Hey! So I sanded down my surface, primer, then paint and clear let it sit for 2 days then did a wetsand from 1000-2000 grit then buffed with simoniz 4 stage buffing and polishing compounds and let it sit one week but the surface leaves marks of anything it contacts from fingerprints to cloth covering or anything that sits on the surface leaves a mark. What did I mess up?? Could it be the clear hasn't cured before I buffed or could it be the products I used?? Any help is appreciated as this is very frustrating! Thanks

Even though it sounds suspiciously like the clear wasn't activated properly (improper ratios/wrong hardener/wrong reducer) there are too many variables to be able to answer your questions without a lot more information on exactly what products you used, how they were mixed and how they were applied, temperatures and so on.

First I sanded everything down nice and smooth I then used primer and krylon color master spray paint then I used Armor Coat Lacquer Spray Paint let it sit 2 days it was warm around that time unsure of temp wetsanded with 1000 then 1500 then 2000 grit buffed on side with simoniz 3 step as seen here http://www.simoniz.ca/en/specialty_poli ... pounds.php did one section flipped it to get another spot and it left indents of the microfibre cloth it touched so I let it sit a few more days it was about a week probably around room temperature again I apologize not sure exact temp but let it sit wetsanded out the mark buffed again making no contact with anything then hung it let it sit another week and still leaves marks from anything it touches

There are locals who will know those brands better than I do but the only Krylon I've ever seen here is an enamel and I suspect, from the name, that the clear you used is an acrylic lacquer. If I'm right then you've mixed paint technologies and the whole lot will have to come off before you start again with compatible products.

So in other words in the future, be more aware of what paints I use and keep acrylic on acrylic and enamel on enamel etc mixing is no good now in respect to that does it go the same for polishing compounds or are they good for all kinds of paint?

Yes, it's important to use paints that are compatible with each other. This doesn't mean you have to stick with acrylic all the way through, for example, you can use a urethane clear over an acrylic base but some things, like mixing enamels and acrylics, are a "no no"..

Compounds and polishes are universal. Some brands work better with some paints. I like to use 3M compound with ceramic clears but for most urethanes I'll use a more "run of the mill" compound like Autosmart Sophisticut or Farecla G3. They'll all work, just some are a bit quicker than others and, for me, time is money so I tend to look for a quicker way, but being mindful of cost too. I can buy 1 litre of 3M compound or 5 litres of Autosmart for about the same money.

Alright well thank you for the help back to the beginning I go!!

Rockarolla, how has the paint been treating you? Has it hardened up any and stopped being as finicky?
Not to start something, but just don't want to see misinformation put out here. All compounds are not created equal and there isn't a universal compound, other than possibly the name itself. Compounds have gone from literal rocks-in-a-bottle, to pastes that feel like a lotion and or polish due to SMAT(super micro abrasive technology). Companies like Meguiar's are proof of this, as they have a compound for every day of the week, if not month. Meguiar's has a compound for specifically wool pads on a rotary, one specifically for foam pads, one specifically for use with there DA microfiber pads, etc. While the technology may be overlapping with several of their compounds, you will get different results with several of them. Only recently in the past few years have compounds been available that finish like a polish, yet can still remove 1200 grit sanding marks. The fact that some compounds cost $30-$50 dollars for a 32oz bottle, and some cost about the same for a gallon or more, should indicate that something is significantly different between them. It's like saying that all sanding media is the same. Sorry , but, I am a detailing nerd of sorts and just want to make sure best information available is being shared.

Rockarolla92 wrote:First I sanded everything down nice and smooth I then used primer and krylon color master spray paint then I used Armor Coat Lacquer Spray Paint let it sit 2 days

Spray bomb?