buffing finished cars

[sno_man80]

I hear alot about buffing paint jobs, how does one go about buffing the finished product? What do you use and what precautions do you have to take for any decals?? Basically what are the steps??

[Daniel Peterson]

I'll take a stab at this, but I am by no means an authority.

My basic process involves getting the model painted and then laying down several good coats of clear. The clear is really important I usually use metallic DupliColor lacquers, and they don't really "hit their stride" shine wise unless that clear top coat is on there. Plus, polishing metallic colors can lead to a blotchy appearance because in doing the polishing, you are removing paint, and no matter how careful you are it will be at an inconsistent level, at least microscopically. The clear gives you a top barrier that protects the underlying metallic finish, while taking a really bitchin' shine if polished properly.

Then, I use a series of polishing cloths to get the "orange peel" toned down. Polishing kits are available from a couple places. They are not cheap, but they are priceless if you dig a really slick finish! You start with the coarsest grit, and progress through them to the finest grit cloth, which to the touch actually feels like leather, but trust me, it's taking paint off. Sometimes you don't need to use the coarser grits if your paint job laid down really smoothly to start with, but knowing what finer grit to start with will only come with experience. Lots of times, the really gifted guys can polish to where there's no waxing necessary. I am not that good, so I always go to the next step.

Once I am sure I polished the paint as good as I am going to get it, I use a good car polish/wax and rub the daylights out of it. I don't let it haze and buff like a full size car. I rub it until the wax is gone, then literally buff it with a clean, soft rag.

I seldom use many decals, but when I do, I wait until after everything that's getting polished and waxed is done. Some guys clear over their decals, but you have to be really careful what paint and decals you are using because not everything works with everything else.

There's a knack to using the polishing cloths, but the results are really outstanding.

Here's a cleared, unpolished hood...

This is the polished roof panel from the same car...

[Zoom Zoom]

I hear alot about buffing paint jobs, how does one go about buffing the finished product? What do you use and what precautions do you have to take for any decals?? Basically what are the steps??

You have to have a mild compound suitable for model paint, you have to have a very soft cloth, and be careful going over decals. It's better to buff before putting on decals.

I suggest reading up on techniques at Scale Wiki, which can answer many of your basic questions. There are FAQ's, tutorials, and other things covered there that are of great help.

http://www.scalewiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

[Guest zebm1]

It is quite deliciously fascinating to hear these artists discussing their art, tha descriptive intricacies of manipulating their mediums brings visions of drifting as clouds of Candy Apple Red Metalflake while floating in a Candy Sapphire Blue sky. :mrgreen: yummmmmy

and I am learning stuff, very kool stuff 8)

Zeb

[BMC Tackle]

Man I love the shine on that bad boy. I use Tamiya Spray laquers exclusively. What clear do you guys suggest using?

[Andy Wyatt]

MicroMark has polishing pads...two inch square pads with grit on both sides...for about $7 a set. I love 'em. They come in grits starting at 2400 and go up to 12000. Use them wet, with a bit of dish soap and they will last a good long time. On large flat areas like hoods and roofs I will rub lengthwise with the first grit, then go across the other way with the next grit. You only want to go as far as getting the sanding marks off from the previous grit. Then I usually go over it with Meguiars Showcar Glaze in the tan bottle. It has no silicates in it so if you burn through the paint you can touch up over it. As with an aspect of modelling...practice practice practice.

As far as Tamiya sprays go...I have used Duplicolor clear over Tamiya but the same rules apply as if you were using Tamiya clear. Within a few minutes of the last color coat or you wait a month. That is the reason I don't use Tamiya sprays that much. They spray beautifully but having to wait a month for it to gas out ain't my thing.

[Zoom Zoom]

Man I love the shine on that bad boy. I use Tamiya Spray laquers exclusively. What clear do you guys suggest using?

Tamiya clear. And I never have any problem shooting a light coat of their clear right after color coats to prevent any potential problems, and I never, ever wait a month to let it dry. Some people make it out to be this huge problem, I don't see much problem or bother getting some clear right over the color, I've been doing that w/lacquers and enamels ever since I started painting

[MrObsessive]

I do pretty much what everyone else is doing except that I use Tamiya Acrylic Clear X-22. I don't like to tempt fate with that last topcoat........especially over metallics. Tamiya water based acrylics will go over anything so there's no problem with compatibility.

If I mess up the clear, I can take some Windex or some other ammonia based product and wash it away. The caveat is this has to be done while the paint is wet.

As far as rubbing it out......I use the polishing cloths as mentioned, however I don't wet sand the clear............there's too much risk in burning through it. Solid colors I wet sand with the cloths as they need no clearcoat.

I use Meguiar's Car Cleaner Wax for the final polishing with a chamois cloth.........been doing this for 20 years and it's never failed me!

[sno_man80]

So is it worth my time to clear metallic colors?? Or just go straight to polishing it with no clear?? Thanks for all the tips.

[Zoom Zoom]

Generally speaking you should always clearcoat metallics and pearls because polishing removes the outer layer of paint exposing the metallic/pearl pigments. Some will argue that older metallics weren't clearcoated from the factory, but I will argue that they never were buffed out the way we buff out model paint. You need to be buffing the clearcoat.

[bobss396]

I've polished/color sanded some metallics with great success, so don't anyone let you tell you that it can't be done. Generally the larger the flake, the more difficult to impossible it will be. I've done Duplicolor and Tamiya sprays, but usually clear over them after.

I often make up "sample" parts to experiment on, so I tend to try a lot of things out and not on the actual model. Success teaches us nothing.

I believe that the smoother the finish coat is, the smoother the clear will lay down the less of a chance you'll blow through the clear into the color when you polish that.

I don't necessarily buy into the Tamiya "one month" myth, everything I paint goes right into the dehydrator.

Bob