This is my first car project and therefore first time painting. I'm pretty happy with how the paint turned out, EXCEPT, I can't get all the scratches from wet sanding removed. Everything looks nice until you catch the light at the right angle, then you can see the scratches. I wet sanded using 1200, 1500, 2000, and 3000. I buffed with the Norton Liquid Ice system, wool pad, blue pad, white pad. The buffing part makes me nervous...My question, Is there a product to 'fill' the scratches instead going back and wetsanding and buffing more? I don't have a picture of the scratches, but here is a picture of the paint itself showing pretty good clarity and reflection. Any help you can provide will be appreciated, Thanks!
Need help removing sanding scratches.
- Thread starter MD68
- Start date
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Are you seeing sanding scratches or swirl marks? 3000 paper is very fine a shouldn't leave scratches.
You need to follow up with a polishing compound with a foam pad. Then maybe a glaze type product.
Buffing takes time and practice and it is really easy to burn the paint. Never buff on top of an edge because
that is where the paint is the thinnest.
harrisonm
Well-Known Member
I have a few comments.
First, Starting off with 1200 is OK if you use it enough that all orange peel is gone, and the surface is flat. Then I do 1500, 2000 and 2500. I have never done 3000, but I know a lot of people do. If the 3000 left sanding scratches, that means you did not progress through the grits in a timely manner. Think of it like this. You said you sanded 1200 grit, 1500, 2000, and then 3000 prior to polishing. You need to use the 1500 enough to get rid of all the 1200 grit scratches leaving only 1500 grit scratches. Then move on to the 2000 and use it until the 1500 scratches are all gone, and all that was left was 2000 scratches. Then move on to the 3000 and use it until the 2000 scratches are all gone, and all that was left was 3000 scratches. If you did NOT use the 1500 enough to get rid of the 1200 scratches, and then did not use the 2000 enough to get rid of the 1500 scratches (and so on), then after the 3000 you still have some left over 'deep' 1200 scratches that were not totally erased with the 1500. Those will be hard to polish out.
Second, I am not a fan of the Norton Liquid Ice system. I do not buy into the use of only one grit of compound and different pads. Plus, I have read a lot more negative reviews than good ones on that product. I use the 3M Perfect It 3 stage process. It comes with 3 pads and 3 grits of compound. I think that is also a big part of why you still have scratches. Go to Ebay and find a starter set of the perfect It. I paid about $100 for 3 pads and 3 pints of compound. Try rebuffing one area. If that gets rid of the scratches fine. If not, try a wool pad and a bottle of a fairly aggressive compound followed by the Perfect It system. If that doesn't do it. I hope you put on enough clear, because you will be sanding again.
First, Starting off with 1200 is OK if you use it enough that all orange peel is gone, and the surface is flat. Then I do 1500, 2000 and 2500. I have never done 3000, but I know a lot of people do. If the 3000 left sanding scratches, that means you did not progress through the grits in a timely manner. Think of it like this. You said you sanded 1200 grit, 1500, 2000, and then 3000 prior to polishing. You need to use the 1500 enough to get rid of all the 1200 grit scratches leaving only 1500 grit scratches. Then move on to the 2000 and use it until the 1500 scratches are all gone, and all that was left was 2000 scratches. Then move on to the 3000 and use it until the 2000 scratches are all gone, and all that was left was 3000 scratches. If you did NOT use the 1500 enough to get rid of the 1200 scratches, and then did not use the 2000 enough to get rid of the 1500 scratches (and so on), then after the 3000 you still have some left over 'deep' 1200 scratches that were not totally erased with the 1500. Those will be hard to polish out.
Second, I am not a fan of the Norton Liquid Ice system. I do not buy into the use of only one grit of compound and different pads. Plus, I have read a lot more negative reviews than good ones on that product. I use the 3M Perfect It 3 stage process. It comes with 3 pads and 3 grits of compound. I think that is also a big part of why you still have scratches. Go to Ebay and find a starter set of the perfect It. I paid about $100 for 3 pads and 3 pints of compound. Try rebuffing one area. If that gets rid of the scratches fine. If not, try a wool pad and a bottle of a fairly aggressive compound followed by the Perfect It system. If that doesn't do it. I hope you put on enough clear, because you will be sanding again.
I have to agree about 3M products. Pricey stuff but excellent compounds. I also agree that 3000 paper is overkill.
It also important to use a lot of water when color sanding. If you don't have a rubber squeegee, to use when sanding,
get one. Keep you pads clean and a little water from a spray bottle helps to kept the polishing compound lubricated
when using a foam pad.
roccodart440
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I'd take it and have it final buffed. Quickest way to destroy a useable paint job if you don't know what you are doing. IT's not just about the grit but the surface temp
All of the above info is very much on point, lots of sharp people on this forum. The key here is just take your time, and not to be too aggressive too quickly. In my final stages of buffing it will all be done manually by hand, I just don't have the skill and the trust in myself to do it any other way......I like your paint color.
harrisonm
Well-Known Member
Looking pretty good.
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