when is it safe to polish for diff paint types

[derka-derka]

When is it safe to start using cutting compound followed by wax.
Ive seen different answers from diff ppl ranging from 3 days to 2months.
Ive got hasty and started compounding one of my models in 4 days after final coat, and unfortunetly it pretty much screwed it up...it was automotive spray paint and it was already glossy without polishing..but i wanted it to be mirror like...and damn...it made it flat along with stickiness....and now all these dust is on it...
some one kindly give me a rough number of days for these paints b4 polishing:
Tamiya enamels, automotive spray cans, tamiya sprays

[stevenoble]

Originally Posted by derka-derka

Some one kindly give me a rough number of days for these paints before polishing:
Tamiya enamels, automotive spray cans, Tamiya sprays

My opinion:

Tamiya enamels: I never polish enamels.They don't seem to respond too well when ever I have tried and I end up destroying the finish.But I don't use them for body parts anymore because of this.

Automotive Spraycans: I would leave them at least a week,but it depends on the type of paint and the brand so experiment.

Tamiya Sprays: I've done them after 2-3 days,but usually I leave them a week.

These are just my ideas.I'm sure others will agree/disagree.So experiment a little yourself and see what works best for you.

[wouter1981]

I do polish tamiya, revell and humbrol enamels and they respond verry well to polishing, but they just need a lot of time to cure. It sometimes takes months! But I'm a verry slow builder, so i first paint the body, let it cure.. do the rest of the model, and then start polishing.
for Tamiya spraycans i wait about a week and never had problems with them.

[freakray]

I agree with Wouter, it's very possible to polish enamels but due to the paint type the cure time is longer and so you have to wait longer to polish.

[Adam Baker]

I havent polished much, just havent gotten that far in developing my modeling skills. But when I do start doing it, I only plan on polishing out the clear coats. I dont plan on polishing the paint itself, unless I absolutely have to. I plan on starting to use the Duplicolor Paint Shop Clear. I have a can of it already, and have used it once, and so far the results look pretty promising.

[stevenoble]

Originally Posted by freakray

It's very possible to polish enamels but due to the paint type the cure time is longer and so you have to wait longer to polish.

Then that is why they never polish very well for me then.I am impatient and can't wait for the 'months' that they take to cure.......
I think I'll stick to the quicker drying automotive type lacquers...

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

I use a food dehydrator, so I can start polishing anything in hours, even enamels. Not days/weeks/months. If the paint still smells "fresh", it's not dry. You can do a fingernail test on a small area first to see if it marks the paint. Enamels take a lot longer to dry than lacquers, but they can be polished out just as easily as lacquers when they are fully cured. If you don't have a dehydrator it could easily take a week or more to be ready for polishing.

[Adam Baker]

Food dehydrators work great for drying paints, I have one that I use, and absolutely love it.

[Joe Blyth]

I use the "smell" test. I smell the paint everyday until it doesn't smell like paint anymore, then leave it in a tupperware box overnight. If it still smells when you open the box, wait until it doesn't smell when you open the box. If it doesn't smell like paint when you open the box, your paint is cured and ready to polish. This can be used for any type of paint.