Rookie in need of some advice

[DavidReyJr.]

Hey all i'm new to the detailing thing, I got in to it because the factory paint on my car looked crappy especially since it is black which every thing is 10 times as bad. The issue I had with the paint was that there where lots of what looked like tiny bubbles/bumps in the paint. Did some research on wet sanding to try and fix the problem. I know I'm taking a risk by sanding on factory paint but it was a last resort before I decided to just have it repainted. I was very carful about sanding, keeping from sanding to much using 2500 grit 3M sandpaper. It's comming along good after buffing it out with meguiars solo heavy cut wool pad and diamond cut compound but I find my self having to go back over some areas because I don't have the proper lighting in my garage. Can any one recomend me some type of lighting equipment/bulbs that wont burn a hole in my pocket? Also I'm not to clear on how to avoid burning through the paint with a rotary. I havent yet and just about done with the rear bumper just some touch ups hear and there till I polish with my DA just need some one to shed some light on how to avoid it before I do. I buff with speeds around 1200 to 1500 I don't really put pressure down on it nether and always keep it moving.

[DavidReyJr.]

Re: Rookie in need of some advice

Also I find that the m205 finishing polish isn't removing the swirls cause by the wool pad efficently, any recomendations on another mirror glaze polish would be helpfull as well.

[Selectchoice]

Re: Rookie in need of some advice

I'm a little nervous recommending rotary use or wet sanding in an "un-practised" environment. I understand you say it's a last chance for the paint so to speak, but even so it's just so easy for things to go wrong- especially if you've sanded a little heavily in one area, or lean on the buffer a little too much. Paint is very thin and can be unforgiving. I have a paint thickness gauge and even then the science isn't perfect.

Was it just the rear bumper that required sanding or the entire car?

With 2500 grit sandpaper you shouldn't need a massive amount of power with a rotary to remove the sanding marks. Personally I would substitute the Diamond Cut Compound for M105, as M105 tends to refine the surface a lot more after buffing out the sanding marks. M205 will then be more effective at cleaning up anything remaining.

FYI, not officially recommended but I was able to pull 2000 grit sanding marks from my paint with a DA and a foam Meguiars cutting pad utilising M105. This isn't a perfect option as it may leave holograms in the paint, but if you follow up with a polishing pad and M105 again on the DA then you should have little to no problems. Certainly a better option, as a DA, even with a cutting pad, is far more forgiving than a rotary.