Wetsand/Compound

June 5, 2004

Newbie here... I've been working on my old Vette's paint (base/clear) and completed the back deck as a trial before continuing since I haven't done this before. The wetsanding removed most of the orange peel, but I'm a little gunshy about going to far with it. Let's just say it's 'nearly' perfectly flat. Then on to the compounding stages with 3M Perect-It II and then a finer 3M compound (39002?). Also using a DA. End results is a stunning shine and mirror-like effect. Problem is... the color doesn't appear to be quite as rich or dark as before. I hesitate to say it's a milky appearance, but maybe that's what I'm seeing. I wiped the surface with some water & alcohol and used a magnifying glass, but I'm not seeing any tiny swirls or marks. Maybe I need a 10x loop for a closer view. Do I need to hit it with more compound if I don't see any marks? I'm using a variety of pads, from wool to foam, and finished it off with a very smooth foam padded cotton pad.

Tnx! :evileye

tint bandit · June 6, 2004

What color is the paint...Try this..order some Zaino5 and 3 Add 2 or 3 coats of 5 then 2 or 3 coats of 3...then top off with some Pinnacle sovern paste as a last coat...Do this every 24 hours for 5 days.....When your done you want be able to whip that @#$% eating grin off with laquer thinner :beer Remember the 3 has to cure for 24 hrs before next coat :cry If the grin dosnt happen then you might have cut the clear to much..Do you know how many coats of clear was applied..Show some pics up close if able :thumb

June 6, 2004

Maybe you should hold off on using a DA to wet sand with until you get a feel for how fast a DA can sand off clear. Like tintbandit has posted numerous times, when you are just starting out do it on a piece that you can trash if anything goes wrong. I learned this the hard way. Cost to repaint hood on wife's truck $300.00..

tint bandit · June 6, 2004

Gt that would have been a good pic to post :thumb To actually show what it looks like for the beginners :cry Of coarse Im sure you had to haul azz to the body shop before she found out right :cry Sorry to here about the 300.00 thou ..that hurtssss :beer

June 6, 2004

Tnx guys... Not using the DA for wetsanding since I'm new at this and I've got, uh, half a brain.. :thumb I used 2000 grit with a foam block for a pad, sanding in one direction, and no pad on the curves and stayed away from the edges. Not sure how many coats of clear, but I'm guessing that it's at least 3 (according to the former owner), which is why I didn't try to do too much sanding. Once it was all consistently dull, I quit and started with the compound. Of course, once I got some shine back, I could see that it could of used more sanding to get it flatter. I'm chicken.

Should the compounding bring out the final finish (deep, rich, etc), or are there other steps (other than hiding with sealers or waxes). I put some Mequiars NXT on it, but all I got was shiny bright, not deep & rich. Then again, maybe that's the real deal, and the old surface is just darker from embedded crud...

Got any recommedations for compounds that are better than the 3M stuff?

I'll take some detailed pics and post a link.

Tnx!

www.c3vettes.com (I'm the first car on pics page 1 (since I maintain the site :cry ))

June 6, 2004

You should try Zaino products. They are really excellent products. Will blow meguiars right out of the water. And we all make mistakes, how else are we going to learn?

carwasher · June 6, 2004

Lot said on this site about Zaino products. What you use is important, but how you use them is more important.

The processes used to detail a car make a much bigger difference than what you are putting on the paint.

I could take zaino or meguairs and you woudnt be able to tell which one I used on a car.

tint bandit · June 7, 2004

When your done compounding...you should have a high gloss shine...if not you need to compound some more before glazing...CW is right to a point about products in the eyes of the consumer....but after 2 months thats when you know what you used :lol Every product I use is used one my wife's vehicle ...my shop car and shop van....and as of today Durogloss polish with there 2 stage process and super sourse poly sealant and Zaino have lasted at least 4 months... :thumb

tint bandit · June 7, 2004

You must remember wax will last at most under normal conditions 2 months topsss...Paint sealants can give you twice or more the protection..but the chemical make up will not allow a mirror shine and a long lasting protection :thumb The chemical make up is High shine less durability...good shine long durability...in layman terms ,thats it in a hand basket

tint bandit · June 7, 2004

The advantage I give to Zaino is its very forgiving when applied by your local numnut..dosnt leave a white residue on all the rubber ...We are useing a new product from Detailplus now thats a paint sealant ..cost a couple of dollars more for a gallon 22.95verses Zaino 19.00 for 16 oz no brainer cost wise but as most products the corn starch that is used which is why you see the residue that you wipe off is no where as forgiving on rubber and such..but the shine and protection is equivalent as both products in my opinion are great :thumb