Editing Buffing your newly-finished paint

== Introduction ==

This is the second part of finishing off your paint job. Doing this will bring out pure brilliance of the paint, while eliminating all impurities of the paint.


== Basic Concept ==
now you have made a choice,you are going to finish you ride and its going to be a show paint job,one question,is this all that you want or do you want the look!,everyone can get (the look),i have done it quite a few times and have pulled it off with good results,and (the look)took the show and people liked everything!.....the concept is just that (the look)and what it intails and what it holds for (u),its there you must pull all your power up from what ever is in your being and do it!....the sanding the body the paint the buffing is the icing on the cake,it can be done and you will do it,its just a kind of (style)you use and what you use and how you use it!,sounds like a game or some sort of game of chance doesnt it,or does it?,read on and see.............bourne51.

== Wetsanding ==
Many car owners don't consider the total value of a good wetsand job. It's only when they start buffing the paint that they discover it's back to the drawing board (usually, they did not do enough wetsanding). So let me instruct you guys and gals how to proceed in the process of wet sanding. THIS is the way to get a SHOW FINISH instead of a "grandstand" paint job. Owners who have earned many show awards for their cars and bikes will say BLOCK until YOU DROP is the name of the game! Many people use other methods, but the (english type)is what I use. 

This method requires the vehicle panels to be straight and solid to begin with and the paint to have been applied correctly. Start with a fender, side and flat parts and inspect them to see how much you must flatten. Cover all sharp corners with 1/2 inch masking tape and use 1000 grit wet/dry paper to begin. This is considering everything is in very good shape, clear is flat, color is right, etc. I use a 5 gal. bucket with one shot of dish soap, then blend it with luke-warm water. The dish soap will make the water "wetter" and allow it to flow out on the panel instead of beading up. Use a good-quality rubber sanding block and sand until the surface is completely flat. I use a 3m squeegee to clean the area, then stand back a little to inspect the sanded surface and determine if any shine is present. The area must be kept clean and wet, so squeegee it off frequently and dip your sanding block into the bucket often. If it's flat, go to the next area. If the surface is still unsanded, continue  re-sanding the area until a semi-gloss, flat surface is achieved. The finer the paper, the more semi-gloss it will be. Continue doing this until the entire car is done with 1000. You must  repeat this routine with every grit-level of paper you use!!! Now you will do the whole car in 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 (yes there is a 3000 grit!!!). This is the way I get noticed by the judges. They see the finish and it's  right! It will take anywhere from one week to 2 1/2 weeks to get it right. Then you can buff it out with ease using light pressure because the surface is pre-polished and it only takes a bit of buffing to do the rest. So go for it. The main thing is, you must take the time to do it right!..(bourne51)........

== Buffing and polishing compounds ==


know that there are many types of buff heads and i use after pre-sanding 1000-3000 grit paper,a yellow buff foam pad-that is stock with a plastic backing you can find these at any car paint shop.i trim off at least 1/2 inch of plastic off the outer back top of the platic because it hits the paint at weird angles.now for the buffing compounds, i use 00-white buffing compound it is very fine   1% water,it makes a mess but it works!.now for the buff take a fender, you put the mix on a spot say 0ne foot dia and spread
it on that spot,and start to buff,oh by the way your speed should be half speed at this time,start to buff watch to build heat slowly not to put too much poundage on the spot you have picked out.now that should be enought until you see it dry up clean off the spot and see how it looks, now if its dull re-do it and see if it is the same pull the speed up a little more until its right for the paint dont go full speed it might burn the paint and thats bad!!if by now you have done the right speed and buff mix then its time to finish this spot.first put an table spoon of full undiluded buff compound mix on the same spot and start to buff,feel the heat,move pad(buff-pad),back and forth and increase speed by using your thumb,on the speed knob,now you should see what you have it should be very glossy 
and the look should be close.keep doing this until everything is glossy and nice,after this its time to wipe down with a clean rag and soap and water,and use a breathing glase,(usually brown in color),not pink,pink does seal the paint you dont want to do any sealing until a month or more paint must breath.put a line of mix on the fender and buff,it should glide over the surface and really be nice by this time.now do the whole car like this and you will have a nice buff.

== Buffers, which ones to use ==

Before you buff-out impurities in the paint, you must first get the right power unit to properly buff the paint. Some use a Makita brand multi-speed buffer. Yes, the rotary buffers may LOOK like a regular angle grinder, but they aren't. The buffer has a trigger that varies the speed of the wheel, while almost all angle grinders are either all or nothing. Different speeds must be applied to diffrent surface areas; so you absolutely need a multi-speed type.

== Buffing wheels and bonnets ==