paint polishing

[keithski122]

I've finally got my beetle in paint,base and 3 coats of ms 2k clear(max meyer).Now I'm generally really pleased with the finish but I have a few runs and some dust in the paint.Orange peel isn't too bad,though I could do with loosing a little in places.
I've read previous posts regarding polishing but I'm not after a show finish,more of a production finish so I don't want to flat back all over with multigrades of wet and dry,then polish several times.I don't want to loose the nice glossy look I've achieved.
How would a production shop denib and polish?
I've got 1500 wet and dry,a polisher with black,orange and white pads, and farecla g6 and total.The inside I flated back with the 1500 then used the total with a 3 inch polisher, it looks good but possibly has lost a little of the glossiness.Heres a pic of what I have now.

 

[cammy9r]

Hello, in the workshop we always get dust no matter how clean we have the place. It is usually spot repair work but some larger jobs come in and we could really do with a proper booth. Anyway, for dust we use a de-nib file. They cost about £6 from machine mart and come in coarse and fine. These take care of small areas without losing the factory type finish much. However runs are a pain in the **** because they are always your own fault. I have never been able to get them out without flattening the paint. It just seems to be a trade off, especially if you want to get rid of the ghost of the run that normally remains and can only be seen on sharp viewing angles. There is a you tube video that shows run removal by first covering it in top stop or other fine body filler, then blocking down with 400g then 800g then 1500g and buffing. Idea behind it is that the filler stops you from flattening the surrounding paint and reduces the risk of hitting the colour.

 

[langy]

Runs or as I prefer to call them flowchecks can be removed by the above method of applying a little body filler or use a run razor then a block with wet/dry

 

[normspanners]

I've always used soaped 1500 WnD, for runs,
I just cut my sons car back I used turtle wax cutting compound paste coz its cheap £3.00 for biggish tub with a little liquid G3 squirted on, using a G3 hand waffle pad applicator
then a straight foam pad on the polisher but keeping the foam wet and it turned out fine no swirl marks, quick G3 wax polish, good as new.

 

[keithski122]

So I should be able to partially block it with the 1500 then use the farecla total on the mop.I have seen on another forum about using glazing putty for runs,just don't really like the idea of putting it on nice shiny paint.Might see about getting a denib file and a run razor.
Thanks for the help guys.

 

[cammy9r]

I forgot to mention that you will need to make sure the run is cured, as in you cant really push your fingernail into it. If the run is still soft then it is likely to tear and come away from the base coat, especially if the razor is a bit blunt. Trying to use a de-nib file on a softer run will make a mess no doubt about that ( I have made a few mistakes in my time).
I mostly flatten back dry with 1500g on a soft backing pad on the da this way I can quickly see how flat the finish is without wiping and drying off the panel.
I know everyone has different opinions but I have found farecla G3 paste gets rid of the 1500g marks and brings out a good shine then I jump to G10 liquid. If a darker colour then I use swirl remover then a hand glaze. The shine is always deep.

In the pic of the full shot of the tank it is G3 paste after 1500g dry da sand.

The other pic is after G10, Swirl remover and hand glaze.

 

[langy]

So I should be able to partially block it with the 1500 then use the farecla total on the mop.I have seen on another forum about using glazing putty for runs,just don't really like the idea of putting it on nice shiny paint.Might see about getting a denib file and a run razor.
Thanks for the help guys.

If its a bad run cut the top of it so it can harden right through.

 

[ben8vgte]

I'm a big fan of 3m trizact after flatting with 1500g, one or 2 would do a whole car a 2000 or 3000 grit will save a lot of time with the G3. Just use the over a foam interface pad on a DA, like the 1500g.

Just a hobby for me, but a smart repair guy gave me to try and I have a few now

 

[keithski122]

Cheers for the help.
That tank looks great,possibly a bit shinier than I'm after,I'm more after the slightly orange peel look that you would get if you bought a new car.
Using a da is not an option as my compressor won't cope with it and my electric da is too fast and would cause damage.Everything I've sanded has been by hand so far,apart from stripping the paint off.
Paint is about six weeks old but it won't be a while until I get to polish as I'm rewiring it from scratch at the moment.
Hopefully I'll get away with using a run razor,flating by hand with 1500 to get rid of the worst of the peel, then using the farecla total on one of the mops followed if needed by g12.
If this works all I need to buy is the run razor as I have everything else.

 

[langy]

Cheers for the help.
That tank looks great,possibly a bit shinier than I'm after,I'm more after the slightly orange peel look that you would get if you bought a new car.
Using a da is not an option as my compressor won't cope with it and my electric da is too fast and would cause damage.Everything I've sanded has been by hand so far,apart from stripping the paint off.
Paint is about six weeks old but it won't be a while until I get to polish as I'm rewiring it from scratch at the moment.
Hopefully I'll get away with using a run razor,flating by hand with 1500 to get rid of the worst of the peel, then using the farecla total on one of the mops followed if needed by g12.
If this works all I need to buy is the run razor as I have everything else.

You will see sanding marks with 1500, use 2000 after then mop with compound, I use G6, then G3 then G10 and then 3M swirl remover, ends up like glass but your probably not looking for that finish.

 

[langy]

I'm a big fan of 3m trizact after flatting with 1500g, one or 2 would do a whole car a 2000 or 3000 grit will save a lot of time with the G3. Just use the over a foam interface pad on a DA, like the 1500g.

Just a hobby for me, but a smart repair guy gave me to try and I have a few now

They are a godsend when its a big motor, makes it so much quicker

 

[MG David]

If you don't have a DA a 1/4 sheet electric orbital palm sander is an option. Just don't run it for too long at once or it will get too hot.