My son is making a metal project for Scouts and wants it to shine like a mirror. Now, this usually isn’t a problem, I could have him sand the paint with progressively finger sandpaper until it shines like a mirror. The only problems with this is the mess, the time it takes and the possibility of burning through the paint and having to start over.
A few years ago I restored a Mazda RX7 and my neighbor painted it for me. He works at a very high end paint shop that specialized in Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s and such. He painted the car and brought it back to my workshop. I was sorely disappointed in the work as the paint was dull and orange peeled. He told me not to worry and said he wasn’t finished yet. He then proceeded to use a high speed buffer/polisher along with some type of solution that resembled a wax polish, but he explained to me that it had a cutting agent in it. After about an hour of buffing the paint took on a shine that was amazing. You could actually read a book in the reflection. I would like to use this liquid compound on my son’s project, but I don’t have a clue as to what it is or where to get it. I would assume a paint supply would carry it, but I don’t know what to ask for. Does anyone have any idea as to what this cutting compound might have been and where I would get it? If it helps, he told me that my buffer that I use to wax my cars want fast enough to “cut” the paint, it didn’t create enough heat. Only a very high speed buffer would do. This would save a tremendous amount of time and effort if I could find this product. Thanks.
Auto parts stores will sell polishing compound.It takes skill to use, you need to watch out for sharp edges, as you will buff through the paint.
Rubbing compound will be more agressive. Practice on a piece of scrap first.
I am familiar with polishing compound, usual sold in a metal can and is a hard paste like consistency. The stuff my neighbor was using was a liquid, something resembling a thick liquid wax that was squirted onto the paint surface them buffed in. I wish my memory was better because he told me the name of it.
Generally you’d wet sand all the imperfections with 2000 grit sandpaper, buff it with compound then polish it with a polish, and there are a million different types of compounds and polishes. 3M Perfect-It compound and Finesse-It polish are good. But this stuff takes some skill.
Interesting. I didn’t know Mequires made a rubbing compound. I will have to try that. I am a huge fan of their three step polishing/wax products. It had a cleaner, polisher and then finishing wax. Does a great job bringing out the shine on the cars.
Thanks, my original thought was to let him use sandpaper eventually getting up to a 2000 grit, but I was concerned that he would burn through his work. Sandpaper and water work great, but requires a very light touch.
You might want to consider a top coat of clear coat paint and just wax/polish that. The shine in most modern car paint jobs comes not from the time put into finishing the smoothness of the paint, but from the clear coat.
Search YouTube for chrome spray paint. I was looking for this before. Seems they can do it with sprays, no need for buffing. Do you have an air compressor?
One thing that’s important is to allow sufficient time for the paint coats to cure - the drying times on the tin can be misleading, as paint can be functionally dry/cured, but still soft - and if you try to sand or cut back when it’s not fully hardened, it may either clog the abrasive, or worse, it may peel or pill up and ruin the finish.
Car body shops overcome this by baking the paint under a radiant heater - to drive off any residual solvents and volatiles. At home, it’s easiest just to choose a hot, dry spell of weather when painting, and allow up to a couple of weeks extra drying time.
