why is finish showing a haze after buffing?

Discuss anything after that final masking comes off.



Settled In
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:20 am

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 1:19 pm
I did my first paint job and it came out pretty good (IMO). Then I did a light wet sanding with 1200 grit and 2000 grit. I probably should have left that alone, but I went and did a compounding next using Meguires 105. Then I used Meguires 205 machine polish.

After polishing and wiping with a microfiber towel, the finish looks very good.

But then after a little while a white haze appears. It's not covering all the panel but it shows on about 25% of the surface.

Where is this haze coming from? How do I get rid of it.

If it was left over polish or compound - wouldn't that show immediately after wiping with the towel?

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 4:52 pm
The haze can be from a couple of different things. One not letting the clear flash long enough between coats and some of the vapors were trapped and trying to escape.

The other and much more common is that there are still fine scratches in the clear. 1200 to 2000 is a pretty big jump in grit. Are you using DA or hand sanding?

Also I don't use M-105 anymore because it has fillers in it. The surface looks great until you clean it and then the clarity is gone.

Try using M-100 as it is a much better product and has no fillers.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



Settled In
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:20 am

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 7:03 am
Thanks again for providing advice. Painting is a lot harder than it looks.

I hand sanded. Then went to the electric Polisher.

I can get some Meguires M100. Should I get a wool buffing pad or use a foam cutting pad?
I'm using a Porter Cable 7424XP "dual action orbit" polisher with a 5" pad at speed setting "3" (the range is speed 1= 2500 to speed 6= 6800 opm). I think Orbits per Minute and RPM is the same thing so I'm running it around 4000rpm. The specs don't give an RPM.

Image
Hazy look to new paint by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152383962@N02/]

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:23 am
I highly recommend a rotary buffer over an orbital polisher. That in itself will help greatly even with the M-105.

Twisted wool pad on the first go around to remove any remaining scratches. Then you can go to a foam polishing pad and the M-205.

The rotary should be run at low RPMs (under a 1000) just to keep the compound from flying everywhere until it is spread out. Then crank it up to 2000 rpms and work the surface. A slow and steady speed of travel is better than moving around quickly.

Make sure the buff is rotating "off" edges and body lines and not "into" them.

On page 11 of this thread, I show the cut and buff process using M-105 and M-205.
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=22145&start=100
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 3957
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:59 am
Location: Louisville, KY
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:19 am
I agree with the above.
A polisher will work you to death trying to buff with it.
Polishers are not aggressive enough for initial buffing.
They polish, which is what you do after buffing, for light stuff like swirl remover.
And with a good buffer and right pads you don't need a polisher.
Your haze is scratches.
JC.

(It's not custom painting-it's custom sanding)



Settled In
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:14 am
Location: Wellborn, FL
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:31 am
One size does not fit all!
I used rotary buffers for over 25 years. I had an especially hard time buffing out a car that I had cleared with Tamco clear and the rotary just wasn't getting the job done no matter what combination I used. After going thru the forum over at Autogeek , https://www.autogeek.net/flex-car-polishers.html, I took a chance and bought a new Flex 3401 forced rotation polisher. After experimenting with it using a few different combinations, the clear turned out to be one of the best if not the best I have ever buffed and polished out. That was several years ago. I have not picked the rotary up since.
cloud link to picture
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlqXTowCsi4Ur3l5chfiain3_stl

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 3957
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:59 am
Location: Louisville, KY
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:55 am
That "Flex" polisher is a great tool and an exception to other RO units,
it has higher RPM's and a large stroke.
It is an exception, and for that price it should be.
The key word there is "rotary polisher" not random orbital only
which is way less aggressive which is what I was trying to convey.
If anyone goes out and buys a regular RO polisher like the person did
in this thread they are going to be very disappointed for buffing.
JC.

(It's not custom painting-it's custom sanding)

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 1:04 pm
:goodpost: :goodpost:
Flex is not your ordinary buffer/polisher.
Most guys that are buying orbitals are doing so to avoid spending the money on a rotary buffer.
While I agree some rotary buffers, especially the older, cheaper ones, are less than ideal, they still whip a orbital when it comes to removing scratches.

A Flex polisher has been on my Christmas list for a few years now but man they are pricey!
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



Settled In
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2019 12:22 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:30 am
I managed a detail business for 14 years and have been detailing vehicles for nearly 40 years myself. Needless to say, I've buffed many thousands of vehicles during that time.

The DA's and Orbital polishers are fine for minor correction/polishing and/or less experienced folks. Neither however can beat a rotary buffer for heavy correction. Different tools for different jobs. I have Meguairs MT300 for minor detailing and use many of their products. The Flex is a fine machine but it cannot touch my Milwaukee variable rotary buffer for paint correction or even jeweling.

The only advantage of a DA polisher is they are safer to operate for less experienced detailers and less likely to cause issues such as holograms. A DA can however cause minor hazing as many professionals attest to and that is why they stick with their rotary polishers even with final step. So this is something the OP may consider.

It's hard to know what the OP's issue is without inspecting or seeing it though. If he painted the vehicle correctly and then lightly wet sanded it afterward, a good buffing and polishing should have revealed a nice finish. My hunch is he didn't remove all of the polish/wax. The OP could try washing the vehicle again to see if that removes the haze. If that doesn't work he could try re-waxing it being sure to use several clean microfiber towels for removal. It that doesn't work he could try wiping the surface down with some water and isopropyl alcohol and then re-polishing and re-waxing.

Worst case scenario the OP didn't apply enough clear coat and ended up cutting through it when he wet sanded the surface. The base coat would absorb the polish/wax and cause hazing.

Good luck,
Ralph

Return to Cut, Buff, Polish & Detail

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 47 guests