What to use for compound and polish after wet sanding?

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Mineallmine

Mineallmine

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I have just finished my first paint job on my 63 dart and while it came out really good overall I had some dust settle into the clear. I made the decision to wet sand the defects out. That went really good. I got it to 5000 grit (I know, overkill, but it came with the paper selection I ordered so I thought, why not?).

My question is, what do I use to buff it back out. I have done a bunch of reading and keep finding different answers. I have a buffer with the wool bonnets. It is a decent quality Makita with variable speed. It is not a DA. Some places I read to use the buffer i have while others say I need to use a DA. I have purchased Meguires Ultimate compound to compound it and Ultimate polish to follow up with.

If I need a DA I saw a kit with the compounds with it in various stages from chemical guys. Is this any good. It seems to get decent reviews.

Thanks in advance for any opinions.
 
I’ve only used a rotary polisher with medium or heavy cut polish after a 2000 grit cut (meguiars or 3M) . With a rotary polisher and wool pad you will have to be careful.
 
Mineallmine said:
I have just finished my first paint job on my 63 dart and while it came out really good overall I had some dust settle into the clear. I made the decision to wet sand the defects out. That went really good. I got it to 5000 grit (I know, overkill, but it came with the paper selection I ordered so I thought, why not?).

My question is, what do I use to buff it back out. I have done a bunch of reading and keep finding different answers. I have a buffer with the wool bonnets. It is a decent quality Makita with variable speed. It is not a DA. Some places I read to use the buffer i have while others say I need to use a DA. I have purchased Meguires Ultimate compound to compound it and Ultimate polish to follow up with.

If I need a DA I saw a kit with the compounds with it in various stages from chemical guys. Is this any good. It seems to get decent reviews.

Thanks in advance for any opinions.
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The colors of the buffing pad are how the compounding and polishing progress. I go from wool pad to yellow with the compound.

White to black with the polish using a dual action machine. This gets rid of the compounding swirl marks.
 
Bodyperson said:
The colors of the buffing pad are how the compounding and polishing progress. I go from wool pad to yellow with the compound.

White to black with the polish using a dual action machine. This gets rid of the compounding swirl marks.
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The kit I am looking at has an orange pad, not yellow. Is there much difference or should I get the yellow? It has the white and black included
 
Mineallmine said:
The kit I am looking at has an orange pad, not yellow. Is there much difference or should I get the yellow? It has the white and black included
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Is that the chemical guys? I think they have a good system. I've never used it. The colors aren't the same across the board I think. You could add more steps that are not needed. They are trying to sell stuff, right? 5000 grit is damned near polished already lol. Lots of ways to skin a cat. What I suggested works for me. At 5000 grit you could probably skip the wool pad.
 
Bodyperson said:
Is that the chemical guys? I think they have a good system. I've never used it. The colors aren't the same across the board I think. You could add more steps that are not needed. They are trying to sell stuff, right? 5000 grit is damned near polished already lol. Lots of ways to skin a cat. What I suggested works for me. At 5000 grit you could probably skip the wool pad.
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Thanks for the tips. Yes it's the chemical guys. They do sell a yellow pad as well. I think their system matches the standard color system. I plan to swing by their shop tomorrow as they have one local.

Here's pictures of the trunk. I did this first because if I messed up I could isolate the panel and reclear it.

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If you've never done this before, take your time. Especially on your edges. When compounding don't let the pad dry up or you can burn thru your clear. Start out wet and lighten pressure as it dries up. Hope this make sense. Good luck. Maybe practice on the wifes car or something. lol
 
In my opinion, from my experience, put nearly all your effort on the flatter areas just getting real close to any edges, corners, or ridges... all those areas will probably get enough accidentally, or at least save them until last and go easy on them. You can burn through those easily.
 
tinman2 said:
In my opinion, from my experience, put nearly all your effort on the flatter areas just getting real close to any edges, corners, or ridges... all those areas will probably get enough accidentally, or at least save them until last and go easy on them. You can burn through those easily.
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Yep like tinman2 said. Only thing I would add is to be sure to mask off the edges ( I see you have plastic)...I'm thinking that may get wrapped up in the buffer. Anyways, with the adjacent edges masked to protect from burn through, be sure the wheel is at an angle and coming off the panel you are buffing and not allowed to burn into the edge of it, if that makes any sense.
 
I've switched to Rupes products and have been nothing short of amazed how much quicker and easier they are to use, and they produce superior results.

I don't color sand too often, but sometimes I have to. Their course polish & pad finishes out better than anything else I've tried. It's so good I could stop there, but they have 2 fines polishes and pads that take the finish to the best level I've ever seen on black. There was this one car at Canepa's in Scotts Valley that was the best black finish I ever saw. No idea who pulled that off, but it is a rarity.

RUPES Polishers, Pads & Compounds - Autogeek.net

Shine up vehicles with the power and precision of RUPES BigFoot polishers, the D-A polishing system and other supplies that professional detailers trust.
www.autogeek.net www.autogeek.net

Cuda 2 (Medium).jpg
 
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I have a Makita buffer and I used to detail at a dealership with it years ago. I wasn't a concourse detailer like a lot of the guys on the autogeek forum but I can still make a car look damn close to looking like it just rolled off the assembly line.

Materials I use are the makita buffer, 3m compounds stage 1, 2 and 3 and plenty of micro fiber towels. I also use a wool pad, a standard foam pad and then a soft black foam pad. I'd sand up to 2000 grit and use the wool pad with stage 1 compound to get the sand scratches out. Once that's done, use the foam pad with stage 2 to polish the wool pad scratches out. Then finally the black foam pad and stage 3 to get out any swirls for the final polish. This step isn't quite necessary for lighter colored cars but it doesn't hurt. On the buffer I believe I set the speed to 3 for the wool and foam pad and then I set it to 1 1/2 for the black pad.

Have to be extra careful with the wool pad on body lines and edges. If you sanded in a spot that is difficult for the buffer to reach, don't force it in there. Just skip over it and then come back to it and try to either get it out by hand or with a DA(edit - meant a random orbital, not a DA). Make sure stage 1 is done on the entire car before moving on to stage 2. Foam pad isn't so bad on body lines but watch out on edges. Our cars don't have a ton of edges luckily but I can tell you from experience that you can rip the paint right off of a bumper on a newer car if you catch the edge with the foam pad.

If you aren't on an edge or a body line, it's actually quite difficult to "burn" through clear.
 
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I used a CSI kit with good results.
This was hit with 1000 quickly, then 1500 and 2000.
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Thanks for all the tips. I broke down and went out and bought a new torq da polisher. Wasn't cheap but got the full kit. Besides, the wife made me buy the better one so I don't get all the blame

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So, went out today and went at the trunk with the compound. Took some time but the shine came back pretty nice. Still seeing some fine scratches though. A couple look a little deeper. Can't feel them. Wondering if they are actually in the clear coat or are showing up from sanding marks before base was applied.

I used the VSS polish that came with the kit and then tried the Maguires ultimate compound. Wondering if I need to go more aggressive. Haven't applied the polish yet. Waiting to see if I can get more of the scratches out.

Still think I'm doing ok for my first time ever trying any of this :)

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Just wet sanded one of the worst spots for what looked like deeper scratches with the 3000 grit. Then got it with the compound again. Don't see scratches any more. Looks like I'll be going over the trunk lid again tomorrow and then compound it again. Should be able to make it glisten. Can't wait
 
RustyRatRod said:
@67Dart440GT Hay goat boy, what say you?
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Haha. I always finish my stuff with an orbital sand. Much easier to buff and polish.

1500 dry on my Da then 3000 3m Trizact wet, the 5000 wet trizact. Then I buff with 3m perfect it #1, glaze with #2 and finally with 3m #3 blue. The more you finish with the 5000 the LESS you will have to buff. The 5000 is so fine you are basically buffing it with a Da.

I do my edges with a small air buffer, and the heavy areas with my Dewalt buffer then I finish the job with a random orbital polisher. Remember there is a difference between a buffer and a polisher.

Cleaning the surface after buffing with 3m inspection spray after compound helps! I use it on everything.

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Your over thinking this.
Any of the major manufacturers products will do what you want.
I use Liquid ice and 3 pads
 
Went back at it today. I know I'm probably overthinking it, but I am new to this. Any way, hit the scratches I saw with 3000 wet until I couldn't see them. Then compound again. Took a while today going over it a few times to take out all the small scratches. Got a couple small spots I missed on the upper passenger corner, but overall super happy with it.

Can't wait to start with the polish. Onto the hood and roof next. If they come out as good as the trunk this paint job should look really good

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Mineallmine said:
Went back at it today. I know I'm probably overthinking it, but I am new to this. Any way, hit the scratches I saw with 3000 wet until I couldn't see them. Then compound again. Took a while today going over it a few times to take out all the small scratches. Got a couple small spots I missed on the upper passenger corner, but overall super happy with it.

Can't wait to start with the polish. Onto the hood and roof next. If they come out as good as the trunk this paint job should look really good

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I really like how it looks green in one light and grey in the next. lol
 
If that is your first time you did an awesome job! It is beautiful, Joe
 
Yes, nice job. The pics look great. ir3333 is correct. Any name product will work. I use Liquid Ice or Presta products all with the same 3 pads. A medium coarse wool pad for cutting, a medium sponge for polish and a dense fine sponge pad for finishing all with a rotary polisher, then a swirl remover with a random orbital. And as far a edges go, run your polisher so the rotation runs off the edge with a slight pressure. Lifting the edge of the lid or hood or door helps so you don't catch the edge of the adjacent panel.
 
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