In February of 2007, I purchased my s2000 wrecked. My uncle and I rebuilt it in May 2007. I rented a paint booth and, with his assistance, I painted it. It was kind of a learning project.

In June of 2007 I beagn the process of wet sanding the orange peel. The paint looks smooth, but upon close inspection there are hundreds of fine 1/4 and 1/2 inch scratches, and fish eyes here and there. (The fish eyes probably from the the clearcoat not properly curing between sprays)

I have been using a UDM and Meguires #1 light cut compound to work on the paint, but no matter how slow I go and how many passes I make, the fine scartches never go away.

What am I doing wrong?

What is a good combination of pads and compounds that will solve my problem?

Thanks.

 

It might be under the clear. that's why you can't get rid of it

 

what grit are you wetsanding with?

 

I started with 1000, then 1500, and finished with 2000.

What pads are good? What compounds do you reccomend?

Should I just use a basic pad, and depend on the compund to do the work, or should I use various pads?

My buddy who has done several detailing jobs before, says that the paint isn't getting hot enough. He suggests purchasing a rotary buffer. What do you guys think?

 

if your using a pc for wetsanding its gonna take a LOT of passes to get those scratches out.

I used a rotary on mine. Started with a wool pad with a heavy cutting compound, then a semi-aggressive foam pad with a polish, then a finishing pad with a swirl remover/finishing polish. Then a hand wax. All of the products i use are Car Brite.

I know that meguiars makes a lot of compounds that you can use though, they have a compound called SOLO. its VERY good at cutting, i have used that for wetsanding and it came out great. of course i used a rotary though. I dont think a pc would have enough power to impact the paint. maybe someone can correct me on that though

i really wouldnt start down at a 1000 grit. i would have started at a 2000. 1000 grit will get it REALLY shiny but sacrificing the thickness of the clear. i started at a 2000 grit and it came out perfect!

here is my wetsanding i did on my car a year ago after i got a paintjob.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=S...0#entry10178056

 

I thought 1000 grit would have been too aggressive as well, however, I applied four and even five coats of clear in some areas. I did this to cover myself in the long run.

I guess I will try a rotary next. What speed is good? My buddy has a Snap-On buffer/polisher. 800-3000 rpms.

Thanks.

 

ooooooooo snap-on i like. u can get away with a 2000-2500rpm with a wool pad, some may say thats too slow or too fast. I think its perfect.

so you cleared the car yourself?

 

My uncle and I rebuilt it, painted and cleared it; six days. (Check out my signature)

That is probably why I have so many fish eyes, LOL.

 

Fish eyes usually occur becasue of a contaminant. Traces of oil, water, silicones are usually the problem. Moisture in the air supply is also a notorious cause of fish eyes.