Tamiya polishing compound

[hellonwheelz3]

I was with my model club yesterday at my lhs and noticed that they now carry tamiya polishing compound, both the blue box and the red. I have only been in the hobby for a year or so, and have spent more time working on techniques for building and have yet to work on a good paint job. Well I finally got one to turn out really good (in my opinion) and need some help with polishing. Have any of you ever used this particular polishing compound or would I be wasting my time? Thanks!

[charlie8575]

I've used the coarse polishing compound. It works well, but you need to be careful, or you'll cut through the paint. I did. On the bright side, it eliminated the orange peel, so I'm not that upset about it, just need to save up enough again to order a little more paint from MCW. It did, however, leave a smooth-enough finish that I can foil, put a finish coat on top and polish out.

I'd start with the fine-grit compound before going to the heavy stuff.

Charlie Larkin

[Zoom Zoom]

If you are polishing Tamiya sprays, it's absolutely the best polish you can use. You do 95%+ of the work w/the red cap/coarse, that's what buffs out the paint. If you pay attention to perfecting the basics of your paint jobs, so that your final coats of color and/or clear are smooth, you can often skip the wetsanding stage, or perhaps just use 3200/4000 grit Micromesh. The blue cap "fine" deepens the reflections, and the white cap "finish" is sort of a detailer; and it's the most expensive and not really necessary. Darker colors need the most attention.

These polishes work well on enamels, but there are other polishes out there (Novus #2, Scratch-X, etc.) that seem to work better on other paints...the Tamiya stuff is best suited to Tamiya paint specifically. Used as a system, it's a rather brilliant way to get a beautiful finish with less effort than usual.

[38 Crush]

Well Ben Looks like that answered the question. I think I might try the white and see what it does. (I'm sure I'll have to order it) I'll let you know how it works with the finish I start with.

38 Crush

[Chuck Kourouklis]

I find it really effective on the Testors One-Coat Lacquer system too. After knocking whatever texture there is out of the clear coat with a light 3600-grit wetsanding, I go straight to all three compounds to finish it (rather like the white one, myself). Current project has a contest-ready shine thanks to this method.

[Zoom Zoom]

I find it really effective on the Testors One-Coat Lacquer system too. After knocking whatever texture there is out of the clear coat with a light 3600-grit wetsanding, I go straight to all three compounds to finish it (rather like the white one, myself). Current project has a contest-ready shine thanks to this method.

Good to know; I'm a bit gunshy about the Testors clear after hearing a few people report that it marks easily from contact or wrapping long after it's supposed to be dry. Same people report that Tamiya doesn't do that, and that mirrors my own experience. I can't risk damage from the soft foam of my model carrying case, or packing materials in case it needs to be shipped.

Just this AM I shot wet final Tamiya TS-13 clearcoat on a model, and I've been buffing it this afternoon (after 4 hours in the dehydrator; roughly equivalent to about 32 hours of drying at ambient temperature). Didn't need Micromesh, that was used on all the previous coats. It's nice and dry and has a mirror shine. I spent a couple hours buffing off/on w/the coarse, and about 5 minutes w/the fine.

[ffreak]

I second what Bob said also. I've used the Tamiya compounds almost exclusively since I first tried it. With using various methods of getting your color or clearcoats relatively smooth such as wetsanding kits from detail master, i've seldom had to use the red cap coarse one. I've also had very good luck using these with the Testors laquer factory finishes as well as the Tamiya.

[935k3]

I have to agree with Zoom Zoom they are the best polish to use on Tamiya's own sprays. The Finish compound does not seem do anything to enhance the Fine and I wouldn't buy it again.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Good to know; I'm a bit gunshy about the Testors clear after hearing a few people report that it marks easily from contact or wrapping long after it's supposed to be dry. Same people report that Tamiya doesn't do that, and that mirrors my own experience. I can't risk damage from the soft foam of my model carrying case, or packing materials in case it needs to be shipped...

Testor's Wet Look is nice in every way, but it's very heat-sensitive. Direct sunlight or temperatures anywhere over the mid 80s result in soft, easily marred paint if it contacts anything even after months of drying in my experience. It's too bad, because I really like the way it lays down and the glossy appearance.

Hmm. Well, can't speak much to either of these concerns, because I went to Wet Look One-Coat mostly after I stopped shipping review models and started shooting them digitally myself, and the climate here in the Bay Area is pretty mild. Interestingly enough, my last marred clear coat did happen with TS13 - but it was under stupid conditions, over a Testors Lacquer color coat, wrapped in a shopping bag and stored where the weather was hotter. Meh, if I'd taken that project more seriously, I'da stored it more carefully.

Under the conditions I'm working in, though, the stuff pays HUGE dividends over the Wet Look. And interestingly enough, the Testors paint reacts in such a way that there's a subtle but appreciable difference with the finish compound. Go figger.