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Cut & Buff believer

9

9erDriver

Well Known Member
I was singin' the orange-peel blues after spraying the bottom of my RV8A fuselage with Deltron DCC Concept topcoat (over DP epoxy primer). So with nothing to lose I tried Dan Horton's Cut & Buff methodology using the 3M products he recommended: trizak 1500 wet color sand with DA sander followed by 2 stage buffing with electric buffer using the 3M #1 and #2 rubbing and machine polish compounds.

I am astonished - this stuff really works. My amateur paint job turned into something very acceptable. I highly recommend this for DIY painters wanting to achieve a near-professional finish.

Thanks, Dan, for posting this advice.

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I've used DanH's technique several times, and not always on an airplane ...

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.. it really works. I love that he shared the process so thoroughly and with such clear and easy to follow steps.

FYI: here is the DanH thread.
 
Thanks. The technique DanH describes in his thread works in lots of cases. I couldn't quickly find any of my metal work.

I did find my video of a propeller I refinished using DanH's tutorials ...

http://vimeo.com/m/50006571

... and description of the process ...

http://thesalmonfarm.org/blog/p/3395

One of the tips (or tricks) that make a difference is the "sanding blocks". I had some old 2" high density closed cell minicell foam (we use to use rasps and dragon skin to contour it for kayak seats). Anyway, the foam will give a little but only with significant pressure.

I glued my wet sandpaper to these foam blocks - 400, 800, 1200, 1500 grit. Using a misting water bottle, these blocks work great and I see high spots / low spots just as DanH depict in his thread.

I keep an eye out for that foam but I've not stumbled across it since my whitewater boating days. (Probably because I don't know the correct name of the material.)
 
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I have been experimenting with some similar things myself, but have not really made it to the finish line regarding the end result. I am probably using the wrong techniques/products/procedures. Where can I find Dan's recipe ?

Thanks
 
Compared to other brands, I have had some trouble getting the dried 3m products out of the rivet heads after buffing is complete. Did you guys have any problem here?

Brad
 
Jerry Fischer said:
Very nice looking Cherry wood Glen :)-))
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Jerry - cherry, maple, at a bit of bamboo for good measure :)

But, to keep this relevant to the topic, I followed DanH for two key steps. First, the temps changed on me at the end of the day and I found a drip in the Zar Urethane. Using the curved razerblade did a nice job of knocking most of it down.
 
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Ditto

Did the Dan treatment to my orange peel. Looks good. Saves a bad paint job.
 
Chalkiness after buffing

Am having some success with The cut and buff procedure removing orange peel and other minor imperfections. My only real problem is that after I cut and buff with the 3m rubbing compound the surface is impregnated with a white, chalky appearing patina like glaze. It seems to go away with more buffing but I would like to know what causes this so I could avoid the extra work. Thanks in advance and thanks Dan for this thread.
 
Dan can answer for the official thread, but if i understand your question correctly, the chalky appearance in the first , most coarse, stage is the mixture of the paint, ( I am assuming clear coat) and some of the volatiles in the compound. As you continue, it dries from heat and friction and the the pad picks up the haze ready for the next step. There is some of this effect on each step, just less as the compounds become finer and the surface more polished.

Or, I am just all wrong.
 
Steve, if you really want to see it shine, buff it with the third part of 3m system, ultra fine polishing compound, the blue stuff, and it also removes any residue from the first two compounds. Real nice!

Bird
 
Are you guys using clear coats on your planes when doing this? I am not using any clear on mine but have a wing I need to clean up.
 
Fearless said:
Are you guys using clear coats on your planes when doing this? I am not using any clear on mine but have a wing I need to clean up.
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I've used DanH's techniques with a clear coat and without. The concern in both cases is that there is enough paint since you are removing a small amount. I probably have err'd on the heavy side initially but I am getting better.

One trick I've used during my "learning curve" is to shoot a piece of scrap and "over worked it" to get a feel for how much abuse I can inflict before cutting through the paint and exposing the primer.
 
broken1234 said:
Compared to other brands, I have had some trouble getting the dried 3m products out of the rivet heads after buffing is complete. Did you guys have any problem here?

Brad
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I just finished sanding and buffing with Trizact and PerfectIt to remove the ridges from my colour trim mask lines. Awesome results! I had no orange peel so I started with 3000 Trizact, then a quick blessing with 5000 before buffing. I was able to remove most compound from the rivet heads by wiping with a cotton cloth immediately after finishing each small section before the compound dried. After buffing all areas with rubbing compound, I cleaned and dried the pad, and repeated the buffing with very fine polish. The clean pad and fine polish removed any remaining compound from the rivet heads. Thanks Dan for the timeless sticky post about 3M products!
Jay
 
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