What Do I Need To Know About Polishing Supplies and Techniques

[FoMoCo66]

I was wondering what I need to polish my clear coats? What polish, grit sand paper, and towels/ rags do I need? 

Oh and what do I need to know about the process to get my car look like this?

(picture of Lovefordgalaxie's 62 Buick Electra)

Like always I appreciate comments and help.

Elliot

Edited June 12, 2024 by FoMoCo66

[Brutalform]

This is my method, other methods vary, but, there are more than one way to do it. First I would buy some Micro polishing cloths, that have grits from 1800 to 10,000. I rarely use anything coarser than 3200, though, unless I really have to knock some serious orange peel down. What I like to use is the Novus polishing compounds. # 2 and # 3 would be the workhorse of them all, with # 1 used to clean fingerprints. Others like to use the Tamiya polishing compounds. I have those too but haven’t used them yet, though they look promising. I’d practice on some painted body that you aren’t using, and start wet sanding the paint in one direction. Don’t press but let the cloth do the work. Then go to the next smoother grit, and sand the other way, and so on. By the time you get to 10,000 it should start looking pretty shiny. Like anything the more you do it the better you’ll get at it. Then you can use a piece of flannel cloth and go to town with the Novus. Again not putting hard pressure on the paint.  Always helps to lay a few coats of clear so you can work it down without hitting the paint underneath. Then you can carefully pick the Novus out of the panel lines with a soft bristle brush, or equivalent. 

Edited June 12, 2024 by Brutalform

[FoMoCo66]

3 minutes ago, Brutalform said:

This is my method, other methods vary, but, there are more than one way to do it. First I would buy some Micro polishing cloths, that have grits from 1800 to 10,000. I rarely use anything coarser than 3200, though, unless I really have to knock some serious orange peel down. What I like to use is the Novus polishing compounds. # 2 and # 3 would be the workhorse of them all, with # 1 used to clean fingerprints. Others like to use the Tamiya polishing compounds. I have those too but haven’t used them yet, though they look promising. I’d practice on some painted body that you aren’t using, and start wet sanding the paint in one direction. Don’t press but let the cloth do the work. Then go to the next smoother grit, and sand the other way, and so on. By the time you get to 10,000 it should start looking pretty shiny. Like anything the more you do it the better you’ll get at it. Then you can use a piece of flannel cloth and go to town with the Novus. Again not putting hard pressure on the paint.  Always helps to lay a few coats of clear so you can work it down without hitting the paint underneath. 

Thanks for the advice. I just bought some novus polishes because of other information I have heard about it and your confirmation.

[Brutalform]

You’re welcome. I bought a big bottle of the Novus # 2 since I use that one the most. But the three pack will work for starting out. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

The thing most noobs don't understand about color-sanding and polishing is that it's work.

The purpose of each successive grit (once the orange peel has been flattened) is to remove the fine sanding scratches left by the previous grit.

You really need to understand this and LOOK at what you're doing (under magnification if your eyes aren't perfect), drying your freshly sanded area to see what you've done.

You should also change your sanding water and wash your hands and whatever container you're using between each successive grit, so that abrasive particles dislodged from the last step don't scratch the next one.

I personally prefer this design of sanding pads, made by Micro-Mesh and others.

Then...the purpose of "polish" is to remove the extremely fine scratches left by the final sanding. A 12,000-grit-sanded surface will be quite shiny, as Tom says, but a very slight haze will remain...from the tiny sanding scratches.

"Polish" is an abrasive, and just wiping the stuff on, rubbing it a little, and wiping it off accomplishes nothing.

You'll get the feel of how much pressure to exert and how long you need to do it as you gain more experience.

Modelers here often complain that they can never get the full gloss, that the paint remains hazy.

And the only reason for that (assuming you painted the thing right) is that not enough effort was put into getting where you want to go.

Edited June 12, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[Skip]

Depends on if the paint laid down with zero to almost no orange peel and the paint is slightly dull then you can polish it up a high shine using polishing compounds. Almost Flat paint will buff up using either Novus 1, 2, 3, polish, Tamyia course, fine, ex-fine compounds or McGuair’s fast cut, swirl remover an then yellow carnuba. All three of these will polish 

if you’ve got orange peel, dust particles or slight runs then you will need to begin with polishing pads or cloths using the finest pad that will remove the defect. Then work finer and finer finishing out with a scratch remover like fine then extra fine Tamyia or Novus 2 and 3, or the McGuairs swirl remover and the Yellow carnuba wax.  It’s all a matter of going with the least aggressive compound or polishing cloth that removes the heaviest defect such as smoothing over orange peel.  You have to balance with aggressive enough to remove but not so aggressive that you are causing additional scratches that you might nit get out of the paint, determining that comes with experience.

[bobss396]

I find that it is hard to do all the polishing in a single sitting. I'll break it up so I don't rush it if I'm tired. I use mostly lacquers, some nail polish. With those, I have had to start with 1500-1800 grit to get it going. Most of the time I start with 2400-3200. Let the cloths do the work.

I dip the cloths in water with a couple drops of dishwashing soap in it. You need to keep the cloths clean, once they pick up paint, time to toss it. I cut the DM cloths into 4 parts and mark the grit on the back with a Sharpie.

I rarely go past 6000 grit. I then switch to Meguiars Show Car Glaze, I apply that with a damp piece of flannel or t-shirt material. Also don't be afraid to go back to a lower grit for problem areas.

I learned this the hard way, make sure there is enough paint on the body. When polishing, I stay away from the edges. I'll put down a piece of tape if I have to mask something off so I don't blow through it.

[Bainford]

Lots of excellent information there. I would like to add that a successful cut & polish job starts before to paint even goes on. Body prep is very important, but specifically I want to address a couple of issues with panel gaps (doors, deck lids, etc) that sometimes crop up during colour sanding or polishing.

On most kits there is a low ridge that forms on either side of a panel gap when the kit is produced (an artifact of the molding process, I presume). These ridges are nearly imperceptible (invisible unless you look for them) but I have had them show themselves by burning through when sanding/polishing the paint. The solution is to knock these high-spots down by block sanding the plastic across all panel gaps using a hard, flat sanding block.

Another issue with panel gaps is that sometimes the body surfaces on either side of a panel gap are not on the same plane. That is to say, the surface on one side of a gap may be higher or lower than the rest of the car body, such as a door that is slightly proud of the rest of the body. Again, these areas will show themselves by burning through when colour sanding or polishing. Sometimes these surface discrepancies are significant. Block sanding can deal with the minor instances, but a filling primer or (my favourite) Gunze Sangyo Mr. Surfacer may be needed to build up the lower surface.

Yet another consideration. If you scribe your panel lines, be sure to block sand across the panel gaps afterward as the scriber can produce a fine swarf at the edge of the gap. I highly recommend panel scribing for anyone who cuts & polishes paint as this is when a panel gap looks really great. The act of cutting & polishing a model (for me personally, at least) is not about making the paint shiny, it is about tightening up the overall appearance of the body, sharpening the edges of panel gaps and other body edges, and flattening the overall surface for a cohesive and realistic appearance. It is an important step in the pursuit of realism, if that is the goal.

Keep in mind that any proud point or area on the body surfaces may be exposed at the most inopportune time, i.e. when putting the finishing touches on that great paint job. I highly recommend giving the complete body a block sanding job with a soft block before paint, during the body prep stage. I like to use one of those white vinyl drafting erasers as a soft block. I usually use 1000 or 1500 grit sandpaper for block sanding, and do it all wet. Don't press hard, just let the grit do the work, to ensure a flat surface, especially over panel gaps.

[R. Thorne]

Great advice from all these guys.  Everyone is spot on.  

[Skip]

On 6/13/2024 at 4:23 AM, bobss396 said:

I rarely go past 6000 grit. I then switch to Meguiars Show Car Glaze, I apply that with a damp piece of flannel or t-shirt material. Also don't be afraid to go back to a lower grit for problem areas.

Bob's comment just jarred a memory of stuff that's in my toolbox to do the waxing and buffing.

I use "The Professionals Choice" Rifle & Pistol Cleaning Patches, 100% Cotton Flannel 3 by 3 in I think I got them last time at Wally World for like $3.99. They're really soft cotton and at 3 X 3 they are just about the right size to do the job without a bunch of extra to snag everything in sight!

[bobss396]

16 hours ago, Skip said:

Bob's comment just jarred a memory of stuff that's in my toolbox to do the waxing and buffing.

I use "The Professionals Choice" Rifle & Pistol Cleaning Patches, 100% Cotton Flannel 3 by 3 in I think I got them last time at Wally World for like $3.99. They're really soft cotton and at 3 X 3 they are just about the right size to do the job without a bunch of extra to snag everything in sight!

I have a ton of these from Hoppes. I'll have to dig some out for polishing. I had a recent issue with getting decals to stick on a body after using the Meguiars. Good old toothpaste is a great polishing medium.

[Ace-Garageguy]

15 hours ago, bobss396 said:

...Good old toothpaste is a great polishing medium.

Well, I used it when I was a kid and that's all I had, but man it takes a LOT of rubbing to clear 600 grit sand-scratches..

I see guys trying to just rub their orange peel with some 1500 for a few seconds, and then go straight to polish...which they wipe on like wax or glaze and wipe off...and then wonder why they still have orange peel.

The absolute bestest "trick" to getting good looking slick shiny paint is to learn how to shoot it slick in the first place...on real cars or models.

I can't ALWAYS shoot my models this slick every time, but man, when I CAN it really saves a TON of work afterwards.

 

 

[bobss396]

Always go for the smoothest paint possible. Lately I have been doing well with the Extreme Lacquers and the clear in the product line. I had 2 that I called it DONE after the 2nd coat of clear was laid down.