How do you finish?

There seems to be a number of ways a lot of you guys finish a model and I understand it's down to a matter of 'what works' for you. But, I'd be interested to know where the majority lies.

1) paint, polishing kit, compound, wax
2) paint, clear, polishing kit, compound, wax
3) paint, clear only if metallics/pearls, polishing kit, compound, wax
4) paint, compound, wax
5) paint, clear, compound, wax
6) paint, clear only if metallics/pearls, compound, wax

I do paint compound wax. Unless maybe I need clear for metallic colors.

I sand inbetween the clear/compound

1) paint, polishing kit, compound, wax, since i get a minor orange peal.

im confused, i primer the model, paint it, and some times clear coat it, thats all i do.

Still haven't found a 100% foolproof formula yet :p

paint, compound, wax :D

as above

Is'nt polish and compound the same thing??? I paint+clear same time, and then I screw up the car. Easy.

Originally posted by integra818
Is'nt polish and compound the same thing??? I paint+clear same time, and then I screw up the car. Easy.
When they say "polishing kit" I'm assuming they sand the car with high grit sand paper, but I tend to be wrong every now and then!

Anyways, I paint, clear if nessasary, sand, compound, wax!

By polishing kit - I meant sanding with increasing grits

Originally posted by chaos
By polishing kit - I meant sanding with increasing grits
And looks like I wasen't thinking off today! Anyways, I only sand if I get orange peel.

if i just clear coat it...would it be shiny too???:confused:

my experience is that if u clear coat a model enuf, u dont need to polish or compound...............

Originally posted by .porkchop.
my experience is that if u clear coat a model enuf, u dont need to polish or compound...............

I sprayed clear of over my silvia and I still got orange peel, and I sprayed nicely. But it's better to polish the clearcoat than the paint, I guess.

Whoever siad polish does'nt take out orange peel, did'nt know much about polishing. I have orange peel on my silvia and I am taking it out with polish.

primer, paint, compound, haven't waxed yet, compound gives good shine :)


i gotta little question bout Tamiya clear. Should the model be very smooth (1500Grit sandpaper) befor clearcoating... Or doeds it not really matter because u proly gotta sand the clear anywyas... ALSO: when compounding clear, is it easy to go through, because on my last model, I went down to the primer :(