What's the best way to remove dry spots?

[dan91SE]

I painted my civic over the weekend and now I have some dry spots in the clearcoat. My idea is to use laquer thinner to smooth out dry areas then use rubbing compound for the nice gloss. Is there a better way to take care of dry spots?

[civicHBsi91]

sand, repaint, re coat it

or if you have a buffer get a nice pad and get some 3M compound and buff it

i work at a bodyshop and when there are imperfections in the paint they either buff it or they do it over again but the 3M stuff is nice see if you can get any of that

[dan91SE]

Originally Posted by civicHBsi91

sand, repaint, re coat it

or if you have a buffer get a nice pad and get some 3M compound and buff it

i work at a bodyshop and when there are imperfections in the paint they either buff it or they do it over again but the 3M stuff is nice see if you can get any of that

I have 3M compound and buffing pads I can use on my drill (on a low torque setting of course). I was mainly wondering if it would be a good idea to "soften" the dry spots a little using thinner. Mist some thinner onto the dry area, rub the area with a clean cotton cloth...wait for 15 to 30 minutes then buff it with rubbing compound...this was basically my plan. There is probably a way to do this right, since straight buffing can burn the paint around the dry spots, the thinner should provide enough oils to replace those that evaporate during buffing. Too much thinner will mix the clear into the color, learned that the hard way.

I cleaned all the rust on my car and this paint is meant to get me though to next spring when I will strip the car and paint her properly; so I figure I may as well practice and experiment; until I get it right or until I prove to myself that I should let a professional do the work.

[Marc-OS]

If you're worried about burning the paint, just buff for a little bit, let the paint cool down, and then go at it again.