[shad9876]

Last week I laid down 3 full coats of high build urethane clear over my two tone red/silver 56 chevy. I reduced the clear about 15% to help it flow better.

Yesterday and today I have been cutting the clear down with 1200, 1500 and then 2000. I've got it all completely flat now and I did not go through the at all...whew!


Now I am starting to wonder if I should lay down another coat or two of clear. I really want a deep, show quality finish, but I am also ready to be done! I really don't want to have to setup my booth again(in my garage) and shoot more clear, but I will if it will really make a difference in the finish.

What do ya'll think?

[zarbat007]

Igf you sprayed 3 full coats, you should be fine.

[shad9876]

Great!
Also, I am using Meguiar's buffing/polishing products. I have three foam pads, W7000, W8000 & W9000. I am using Meguiar's compounds 84(compound power cleaner), 83 (dual action cleaner/polish) & 82 (swirl free polish). I am only using one compound for each pad.

I have sanded the clear 1200, 1500 and finished with 2000.

Is it overkill to go through three compounding/polishing grades?

I talked to the tech support for the clear coat manufacturer and the rep said to skip the coarsest one (84) and just use 83 or perhaps even only 82.

Then I called and talked to meguiar's reps and he said that even the 84 (compound power cleaner) was not a heavy enough cut to remove 2000 grit scratches. He said I needed to get the W4000 wool pad and a more aggressive compound.
He suggested that I get the more aggressive cutting compound and the wool pad and after cutting with it, go straight to the 82 (swirl free polish).

Who do I listen to? What do ya'll think?

[BarryK]

Originally Posted by shad9876

Great!


Who do I listen to? What do ya'll think?

LOL!
I would love to say, the clear company but in this case the compound company seems to be giving better advice. Just my 2 cents as i don't even know the type of clear you are using and clears do buff different.

[zarbat007]

Here is what I do:

Step 1) sand with 1500 - to remove the dust nibs
or 1000 to remove runs and then 1500

Step 2) Use meguiars WWLC7 Wool Light Cutting Pad and the M105 compound

http://www.meguiars.com/solo/productpage_wwlc7.cfm
http://meguiarsdirect.stage.suresour...=MEG+ULTRA+32&.

Step 3)Use Meguairs WDFP7 "Diamond" Foam Polishing Pad and presta swirl mark remover. I plan to use menzerna next.
http://www.meguiars.com/solo/productpage_wdfp7.cfm


Step 4) WDFF7 "Diamond" Foam Finishing Pad and 3M Ultrafina
http://www.meguiars.com/solo/productpage_wdff7.cfm

You can get the Meguairs Solo kit and use their pads, they work great. They are about 7 inch each and you have better control of your buffer.

http://www.meguiars.com/solo/index.cfm

[shad9876]

That sounds like an excellent way to do it, but I would like to incorporate as much of the stuff that I already have as possible.

I think that I will pick up a cut n' shine wool pad and a bottle of BSP diamond cut.

After I cut it with the diamond cut and wool pad, do you think I I'll need to go through each of the other compounds or can I skip one or two of them?

[zarbat007]

I have not used the diamond cut compound.
But if its anything like the M105 compound its leaves the surface glossy like it has been polished.
But you'll see some "haze" on black cars if you look carefully with the car outside, and when you used the swirl mark remover and a foam pad you'll remove that haze.
Why would you want to skip anyway?

remember to tape those edges!

[shad9876]

So, basically I should be able to cut it with the wool pad & diamond cut, then polish with the swirl free polish(82), correct?

Instead of going diamond cut, power cleaner (84), dual action cleaner/polish (83), swirl free polish (82)?

2 step instead of 4 will still get the job done?

[shad9876]

Looking at the specs for the compound power cleaner (84), one of the compounds that I already have, it appears that it should be plenty aggressive to take care of 2000 grit scratches.

Here is a quote from Meguiar's website:

Compound Power Cleaner contains aggressive abrasives to boost cleaning power and efficiency. Specially formulated for fast, safe cleaning. Quickly removes Meguiar’s® Unigrit® 1200 grit sanding marks. Diminishing Abrasives™ cut quickly, then reduce to a polishing rouge, while Buffered Abrasive™ action lubricates the finish to prevent scouring.

It does say that it should be used with the cut n shine wool pad.
Perhaps all I need to buy is the wool pad (W4000).

[zarbat007]

When I got the Makita buffer, I used just 2 steps:

Use the wool pad that came with it and M105
Then use the "polishing" pad and #82, it worked just fine.

So I think those 2 steps should get the job done.

[zarbat007]

Originally Posted by shad9876

It does say that it should be used with the cut n shine wool pad.
Perhaps all I need to buy is the wool pad (W4000).

Meguiars also says the M105 should be used with W5000 wool pad, but it works excellent with the Solo yellow wool pad.