Okay, I've been reading the forums and other sites and have managed to confuse myself even more...Im ready to cut and buff, got the colorsanding down, what Im confused on is what buffing pads and compounds exactly to use...I know everyone has a different preference but if you could just name the ones that I defiantly need..I would prefer to use meguiar's or 3m but would take any other suggestions...

Thanks
Ty

These Meguiars products have worked really well for me. Not saying this is gospel, but it has done the job.......

I start with Meguiars diamond cut on a red cutting/compounding pad. Keep it moving, easy on the curves and edges. Then I move on to Meguiars swirl remover on a white polishing pad. They say with light colors you may not need the swirl remover....I found it did make a difference. The big thing is to make sure each succesive product you choose is less abrasive than the one you used before. Finally, I finish with Meguiars machine glaze on the same white pad, after letting the pad dry and cleaning the pad with a paint stick to get all the old compound off. By now you should be really shining brightly....I have not tried it yet, but they also make a hand polish that supposedly puts the icing on the cake. I think it is #8132.

Don't forget to thorougly wipe off your finish after each step with a soft terry cloth towel. After the machine glaze I go over it with a microfiber towel....they do work really well. I'm sure 3M and others work just as well.....my jobber carries the whole Meg line at good prices so that is what I use. Remember, there are many ways to arrive at the same result.......this is just what worked for me.

Good luck

Great thanks a bunch z28...I hope to get started tomorrow..I'll post pics as soon as Im done....I just painted the car for a friend, pepto bismal pink! uglyiest color I have ever seen, but its what she wanted...I followed the advice you and others gave throughout the paint and body forum and it came out great....so hopefully I don't mess up during the cut/buffing stage...thanks again for the help..

TY

Following me may be a bit risky.......I'm still learning too. But at least were not paying some guy named bruno big bucks for a half-**** paint job.

Hang in there!

You need to use seperate pads for each application of different products... Also if you are using their line in sequence then it is the Diamond cut compound with the maroon W7000 pad, followed by the Dual action cleaner polish on a yellow W8000 pad, then you can go with swirl remover if you want with a tan W9000 pad, and if you are really going for broke you can use the hand polish.... Most everyone does things different.. That is the correct process/products as they recommend at their stores etc...

Make sure you wash the vehicle between each step... If you grind compound dust into the paint with your polish it will never come out right

Matthew

My jobber didn't have the yellow pads.........

You're right though, it certainly would be best to use a different pad for each compound. I got away with re-using the tan one after cleaning, but I was only working on one panel. Buffing an entire car, that pad would probably be so loaded with compound that you couldn't get it clean enough to use for the machine glaze, or whatever you choose for your final step. Meguiars makes a ton of different products, it is easy to get confused as to what order they should be used.

BK, I have taken note of the process as you outlined it. I'll try it that way and see if it shines even brighter!!

Okay, Bk or Z28 one more question...I had to order a buffer and it won't be here for another 7 days....Is it okay to go ahead and wet sand the car and get all the orange peel out then buff it when the buffer comes in? I painted the car about 5 days ago and I don't want it to be to difficult to buff out since this is my first buffing job...

Thanks again guys

Go ahead and cut it and let the car set in the sun if you can... This will let the solvents escape at a much faster rate since you are cutting the top layer off.. Then when your buffer comes in buff away.... I always try and at least cut the top off of my work and let it set overnight at a bare minimum if I can, before I buff... Just did that yesterday to a car... I hit it with 1000 on a DA and let it set yesterday and last night.. This morning I will finish sanding it all the way down and buff this afternoon...

Plus it is nice to have a break from all the sanding and buffing if you can

Matthew

That sitting in the sun seems like a little, insignificant idea - but it really worked well for me. My hood had pretty bad orange peel and it actually leveled out some in the sun, to where sanding was manageable. Only problem is now ... don't know when we'll see the sun again, let alone temps warm enough to paint. Darn winters........

BK, I've been tempted to try 1000 or 1200 on the DA for colorsanding, at least for the first pass, but was afraid I would blow through the clear. Is that safe with a good 3 or 4 coats of clear, or am I asking for trouble? Do you run full air pressure or do you cut it back?

With three or 4 good coats of clear you should not blow through... The only problems I can find with color sanding with a DA vs by hand are the pig tails that it can leave behind... I just recently started using the DA for this purpose and have one dedicated to it only.... The pigtails I am talking about are like little squirly q's on the paint after you buff it... they wont come out... The reason for this is the paper loading and making a spec on the disc and then it marrs the surface as it cuts around, or it could be dirt or anything on the surface... your panel must be clean and kept clean whether you do this wet or dry and you must keep the disc spinning I am told... I have Mirka DA paper from 600-4000... and am begining to wonder myself ( after tonight doing a job) if it is any faster than going by hand... I had my wife post a thread regarding this while I worked in the garage, and it was late as it is now and so far one guy said 3m hookit dry was the only way to go.... said he had used others but the 3m hookit DRY was keeping "pigtails" down to 1 or 6 per whole car.... vs many more with 3m wet/dry DA paper....

Here is the link I gotta go to bed
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/da-scra ... 72606.html

Matthew