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Home > User Content > DIY / Install Guides > DIY: Wet Sand, Buff, Polish How To By i-KONA

DIY: Wet Sand, Buff, Polish How To By i-KONA

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iKONA
Chicago
Illinois, US
  • Tire Changer
 After reading several threads where theres always a question about some sort of post paint work ive decided to make a thread explaining a how to about all. Ive been doing body work, painting, and post paint work since I was 17 so take it from me.

Ill be using a customers rear scion hatch garnish that I debadged, filled, and refinished. The following tools you will need are listed below.

+ Wet sanding paper
+ Rubbing compound
+ Polishing compound
+ Clean water
+ Small squeegee
+ Polishing cloth
+ buffng tool
- Orbital buffer w/ assorted pads
- Angle grinder w/ buffing attachment & assorted pads
- if hand buffing just an extra polish cloth will do
+ Clothes you don't mind dirtying
+ Clean organized working space
+ And a drink!

Wet sanding paper
A type of paper used to finely sand panels (in most cases after a fresh paint job). Wet sanding paper usually ranges from 400 grit to 3000 grit. I use 400 - 600 grti to remove runs, 800 - 1000 to sand entire panels after a fresh paint job, and after I hit the panels fully with 8 - 1000 grit I always go over it with 1500 - 2000 because I use light rubbing compound. Its a much safer way to assure you that you dont go through the paint.

Rubbing compound
A special paste that is sued to remove wet sanding marks, blemishes, hazing, and abuse to paint that polish wont remove (deeper scratches and scuffs) If your wet sanding with 800 - 1000 and elaving it at that you want to use a heavy duty rubbing compound which is almost like liquid pasty sand paper. I hate tath stuff, tis very messy and rough so tis easy to ruin a job. its always best to go over the 8 - 1000 grit sand paper with 1500 - 2000. If you do that then you can use a light rubbing compound (3M perfect-it III). About $30 a bottle.

Clean Water
Dont use a bucket, dirt gets cought in there and it ruins everything. Use a squirt bottle or hose. I like a spritzer bottle with some dish soap to lubricate the paper.

Small Squeegee
Used to remove the water to see if your done sanding that area or not.

Orbital buffer - Teh best way to buff and polish but if your not experienced with it don't try it. Buffers are the fastest way to f up paint. Unexperienced users almost always burn through the paint.

Random orbital Sander / polishers - No they wont work well... They don't have the power and rotation to remove the sanding marks.

Angle Grinders w buffing attachments - Work the same as buffers but use it on small parts where a big buffer wont reach.

Hand Polishing - The best way fro beginners! Takes 10x longer though...

[b]How do I know what sand paper to use?[b]
Runs. If you have runs what you want to do is wrap the paper around the sanding block/squeegee and bend it with the lump facing the panel. Slowly sand the run (only the run)with 400 - 600 grit depending on the size of the run. Once its mostly leveled out you can go over it with 800 to blend it with the rest of the clear coat if not remove it completely.

Stock clear coat? Dont risk it, go over it with 2500 or 3000. The stock clear coat looks great so your objective isn't to smoothen it out to remove orange peel its most likely to give it a sharper polished image.

600, 800, 1000 is to level out the paint so the cc is not a distorted blurry image.

1500 - 3000 is mainly used to go over the coarser grits to set it up for light compounds. And its also used to wet sand already wet sanded panels (stock panels count) Even though stock panels aren't wet sanded by the factory the way they get it so nice is one thin coat which is thick enough to over the entire panel with out going over it again.


Lets begin!

Start off with getting a nice space to work, I use a horse (industrial stand) with MDF board over it, masking paper over that to keep the board clean.

I will be wet sanding buffing and polishing a customers 2006 Scion tC hatch handle I debadged.



My first step was wetting the garnish with light soapy water and wet sanding it with 1000 grit sand paper. make sure to keep the pane nice and wet. It keeps the sand paper lasting 100x longer than if you did it dry.





Every now and then squeegee the panel to check it out. if it looks like this your doing fine. The object is to get it all one smooth hazy color with no dimples in the haze. Dimples are low points that aren't sanded yet and need to be leveled out.



Once your done with that go over it with 1500 or 2000 (2000 is recommended) and the finished piece will look like this.



next step is rubbing compound! If your using a machine buffer keep it at low settings .Dont exceed 3200 RPM. I never go over 2K. it Taks longer but is much safer.
If I'm in a hurry Ill buff at 6000 rpm but only on big panels 9hoods, doors, etc. The thing about buffing is to add moderate pressure to push the compound in the scratches and at the same time keep the buffer moving. never buff with the rotation spinning towards an edge. If you grab that edge you can tear through the paint. Always have the buffer spinning off the panel. The next thing is to keep the buffer flat, never sue the edge, again you'll go through the paint. The last thing thats important is be super careful on corners, edges, and body lines, very easy to rip through that paint.

If your using a wool pad you want to go over it with a coarse foam pad. When using any foam pad do a few sprays of detail spray on the pad. Dont dampen it, just make it moist. This keeps the apd cool and keeps the friction minimal. Friction = heat, heat = soft paint, soft paint = easy to move or burn it off. Detail spray reduces it almost 100% depending on speed.









If your hand buffing then your safe. Just rub with pressure and keep a good speed when rubbing that compound in. It will take several wipe on and rub off sessions so be patient. In time you will see progress.



The object is to remove all hazing, blemishes, and scratches. When you see light swirl marks at close distance but it looks great from further away your done buffing. The next step is polishing.

Same techniques go to polishing as if you were buffing but when your polishing you want very light pressure if any at all. Dont go too fast otherwise the polish will chalk up. And only sue a few drops at a time otherwise itl dampen the pad too much and itl be too soggy.

If your hand polishing just wipe in the polish in nicely with pressure and take another cloth ad wipe ti off after it hazes usually 10 - 15 seconds)

After that your ready for some final glaze and tis ready to go!






Buffing and Polishing isn't something for the average joe, it takes many many days weeks and months to get it down perfectly to be a pro at it. I wouldn't suggest anybody try this with a machine until thy at least try a test piece just to get the hang of it. Try it on junk yard cars ,try it on your parents or sisters cars or even neighbors (shhh) but don't try your stuff unless your willing the risk. Ive been doing this professionally since 17 and still now and then burn through the paint. Super easy to mess up. Especially on a 1980 cadi limo door

The last thing is.. Those of you who think spray canning a lip kit is the bestest thing because you can do it so cheap and save hundreds of dollars by doing this all yourself. You are waaaay wrong! Many spray can primer and paint their lip kits and say its just as good. No way... In order to get a perfect long lasting result yu need to have it sprayed through a gun because there are certain materials that cant be sprayed from a can. For example... A good adhesion promoter will cost at least 80 dollars a quart (40 in a can) If it comes from an auto zone or online for $20 bucks it wont work. There are certain materials you desperatley need to spray adhesion plastic parts fro paint that cant be put in a can. Another thing is base coats. 95% of what you get in a can isnt urethane automotive paints , the ysay they are but they wont last long in the weather. Not only that they have early paint failure (premature pealing)

Clear paints. The only clears that will last is clears that have to be mixed and used with in a certain time because they have to harden. Clears don't dry, they harden. Its made to mainly protect paint. Clear are basically an acrylic sheet (like resign, but thinner)

Lastly if you are going to paint your own stuff. Use materials that match. If you use a urethane primer use a urethane base and clear. Many people use a lacquer primer, the cheap touch up stuff over that, and then a urathaen coat from a can that has a special core that when you brake the seals it mixes the chemicals. All that = early paint failure because the coats don't adhere to each other. I wont go deeper into this because this is already toooo long.

My point of the DY painters, if yru rattle canning your stuff and want to wet sand buff and polish. Give it a few days to fully dry. Since there is no activator in the paints the paints wont harden, they will just dry but always remain somewhat soft. So you want t oat least let it dry as much as it can before you start toughing the paint aggressively.

last note! Never buy paint mixed with clear. Always buy a separate can of clear if you want to have a somewhat glossy coat. And always practice before you do your stuff!

[#] Sep 09, 2008 05:14am
iKONA
Chicago
Illinois, US
  • Tire Changer
 P.S Appreciate it! I typed all this with an on screen keyboard! Took me all night working on this off and on! My cat Mayer Q Ball spilled milk shake on it last night You can see the miss jiff in his eyes.
[#] Sep 09, 2008 05:16am
Crash
Clovis
New Mexico, US
  • Godlike Advisor
 Very nicely done on the write-up


The SEARCH feature on the site works, I promise. USE IT!!!
"I almost numchucked you, you dont even reallise!!" -Will Ferrell-
[#] Sep 09, 2008 05:36am
Orin
Auburn
Alabama, US
very nicely done, thanks iKONA

[#] Sep 09, 2008 06:46am
FrAnkRYzzO
Perry Hall
Maryland, US
  • $upervillain
    for Hire
AsianHitch wrote:
good day.



At no point in Ikona's post was he trying to sell anything. Regardless of what did or did not happen in the past, leave it out of this thread. This is a very well done DIY that many members will benefit from, so leave tyhe drama out of it. If you have something else to discuss start a new thread or PM the member directly. Any further off topic posts will be deleted.

Nice DIY, and thanx for the effort! :mrgreen:

...............

Search or one of these adorable kittens WILL DIE!
[#] Sep 09, 2008 10:21am
skunk
New York, US
  • Godlike Advisor
 nice. thanks for the DIY



The Skunk tC
Fo shiggity my niggity
[#] Sep 09, 2008 10:48am
Blckdouttc
Trumbull
Connecticut, US
  • Master Mechanic
 what was this a diy for? all u did was wetsand it then polish it...


2006 BSP tC

[#] Sep 09, 2008 10:53am
FrAnkRYzzO
Perry Hall
Maryland, US
  • $upervillain
    for Hire
 ^^I think you missed the title:

Wet Sand, Buff, Polish How To By i-KONA

...............

Search or one of these adorable kittens WILL DIE!
[#] Sep 09, 2008 10:54am
Vicious
Orlando
Florida, US
  • El Chupacabra
 Awesome write-up! I'm moving this to the DIY section fosho!




The Thread Killah
[#] Sep 09, 2008 11:52am
Blckdouttc
Trumbull
Connecticut, US
  • Master Mechanic
 oh, so its just wet sanding and polishing anything? i thought sanding and buffing was pretty self explainitory


2006 BSP tC

[#] Sep 09, 2008 11:54am
FrAnkRYzzO
Perry Hall
Maryland, US
  • $upervillain
    for Hire
 So's changing a headlight bulb, but you see how many threads we get about those...

...............

Search or one of these adorable kittens WILL DIE!
[#] Sep 09, 2008 11:56am
Blckdouttc
Trumbull
Connecticut, US
  • Master Mechanic
 hahaha thats true


2006 BSP tC

[#] Sep 09, 2008 11:57am
Vicious
Orlando
Florida, US
  • El Chupacabra
 I was unsure about which grit sandpaper to use, now I know! And knowing is half the battle




The Thread Killah
[#] Sep 09, 2008 11:58am
Blckdouttc
Trumbull
Connecticut, US
  • Master Mechanic
 ^^what are you wetsanding?


2006 BSP tC

[#] Sep 09, 2008 12:04pm
Vicious
Orlando
Florida, US
  • El Chupacabra
 I was thinking of wetsanding and polishing my side mirror covers.




The Thread Killah
[#] Sep 09, 2008 12:08pm
Blckdouttc
Trumbull
Connecticut, US
  • Master Mechanic
 oh ok, yeah i would jsut wetsand with 1000 then with 1500 to smooth it out then buff with rubbing compound, then a wax. thats this diy and one sentence lol


2006 BSP tC

[#] Sep 09, 2008 12:16pm
AlanW
Los Angeles
California, US
  • Oil Changer
 You say that but there's certain methods and ways of doing it. How long you'd have to wait for things to dry or what kind of compound to use. It's a great DIY, stop hatin', haha.

SELLING MY BRAND NEW INJEN Cold Air Intake/Short Ram Intake for 07+ tC's! CLICK HERE!
[#] Sep 09, 2008 12:24pm
FrAnkRYzzO
Perry Hall
Maryland, US
  • $upervillain
    for Hire
Blckdouttc wrote:
oh ok, yeah i would jsut wetsand with 1000 then with 1500 to smooth it out then buff with rubbing compound, then a wax. thats this diy and one sentence lol



Ordinarily I'd agree 100%, but do you think it'll come out ok considering how crappy and thin the stock clear coat is? I'd almost be afraid that it would remove it.

...............

Search or one of these adorable kittens WILL DIE!
[#] Sep 09, 2008 12:39pm
Blckdouttc
Trumbull
Connecticut, US
  • Master Mechanic
 it should hold up fine. i know a guy that wetsands his entire car then buffs it like 5 times already and looks amazing. just wetsand with 800 until it gets hazy then 1500 so its reallly smooth then dry it with a towel, then buff with rubbing compound then a wax.


2006 BSP tC

[#] Sep 09, 2008 02:22pm
iKONA
Chicago
Illinois, US
  • Tire Changer
FrAnkRYzzO wrote:
Blckdouttc wrote:
oh ok, yeah i would jsut wetsand with 1000 then with 1500 to smooth it out then buff with rubbing compound, then a wax. thats this diy and one sentence lol



Ordinarily I'd agree 100%, but do you think it'll come out ok considering how crappy and thin the stock clear coat is? I'd almost be afraid that it would remove it.


Stock clear coat? Dont risk it, go over it with 2500 or 3000. The stock clear coat looks great so your objective isn't to smoothen it out to remove orange peel its most likely to give it a sharper polished image.

600, 800, 1000 is to level out the paint so the cc is not a distorted blurry image.

1500 - 3000 is mainly used to go over the coarser grits to set it up for light compounds. And its also used to wet sand already wet sanded panels (stock panels count) Even though stock panels aren't wet sanded by the factory the way they get it so nice is one thin coat which is thick enough to over the entire panel with out going over it again.

I posted this in the frist post. "How do you know what paper to use"

[#] Sep 09, 2008 03:07pm
iKONA
Chicago
Illinois, US
  • Tire Changer
 Thanks for the great feedback guys

Glad to have my status to Tire Changer

1UP for me!

[#] Sep 09, 2008 03:11pm
Racersky
Pennsylvania, US
  • Window Washer
 I know for a fact that the Makita buffer cannot go up to 6k rpm. But good DIY.

[#] Dec 02, 2008 10:46am
youngflyer
Germantown
Maryland, US
  • Scion Guru
 wow this is a great diy, A LOT of useful info for noobs!!!! great job IKONA

ThE JeWiSh PiMp
[#] Dec 02, 2008 11:26am
antiks
New York, US
  • Chief Mechanic
 i got some nasty scuff marks from my damn rear lip my body guy that installed it never put 3m on it so im going to redo it my self. so im going to try this out on it and hopefully ill be able to buff it out....good right up cuz.

[#] Dec 02, 2008 11:38am
UltiMica06
San Diego
California, US
  • Tech Advisor
 HaHa...This Thread is Worthless...

IKONA "can't" do Bodywork or Paint worth a POOP!

So..I hope everyone in the CSTC Community never gives this guy $$ for Painting and bodywork.

Just a Heads Up & a Warning.

"Yes, I am Recalcitrant & I <3 Haterz!"

alphaSQUAD!
http://teamalphasquad.org/
[#] Dec 02, 2008 12:07pm
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