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01-30-2005, 02:11 PM
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#1
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AF Fanatic
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Anywhere but here
Posts: 1,676
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Shoulld I now wax this paint finish?
I am sorry for asking this, but I am a little confused. I read the FAQ on polishing, but I don't know what I'm to do next.
I have sprayed my car, the thread will give you a progress update if needed and I was happy with the result.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=347891
I waited 12 days and not 14 days before I started to polish the body. I was going to use compound, but the compound I ordered for HLJ hasn't arrived, so I thought I would use Micro Mesh instead.
Results are stunning. I started with 4000, and "VERY" slowly worked up to 12000 across the entire body. I did this with a "VERY" wet car body, with the sheet covered in water. It took ages, in fact all day - and I mean all of today. Slowly and gently rubbing away. I have now dried the car of wet spots and as you will see below the shine is almost a mirror.
What do I do now? Do I now leave it, as it was micro mesh I used, or polishing still with compound and then wax, or just wax? I am a little confused, and I'm sorry if you think I'm being a bit dumb. It's the first time I've used micro mesh, and TBH, this process has almost left me in cold sweats. Talk about worry, I thought I was going to get through the paint.. But I didn't.. Phew..!!
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01-30-2005, 02:16 PM
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#2
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AF Enthusiast
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Posts: 1,561
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the picture is dark so i cant say if it needs to be polished but go ahead and wax it. you can always wash of the wax and rub it down if you feel its needed.
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01-30-2005, 02:28 PM
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#3
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AF Fanatic
Join Date: Jan 2005
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01-30-2005, 02:49 PM
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#4
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AF Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Posts: 12,504
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Re: Shoulld I now wax this paint finish?
Digital cameras need lots of light to take good photos, try taking a photo outside in daylight.
The flash on a digital camera is little to no use in average light conditions.
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01-30-2005, 03:42 PM
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#5
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AF Regular
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Leicester
Posts: 263
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Nice work. The 12000 grit should have left your finish smooth (which it looks), but with extremely small scratches.
You now use compound (Tamiya, Scratch X etc) to remove those last scratchs.
You should now put your wax on. Remember some waxes are abrasive and some aren't. If you're finish is smooth enough you could just use an abrasive wax like The Final Detail (that Alex Kustov uses) without using compound.
Cheers
Farrokh
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01-30-2005, 03:42 PM
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#6
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AF Enthusiast
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
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Outdoor pics are best with digi cams but i would highly suggest buying a mini tripod as well to get good clean shots indoor/or outdoor. there less then $20. what camera is it??? i might be able to help you set it up for better pics.
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01-30-2005, 03:44 PM
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#7
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Razor Sharp Twit
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: london
Posts: 4,925
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Re: Shoulld I now wax this paint finish?
....not to mention that those little flashes on cameras are for filling in 'dark patches'.
they're not meant to act as a primary light source.
nothing beats daylight (apart from a studio set up with spots)
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01-30-2005, 03:55 PM
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#8
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AF Fanatic
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Anywhere but here
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Re: Shoulld I now wax this paint finish?
Quote:
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Originally Posted by freakmech
Outdoor pics are best with digi cams but i would highly suggest buying a mini tripod as well to get good clean shots indoor/or outdoor. there less then $20. what camera is it??? i might be able to help you set it up for better pics.
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It is an Olympus C-460, and I think I know what you are saying. Outdoor shots look great, even for me but the shots of my car look bad when indoors.
Problem I have, most of the time I work late at night, so it's always dark outside. I will try and get an outside shot though, as the car looks great. Even for me, and this is my fisr attempt at a "real" top finish.!!
BTW - Yes it has got some "VERY" fine scratches. They are almost invisable. You can see them but only just. I am worried that I will go through the paint if I use anymore abrasive materials..!! I applied 2 mist, 1 slightly wet and two full wet coats, but the paint isn't thick, or I would have lost the panel lines.
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01-30-2005, 03:58 PM
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#9
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AF Fanatic
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Anywhere but here
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OH - My wax (when it gets here from HLJ) will be tamiya, is that abrasive?
I don't think I can get fine detail wax in the UK, and I don't have any scratch X. I can get some though..
Thanks all
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01-30-2005, 04:12 PM
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#10
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AF Enthusiast
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Posts: 1,561
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OK, for indoor use try the Flourescent Light setting, and use the spot meter function. also try and light the model from the back of the shot angle (from behind but not in the shot). set the camera on something solid instead of holding it. stack books if you have to. use flash on low and center your aim on the side air intake just behind the door. put some printer paper under and around car so the cam can auto-white balance. basically if you play around with the menu functions enough youll find good settings for your cam in different light. i also work at night so my pics are dodgy as well but i have a worst cam then you but learned to use it by playing around.
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Friends dont let friends buy die-casts...

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01-30-2005, 06:35 PM
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#11
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AF Fanatic
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Thanks for the advice, but I should have messed around with these before. Typical, just shot with the defaults, and never think to try other settings..
Anyhow -
Shot 1 - slow shutter + flash, WB set to night
Shot 2 - Slow shutter with flash WB set to indoor light
Shot 3 - No flash WB set to night
Any better...??
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01-30-2005, 07:13 PM
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#12
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AF Enthusiast
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 2,399
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Re: Shoulld I now wax this paint finish?
I'm a polishing fiend, so I know how the surface look like after 12000 grit polishing kit. What you need is one of those finer compounds, like Tamiya's finishing one (they have three kinds now), Modeler's Top Compound 2000, or Hasegawa's Ceramic Compound. (Among those, I recommend the Hasegawa one.) That will make the surface like a mirror. Then, you'll be obsessed with polishing like me.
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01-31-2005, 10:51 AM
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#13
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AF Enthusiast
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: H.B., California
Posts: 1,091
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OH - My wax (when it gets here from HLJ) will be tamiya, is that abrasive?
No, Tamiya wax is not abrasive.
From the pictures it looks ready to wax.
If you find you've missed some spots, I'd use the Tamiya Compound for those areas and then just wax over those spots, no need to strip any wax.
That 360 is looking very nice... - Mark
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01-31-2005, 11:07 AM
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#14
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AF Regular
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Leicester
Posts: 263
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Thats pretty damn smooth
If you're worried about sanding through to the paint you could try a couple of coats of clear. That way you'll know if you've sanded too much when you start to see colour on your polishing cloth.
Cheers
Farrokh
P.S. Hasegawa Ceramic compound is great stuff!
__________________
Current Projects
Yamaha YZF-R1 Taira 70% complete
Lamborghini Diablo SE30 (Fujimi/Revell combi) 20% complete
Tamiya Ferrari Enzo plus SMS, Sakatsu and Acustion 10% complete.
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