I just got my car back from the paint shop ''RALLYE GREEN W/Z STRIPES''.I was so excited I looked over the little trash that was in it,but now I,am thinking it should be buffed, so I call the guy that painted it and shared my thoughts.He says he told me to wait a couple of weeks and he would buff it,and there wouldn,t be a problem and for me to go ahead and put the car together''emblems and etc.Does this sound right I mean this fellow runs a very good shop and is very respected in the community.it isn,t like he has a fly by nite outfit. he assures me that he knows what he is doing.It just looks like to me it would be easier to buff with all the emblems off and etc. and does he really need to wait 2 weeks. by the way this is a 69 with bc/cc paint.At this point I have stopped putting any more emblems or anything on it.So what do you fellows think and does it really need water sanding with like 1200 or 1500 paper or just buffing?? as usual THANKS in advance.. :(

I can't answer the emblem question for you, but I do have experience with buffing bc/cc paint. You should wet sand it down with a very fine paper to knock down the ripples and ridges in the clear coat. This basically flattens everything. Then it gets buffed and the shine is incredible!! Waiting two to four weeks is typical. I waited two years before I had mine done. I had a 68 Nova that was a dark green bc/cc. I took it in for some touch up work and the painter suggested that I have the car wet sanded and buffed. It was like getting the car repainted!!

Tom

I've done a few of these myself
Its alot easier to wet sand and buff out without the emblems on. It can be done with them on though. I personally think you will get a better job if you leave everything off until its done.

I don't want to sound argumentative but my experience with good urethane clears is it is MUCH easier to wet sand them 24 hours after it has been applied and before it sets up like concrete. I would also do it before any emblems were installed to avoid having to work around them later.

toby is right on i like to wet sand and buff 24-36 hrs after car is cleared.
it doesn't help or hurt to wait 2-3 weeks but the clear is so much harder and takes much more time to wet sand and buff, i would also like the emblems off, then you can do a more complete job on the wet sand and buff, goodluck
jake

Toby and Jake are right. In my humble opinion, this is a "stall tactic" hoping you will forget about. smile.gif Many times, to tell you the truth when the car is put together and you are not looking at JUST paint, those little flaws darn near disappear. I think the guy is banking on you putting it together and having such a warm gooy feeling inside that you forget about them and he doesn't have to do a thing. graemlins/waving.gif

MARTINSR nailed it! After the wait AND anticipation, its hard to put a newly painted ride back in the shop after a few weeks. Your painter is playing the odds that are in his favor.

I just spoke with him again, and he says he uses a DA with 1200 paper. NO wet sanding then buff, DOES this sound right I AM GETTING REALLY NERVOUS.I thought i had read NOT to use any powered sander when doing this sanding,HELP

3M makes a sand paper for the da that dose not use water and it works fine as long as the guy doing it knows how to use it. It is much faster to sand this way. We use this on completes but than go over it with 2000 wet to get out any thing the DA might have but in the paint. Got any pictures? graemlins/waving.gif

I've heard of people doing the DA method. I personally would never do it. Sounds like Swirl City time to me.

For the best finish go; 1000, 1500 and then 2000 grit wet sand. Take all the orange peal, runs dirt etc. out with the 1000, then go to the next. Then buff using the 3M waffle pad with the made for it 3M compound, then you go to one of those fluffy type pads.

MarkM if you use the DA and do not wet sand after than it dose look kind of ****y in the sun. But if you wet sand after than it take about half the time to sand

Cool. Maybe I'll try it sometime.

hey ss454 and markm, i use 800- 1200 on a da depending on what i am wanting to do, all in a dry paper, after cutting down the peel, i use 3m 1500 wet paper and wet sand( this wet sanding is only to get swirl marks out of clear, the clear is already flat with no peel as the 800-1200 took it down flat,and also the buffing compound will only take 1500 or finer scatches out,or at least by directions it says,i use 3m perfect it II compound for initial 2 buffs, the use perfect it III for final buff.) i now have a finishing da and it doesn't leave 1/2 of the swirl marks my reg da did. again like ss454 says you have to be very careful and you could screw up easily and burn thru the clear. but it does take alot of time off wet sanding.goodluck, and when buffing if you wet sand everything down to make it flat when you start to buff it generally takes 2-3 times going over panel to bring out to proper shine, goodluck, hope you enjoy your car
jake

The big difference using a DA vs. strokin it is that you end up with more of what I call the cellulite look on the side.

Leave the emblems and chrome etc. etc. off and take him the car back in a week or so, but let him know that this is what you need to have done.

ok the guy has came and sanded and buffed the hood,header panel and the front fenders,and the doors. and I have to say it LOOKS GREAT,if he will just finish I will be tickled to death. he comes up and only works like a hour and a half at a time.he says a couple more trips and he will be finished. I can tell he acts as he is doing me some big favor, but I would think this was part of the paint job wouldn't you guys.but anyways he does do it with a da with 1200 paper and it doesn't have the swirl marks I was worried about.this job does look easy BUT I'AM sure it isn't, I think you have to know what you are doing.I pretty much did the cowl panel as he was worried after he burn through a little spot about the size of a match head.there is alot of ridges on the cowl panel but it turned out ok too.I'am thinking I should do the spoiler also as it is one big ridge.any pointers on doing the spoiler by hand or with a da.It really does look good I'am gonna get pics on as soon as he is finished.

i wouldn't sand or buff any ridges or corners. there is always less paint on these edges and in my opinion they don't need sanding. it'll be hard to see imperfection in these spots anyway, just polish or wax them up after the car is buffed. the flats and large radius curves are where you should limit your sanding to.

Sorry double post

From what I've heard to avoid swirl marks, you should do the DA sanding with dry 800-1200 grit using a high quality short stroke DA sander. And definitely with an interface pad that allows you to lay the sander flat, rather than using the sander on a slight angle to keep it from travelling. These short stroke ones are only 3/16" versus the longer stroke 3/8" ones which are for more agressive grit sanding. Same short stoke DA sander is preferred for the 3M trizact (tiny pyramid pattern) finishing system. I know Dynabrade and Hutchins make a short stroke version, but I'm not sure about the Air Advantage brand.

I am doing a 68 now. Painted it HOK Tangelo Orange Pearl. Laid the paint and clear on the body really well and it only required a mimimum of 1500 wet sanding. I like to use a spray bottle with a dash of ivory liquid..my old friend Jon Kosmoski recommends doing it that way with his paints...it really makes swift work of the sanding process. I then use a wool pad with Presta Strata Ultra Cutting Cream Compound, it is a little more abrasive than the Perfect It System offered by 3M. It makes 1500 scratches disappear in no time. I then follow with Presta Chroma 1500 Polish buffing with a 3M Hook It black pad.
I would have also left the emblems off, why fight them when you don't have to? For more info on the materials used and to order them check out the autobodystore.com they have some good products for doing this sort of work. The spoiler I did today using the same stuff, it was actually slick enough to begin sanding with 2000 grit half-sheets. You just need to be really careful when buffing around edges as it is really easy to burn through. If you want to be safe apply a layer or two of masking tape over the edges as insurance against burning them. Hope this helps.