Help! How To Buff My Rough Acrylic Paint Job

[260DET]

It's not too bad, has sort of a fine bumpy surface and I'm not expecting a big shine, race car. But a bit better before the graphics go on would be good, I have a rotary buffer with wool and foam pads and don't want to risk going though, no experience means a cautious approach that can improve the finish a bit. Advice?

[TOO60Z]

2-Pac

[1600dave]

Wet and dry, 1200 or finer grade and a sanding block.

 

Bucket of water with a touch of soap.

 

Sand carefully till you're happy with the level of orange peel.

 

Buff with cutting compound, wool pad, on a slow speed till your happy with the shine.

 

Be careful on corners / sharp edges.

 

How many coats did you put on ?

Edited June 6, 2018 by 1600dave

[260DET]

Wet and dry is out, too hard on the hands in winter. I was thinking of just using the sponge rather than the wool buff with some light cutting compound. After stuffing up the roof finish I'm wary of body work.

[PZG302]

What Dave said is the only way I know how to improve the surface.

 

The cutting compounds and polish just aren't harsh enough to flatten the bumps out.

[1600dave]

Yep,  buffing = polishing, sanding = flattening.

 

No sanding will just mean slightly shinier bumps in the paint

[Wombat]

Without seeing the paintwork I would go with what Dave said earlier.. sand and buff.. If you're hesitant to sand/buff and presuming the bumps aren't actually paint bumps, defects or humidity blisters I would try a claybar or claymit and then a light buff for shine

[C.A.R.]

Re-spray in 2-Pac.

[260DET]

Except for the bumpy roof which no paint could fix, the acrylic has turned out fine, in some places it has a dull shine,  elsewhere it's not too bad, the imperfections I'm trying to describe are just a rougher surface. So something to smooth it out without removing the paint underneath. That clay bar or mitt sounds interesting, will check that out.

 

EDIT  The air was very dry when the painting was being done, it was hard on the flatter surfaces to spray it wet the full width, on the curves where it now has a dull shine the paint went on wetter because of the narrower spray span. Spraying into the air produced fine tendrils of dried paint less then 300mm out from the gun. 

Edited June 6, 2018 by 260DET

[TOO60Z]

Sticks fingers in ears, stomps around singing "LA LA LALAAAA".

[260DET]

Acrylic is fine for a race car, I'd do it in acrylic again, just got caught out due to inexperience.

[GregTas]

The one benefit of acrylic is if your not happy with some parts you can rub it back smooth and have another go. Unlike 2-pac it's easier to blend it into the rest of it.

If you are unable to sand the bumps out without braking through to the primer then as has been said, polishing it will just give you shiney bumps.

 

Why not try repainting the bad areas?

[260DET]

The beauty about acrylic is that it can sit in a tin for years waiting for a repair job. Nothing special required, SuperCheap thinners will do. Race car requirements can be quite different to the usual.

 

Mine will be OK ,a light rub back will get it started.