Exterior Paint Question

[RCE1962]

The car is Ermine White.

I'd like to wait awhile before I get this car repainted. Does anyone have any hints / recommendations for certain products (i.e. rubbing compounds etc. to use with buffer?). Looks like the previous paint job on the car had used wet sand paper. Very fine light surface scratches that run in different directions... and is quite noticable on several sections of the car.

RCE1962

 

[bobs409]

I've only ever used Mequiars products but am happy with the results.

Wetsanding is good but finish with at least 2000 grit or higher, then run through a few of the Mequiars products. By wetsanding, you can most likely avoid using anything like their medium cut polish. I'd go from 2000 grit to fine cut polish, then on to a swirl remover and glaze. (been a while for me so I could use a refresher course for all the steps)

I suggest going to Mequiars website and reading their forum & website. I learned ALOT there. Everything you need to know is there.


Have fun,


Bob

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Start off easy...

The guy before you may have used a coarser grit in wet sanding (1000, 1200) so you might begin there and wet her down again using a quality 2000 grit that Bob mentioned. Go easy on the edges and corners, as this is where paint is often its thinnest, and you do not want to go through the paint surface. Change your paper often and use lots of water, add a little Dawn or soapy additive to the water. I use a spray bottle, like an empty Windex bottle. Maybe start out in one direction and see if you can work the scratches out. Then as Bob mentions use a trio of buffing compounds (Meguiars is a good one, and you learn from their instructions).

You'll be surprised how some of the old shine can be brought back out, even though the paint is much thinner now that you've reduced it. I did this to my original acrylic lacquer on my '62 years ago, it came out 100 times better (but I did go through the paint in a few spots, so be careful!).

Best,
TomK

 

[petepedlar]

Brasso

You guys will laugh your head off at this one........ get some Brasso brass polish and try it. It will blow you away........ an old painter told me about it years ago, he used it all the time. Almost every car he painted he would rub it down with Brasso when it was dry....... I bought a 1978 Suburban a few years ago, low mileage, no rust, very clean 1 owner truck, but the paint was faded & showing its age........ It had a dent in the rear 1/4 that I fixed & painted. It really showed because of the old paint on the rest of the truck......... I rubbed her down with Brasso and you're hard pressed to find the new paint now.

Brasso made it look like a new truck !!!!!!!!

before you fall off the chair laughing spend a couple of bucks for a small can & try it .............


Dave

 

[RCE1962]

Thanks guys

I will try all these suggestions.


Ron

 

[RCE1962]

Dave

Just for fun, and since I had an extra aluminum SS trim piece, I tried a few products. I know there are better ways to get the anodizing off the aluminum...but...hey...lets try something new.

I've tried all the "Mother's" products which I think are really good, but since you brought up the Brasso idea I thought I'd give it a try on this piece of trim. You never know until you try...right?

1. I started out with Brasso and a terri cloth. Let it dry and polished it with cloth and paper towel just to get some of the residue completely off. Result?...just so-so. (Note: Brasso states that it is not recommended for aluminum)!! I tried it any ways. Its not a final finish product since it leaves extremely light scratches due to very minor abrasives. A good aluminum polish like "Mothers" following this exersise...would probably be great!

2. Next I tried some ceramic (typically used for modern kitchen oven tops). Let it dry and polished it the same way described above. Result?...no change. Well...why not try....stranger things have happened. (e.g. Viagra was initially developed to assist with certain "heart" conditions). So look what happened here!

3. Then I used my old stand-by. A favourite I've used over 30 years ago. I went looking for again..and there it was.... "Nev R Dull". This is a spun-cotton product that is impregnated with a chemical cleaner. This is great stuff. Result? I'm biased..but I think it helped. This product has no grit. so its a very safe way to polish, trim and bumpers etc. You can use this product on fine silverware!! Residue from application once it dried, left a good amount of tarnish on the buffing cloth...and paper towels. Although I love this product...the trim still had a "cloudy" finish to it from the anodizing.

4. I also searched the internet on "How-to" polish aluminum. Depending on the parts and condition. it was suggested that various levels of " steel wool" can be used. I used medium to get some of the old paint off...be careful not to apply too much pressure since the aluminum is soft compared to a medium grade of steel wool and will leave more scratches than you started with. .......So I improvised!....

4. The Superfine steel wool is very forgiving and actually removed surface blemishes that polishes didn't easily take out. I applied generous amounts of Brasso to the Superfine steel wool and hand-polished the trim for about 15 minutes. I observed a considerable improvement. More time, sweat and polish, I'm sure can improve its overall appearance further.

Just my observation and opinion. Everybody knows the next drill..."Use at your own risk"!!! Not responsible for any Blah...Blah...Blah. .:

P.S. Yes...that's the kitchen table. Carol brought me a few silver candle thingy's to clean up while I was experimenting. Smart girl. Got some of that done too!

P.P.S. Only Nev R Dull used on that Stuff:eek:


RCE1962

 

[Tic's60]

Cameo polish from the grocery store. Give it a whirl And post your results......

 

[bobs409]

Dave

3. Then I used my old stand-by. A favourite I've used over 30 years ago. I went looking for again..and there it was.... "Nev R Dull". This is a spun-cotton product that is impregnated with a chemical cleaner. This is great stuff. Result? I'm biased..but I think it helped. This product has no grit. so its a very safe way to polish, trim and bumpers etc. You can use this product on fine silverware!! Residue from application once it dried, left a good amount of tarnish on the buffing cloth...and paper towels. Although I love this product...the trim still had a "cloudy" finish to it from the anodizing.

RCE1962

You have to remove the anodizing first or you'll be polishing for a very long time. That cloudy finish is the anodizing. Once that is removed, never dull does work very good. I use it to freshen up the pieces on my cars that I have stripped/buffed. When it turns black, that shows it's working. If it doesn't, then the part is still anodized and all your efforts are going nowhere.

I posted somewhere on here about anodizing remover. A search should find it.


Bob

 

[DaveFoster]

anodizing remover? didn't know they made such a thing, I live a sheltered life. There used to be a metal polishing shop next door to my bodyshop and they bought oven cleaner by the case to remove the anadizing from aluminum. And the above buffing advice is right on, I would add this; use masking tape to protect the edges when you have any doubts or fears of going through. Not only does the edge get less paint applied during the spraying process, but it gets energy applied by the buffer pad if it is just slightly raised or exposed as the leading edge, if that makes sence. Years of buffing has taught me to buff away from edges, not into them, whenever I can, and tape them if I can't. And be real carefull, anyone who buffs cars has screwed up beautiful paintjobs in a heartbeat, it's a painful lesson. Slowdown, just professional products, make sure your buffer is a buffer and not a grinder, as they are about a thousand rpm's faster, and check your buffers handle for sharp edges, I've seen damage from that and dropping a buffer after it catches a moulding. Around here professional buffers charge at least three hundred bucks to wet sand and buff out a paint job.

 

[oldskydog]

"4. The Superfine steel wool is very forgiving and actually removed surface blemishes that polishes didn't easily take out. I applied generous amounts of Brasso to the Superfine steel wool and hand-polished the trim for about 15 minutes. I observed a considerable improvement. More time, sweat and polish, I'm sure can improve its overall appearance further."

Probably not the best idea to use steel wool on aluminum as it can embed tiny pieces of steel in the aluminum which later show up as little rust specks. Aluminum wool might work as well as the steel wool without the problems. I don't have any experience removing anodizing with it though.

 

[tripower]

Probably not the best idea to use steel wool on aluminum as it can embed tiny pieces of steel in the aluminum which later show up as little rust specks. Aluminum wool might work as well as the steel wool without the problems. I don't have any experience removing anodizing with it though.

I agree that using the steel wool can get scary and will leave particles that will show up as rust later. In the marine industry we always used bronze wool for varnishing as the bronze particles did not have the same results as the steel but, now we have scotch bright pads...

 

[oldskydog]

Just a follow-up on the aluminum wool......I tried to remove the anodizing on a piece of 61 trunk trim and it cleaned it right off with no problem.