Tip: Cutting and Buffing Paint

[erikpmort]

Yeah on solids. If you are going for heavy texture reduction It would have to be done very evenly.

[Sam Buchanan]

Originally Posted by erikpmort

I can't believe there are people reccomending cut and buff for single stage on this thread ! Even on solids it can distort color easily. At my shop (Maaco) we paint gallons of single stage everyday and only ever attempt to cut very small runs in single stage solids if they are in inconspicuous places. Lighter colors like white are most forgiving. I see people screwing up their paint jobs trying to buff all the time. All the time. Be careful and get help. Oh and start somewhere inconspicuous, like your friends car . Base clear is heavier but fades less and does have much better metallic clarity and depth

Also most people don't know you have to get the temperature just right on a buffer. Temperature huh ? Yes you can't go too slow or too fast. Either something very bad will happen or nothing will happen and you wont get the shine back.

Originally Posted by Sam Buchanan

I am no painter. But I have painted one RV-6, two VW's, a kit car, an S-10 and a bicycle with PPG Concept single stage paint (no metallics...I know my limits). All the projects except the bike were color sanded and buffed either a moderate amount or very extensively. I've had great success finishing these projects by color sanding and find this to be essential for paint projects that are mostly painted outdoors.

Another VW I restored was painted by professionals in a down-draft booth with PPG single stage paint. Yep, the pros color sanded and buffed the living daylights out of that finish until it looked like a mirror. Even the pros have to deal with the difficulties of painting modern low-VOC paints (orange peel).

Color sanding and buffing single stage paint is a lot of work and requires the proper equipment and technique. But it is well worth the effort and can result in superb results especially for those of us who don't have high-end booths.....and skills.

Originally Posted by erikpmort

Yeah on solids. If you are going for heavy texture reduction It would have to be done very evenly.

This non-painter didn't have any issues with uneven results. Dan Horton's suggestions are spot-on.....sand only enough to remove the orange peel, then buff. Great results on single-stage, non-metallic paint, even with light and dark colors. Cutting/buffing is the way us hacks can get amazingly good paint finishes. I consider buffing skills to be as important as knowing how to handle a gun.

[humptybump]

Originally Posted by Sam Buchanan

Cutting/buffing is the way us hacks can get amazingly good paint finishes. I consider buffing skills to be as important as knowing how to handle a gun.

Sam, I don't know about the "hack" part but I am learning that I can get amazing results with some careful color (or clear coat sanding) and good buffing "skills".

To anyone considering it - get a good buffer, pads, and compound (it won't break the bank). Take your time. The results will surprise you.

DanH - I can't thank you enough for this thread. It gave me the confidence to "give it a try" and I am so thankful I did. It's a whole new shiny world now

[Greg Arehart]

OK, this has me thinking about working on my rudder, which has some overspray etc. from a repair a few years ago. Having never done any of this sort of thing, anybody have a suggestion for a buffer that I can get for my wife for Christmas?

Greg

[humptybump]

Originally Posted by Greg Arehart

anybody have a suggestion for a buffer that I can get for my wife for Christmas?

If you are only doing one job, you might ask your buddies if there is one to be borrowed. That said, I find I am doing more and more finish projects so I splurged for a dewalt variable speed with soft start (avoids some of the compound flinging)

[The Wizzard]

What is color sanding?

[Mike S]

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/b...g/viewall.html

[DanH]

Originally Posted by The Wizzard

What is color sanding?

See the first few posts of this thread. That's what the 3M Hookit disks are for.

Originally Posted by Mike S

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/b...g/viewall.html

Interesting.....I sometimes spray a guide coat to block sand bodywork for flatness, but I've never seen anyone spray a guide coat to sand paint. Might help if you don't have good lighting, but it also might be hard to get out of the cracks around rivets and sheet metal seams. Whatever works.

Obviously you can use a machine sander, but in fairness it gets tricky on highly curved surfaces like emp tips and the tail fairing. There you hand sand for sure.

Do note the choice of 2000 grit for the last sanding prior to buffing the dark color on the hot rod parts. Dark colors show sanding scratches and swirl marks far more than light colors, so finer grits are better.

[DanH]

Bump. Photos updated as promised, new hosting.

[RBR]

Thanks Dan, your timing is fortuitous...