. I have done classes on 3m Compound, Presta compounds, Meguires etc.

The only thing I can add to the jakes post is I would try a small area to see how easy this paint job will buff out. Some of the clears today have a Mar resistance built into them. Its a timed window that you need to cut and buff out the paint job before it goes into a Mar resistance condition.
I have seen this happen first hand where someone will sand the whole car and then start the buffing process and it just doesn't want to buff out. It takes a ton of time to get the wet sanding scratch out in this condition. I also recommend taking a quality automotive 3/4" tape and making off all the door jams and edges. This is how I teach new detailers when they don't have much experience. Your buff through will almost always happen on the edges.

Here's some pics of my turd during the buffing process that I did in my home garage with limited tools, to prove to some friends that you can get decent paint job with out a downdraft booth. Keep in mind this is just a driver that will be driving all year around sun and snow and a few dirt roads I rally on.

1200 wet dry sanding uck!!!!!!!!

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First step using Presta First step #1

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Second Stage Presta #2 swirl remover

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Whole write up with more body and paint pics.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/91-awd-black-cherry-talon-turbo-compound.490729/

jakelandry · Jul 23, 2015

^ prime example.

casperfast · Jul 30, 2015

ok, so what i ended up doing. i started with 1500 wet , then 2000 wet, then 3000 wet until the paint was as flat as i felt comfortable with in the safe areas avoiding the edges. then i hit it with a wool pad on a variable speed polisher using meguiars 105 until almost all the scratch marks were gone. the black roof was the most difficult part. then i moved to a medium foam pad with the meguiars fine cut #2. all i have done so far is the hood. i will do the entire car with this as well before ending at the ultra finishing polish #205. so far it is looking pretty amazing

StevetotheH · Jul 30, 2015

How about a before and after of the hood? Did you pull it into the sun between steps?

casperfast · Jul 30, 2015

i do have the before and after shots, ill load them on this evening. and yes i pulled it outside to rinse it off between steps.

rrussell · Jul 30, 2015

Nice work!!!

StevetotheH · Jul 30, 2015

casperfast said:
i do have the before and after shots, ill load them on this evening. and yes i pulled it outside to rinse it off between steps.

I'm sure you're ecstatic. Glad that shit didn't harden up to much to be knocked down. Waking up with tennis elbow is fun!

jakelandry · Jul 30, 2015

Just fwiw you really don't need to run it all the way out to 3000. A novice should be able to take 1500 out with ease. You can also use 1000 then go over it with 1500. So now do you believe that waxing and clay baring is a joke?!?

StevetotheH · Jul 30, 2015

jakelandry said:
Just fwiw you really don't need to run it all the way out to 3000. A novice should be able to take 1500 out with ease. You can also use 1000 then go over it with 1500. So now do you believe that waxing and clay baring is a joke?!?

I'm going to skip painting all together, just gonna clay bar my primer. :aha:

. Seriously though, all this paint talk, it is now my turn. Two tone, red or blue bottom and black on top. Satin clear FTW

casperfast · Jul 30, 2015

i took it to 3000 to be sure. and i still havent finished yet. its 104* here right now in OREGON and when i tried yesterday in my shop where it was about 95 the compund was drying too fast. so ill have to wait and do it late at night when i dont have to work the next day. if i could find a way to cool the car off in the shop then i would give it a shot LOL

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