Best way to polish clear coats question

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  • Cooper
    Fast Electric Addict!
    • Jan 2011
    • 1141

    #1

    Best way to polish clear coats question

    Hello, I'm currently in the process of clear coating and would like to know how or what is the best way to polish clear coats. I'm using a 2k clear. I'm not much of a painter and don't have much knowledge on this.
  • Heaving Earth
    Banned
    • Jun 2012
    • 1877

    #2
    Wet sand with 1500 grit then polish with polishing compound

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    • Cooper
      Fast Electric Addict!
      • Jan 2011
      • 1141

      #3
      Like mothers o

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      • Cooper
        Fast Electric Addict!
        • Jan 2011
        • 1141

        #4
        Sorry bumped the keyboard, do you refer to mothers or mcguires polishing compound, and is it best to do by hand?

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        • Heaving Earth
          Banned
          • Jun 2012
          • 1877

          #5
          I use whatever I can find. 3m makes some decent stuff. I try to use a machine, but for tight areas it's the old hand job.

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          • Heaving Earth
            Banned
            • Jun 2012
            • 1877

            #6
            The wet sand is to smooth out the clear. Then it's dull so you need to bring back the shine, so it's polishing compound. Compound is not wax so don't get confused. Compound has fine grit in it. Using a circular motion and elbow grease you rub it in until the shine comes back. Then there are finer compounds to really take swirls the heavy compound leaves, but I only go there on dark colors. Light colors like white really don't show swirls.

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            • Heaving Earth
              Banned
              • Jun 2012
              • 1877

              #7
              There has to be 10 million YouTube videos on how to buff clearcoat.
              If you're just trying to polish and bring up the shine, get some fine compound and rub it until you get the shine you want

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              • iridebikes247
                Fast Electric Addict!
                • Dec 2011
                • 1449

                #8
                Cooper I would go and buff by hand for now. Your boat is so newly painted it would suck if you buffed through the paint.
                Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSr...6EH3l3zT6mWHsw

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                • Cooper
                  Fast Electric Addict!
                  • Jan 2011
                  • 1141

                  #9
                  Yea that would really suck, I just got done with the last coat of clear, so it probably will be Monday before I attempt to polish, I will have it under the lamps drying for a bit.

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                  • TheShaughnessy
                    Fast Electric Addict!
                    • Mar 2011
                    • 1431

                    #10
                    I did like heavingearth suggest with good results. I used turtle wax polishing compound. Make sure you read and follow the directions to a t. I was struggling with it for a bit until I dampened my buffing pad like the directions say to. The boat in my avatar was done this way and I think its pretty shinny. I did it by hand ,but if I had a power buffer I would have tried it on the bow. There are tight spots you will probably have to do by hand though.
                    Last edited by TheShaughnessy; 03-24-2013, 12:31 PM. Reason: changed rubbing to polishing

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                    • Cooper
                      Fast Electric Addict!
                      • Jan 2011
                      • 1141

                      #11
                      Thanks guys, most places are just fine, a few particles of dust in clear so a light sand, polish compound. The only problem I have is one small side of the hatch received some overspray and is a little ruff, going to wet sand this by above mentioned. For the most part I will just be using polishing compound by hand. Thanks guys.

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                      • hydro_pyro
                        Senior Member
                        • Mar 2013
                        • 104

                        #12
                        Avoid speed-curing your finish with lamps-- this tends to make the solvent bubble up in the curing coat, causing an orange-peel-like finish. Let it dry slow. Give it a week to cure before you attempt to wet sand or polish it.

                        I would suggest 2000 grit before rubbing it out. 1500 will leave scratches deep enough to cut completely through the coat, and most hand-applied polishing compounds cannot remove 1500 scuff. If it's bad enough to require 1500, don't skip the 2000 step before polishing.
                        '89 Hydrostream Vegas XT w/ Mercury 2.4 Bridgeport EFI - 240hp - 95mph
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