[Car_Restoration] 205 Gr Project Car

[And 15 1 Cars]

That's were working though the cutting compounds on a buffer comes it to return the gloss but you also require the correct mop too.

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

Hi chaps. So when I tried to shine the last coat as a tester I kind of gave up because it just seemed I was removing more and more paint. Using Autogym polish the cloth as I applied the Polish rapidly turned pink.

I just couldn't figuresist this out. I know that all polish is abrasive but had expected the paint to harden and stop being removed so easily.

 

I used 1000 and 1200 grit to get the paint smooth and realise it's essentially finely scratched but presumed polish would start to shine it. All that happened was more paint got removed. Do you need to wait post flatting to allow the paint to hardenew more maybe?

[steve@cornwall 100]

You really need a cutting paste between the paper and polish. Mine is still dull after 2500 grade.

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

Ok so flat with the wetc and dry. Then cutting paste - on a cloth if not using a buffer?!? Then polish?

[steve@cornwall 100]

Fold cloth into a soft, flat pad (I prefer a lightly damp cloth) and apply paste to cloth or paint. Use a circular motion and don't let the paint build up too solid on the cloth before refolding to give a clean pad. Wetting the surface may allow more cutting before it goes dry on you. I've got better results lately washing the panel with clean water and drying before the final polish. Good luck and hope you have beefy arms !

[welshpug 1,661]

nooo, not circles! surefire way to add swirls.

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

so if not circular then just straight up and down?

 

Steve how much paste do you use? like a pea sized amount?

[steve@cornwall 100]

I have the pad about the radius of the bottom of a tea mug and add enough paste to spread across this. I find swirls easier to deal with than lines if I go up and down, although often have to change to a fan like movement to avoid killing the arm muscles!

 

This is what works for me and I'm actually using two grades of cutting media , similar to going down in increments of wet and dry. Most likely I'll never achieve a show finish, but that's not what I am after, just a tidy, shiny car.

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

The paint place sells cutting compound, I was given a tube of G3 so maybe I will give that a go.

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

Cutting compound applied to bonnet and wing- it's gone shiny! !!

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

Here's the bonnet 1/2 done ... I tried polish 1st and it did nothing I cannot believe the difference.

[steve@cornwall 100]

Looks tons better. How satisfying is that???

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

Very! I did that half and was like- f*** me!

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

I'm starting to get the idea how to do this now.... metallic paint next...

[GLPoomobile 958]

nooo, not circles! surefire way to add swirls.

Swirls are not a product of circular polishing. They are circular because of the way the defect scatters the light, yet the actual defect can be completely random.

 

If you have swirls then the paint hasn't been cut and polished back enough, regardless of whether it was done in circles or straight patterns.

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

I haven't really flattened the paint enough. But to be honest so far it's making a tired old dog look pretty good. The unfortunate thing is that I've used syntolack which is effectively a 1 pack so I can't lacquer it. Tried it and it bubbles up nicely . Still I'm learning a new skill. Cheers guys - espequally Steve and And.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

When flatting before polishing a mate of mine swears by circular flatting, in his words because that is the motion the powered mop moves in when you are buffing the flat paint up to a high gloss, hence the mop will more easily remove circular flatting marks than straight.

[steve@cornwall 100]

I must admit that in an ideal world I prefer to switch between circular, horizontal and vertical action with each grade of paper used, shows much more clearly how progress is going. If you use 1200 grade in circular motion then 1500 horizontally, you know you're not finished while you can still see circular marks. In reality how tired your arms get sanding repetitively dictates which motion gets used!

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

I've gone for the get it as flat as possible and compound it method so it looks shiny. I can see all the crap bits and will address them in slow time. Even if I leave it as it is the car still looks 1000% better

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

This afternoon Ive hit a bit of a snag. The car got rained on and now there is a 'bloom' on various areas where its been cut back.

 

Not really sure what to do about this! Its only on the panels that had cutting paste applied. I thought I'd just got got id of all the cutting paste but no matter how much I rub it fades and then returns.

 

Ive done a bit of research and some sites say it needs to be machine polished/cut to sort it.

 

My mate has lent me a polisher but Ive got no idea how to use it really.

 

Anybody else had this issue?

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

Here's a couple of pictures

[steve@cornwall 100]

Do you mean it returns after more cutting back? I've had paint bloom like that when painted in damp conditions but has always cut back successfully

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

No I cut it back yesterday, it rained today and when it dried the white bloom was there.

[steve@cornwall 100]

I wonder if it's a film of paste? I'd have a go at cutting it back a little more

[Telf 224 2 Cars]

hi steve, I'm thinking it is- I noticed on the drivers door where we haven't worked yet there is a similar effect. Like when you miss a bit of polish.

 

I'm going to have a go with a polisher my mates lent me and see if that gets rid of it as elbow grease isn't working!

 

Not to sure what speed setting to use but I know it needs to stay wet so as not to burn the paint.

 

Such fun I'm having!