2k Clear polishing

[derka-derka]

Ive been using 2k clear and must say its awesome clear coat....but since this type of clear has hardener in the mix, means its harder to polish if im correct...what i mean is, following those FAQs about polishing, it dsnt realli work with 2k clear....ive tried using light- medium pressure with tamiya compund, and after doing that 5-6 times, it seems i havent polished it...
Ive then tried using hard- very hard pressure and the effect comes in....but sometimes i ruin the edges i.e take the base coat out of edges....

anyone have better methods for 2k clear, e.g using specific compunds instead of tamiyas fine...or any other tips welcome..

so far ive been able to acheive this on my ferrari 360 build...but scratched edges....=(

[DasWiesel]

I working with those paints, too and let the clear paint dry for a few days or a whole week. After that i sand it with 2000 and 3000 grit in several directions.
Last step is polishing with "Armor All Ultra Polish + Wax".
Take automotive products, works better than Tamiya.

[derka-derka]

i have tried automotive cutting compund, but doesnt suit the job...its coarse in a sense that it almost works like 1500 sandpaper....its fine in a sense that it can flatten orange peel eventually....but i think its easier sanding with 2000 SP and then tamiya polish(which is the onli thing i have atm).....but ive always sanded too much that the clear is gone....my base color is white which makes it harder to see...now im gonna have to do my 3rd clear spray attempt....

[Didymus]

Why do you want to polish it at all?

My experience with 2K urethane clear is that it dries to a high gloss with no orange peel. What more do you want to achieve by compounding it?

ddms

[derka-derka]

well for me there is OP and aswell as a lot of dust. Maybe i OP isnt too visible but the dust is...Place i live is just dusty and i cant control that factor...

[Didymus]

Originally Posted by derka-derka

well for me there is OP and aswell as a lot of dust. Maybe i OP isnt too visible but the dust is...Place i live is just dusty and i cant control that factor...

Hmmm. Must be tough to be a modeler in a dusty area. I'd suggest a few things: 1) use lacquer thinner or reducer to thin the 2K a bit. Then spray your final coat pretty "wet." That should eliminate the OP. The thinner paint will dry faster, giving dust less time to settle. 2) About 15 minutes before painting, use a sprayer to "mist" the room. Let everything settle before painting the model. 3) As soon as you finish spraying the model itself, put a large cover over it.

None of these is a total solution, but they might help things a bit.

Ddms

[nomad_fsoak]

As for polishing - I use Farecla G3 Paste and then Tamiya one. It gives good results on hard paints like automotive paints.

[derka-derka]

yea the place where i can spray paint my kits is pretty dusty...cos its in a garage and i dnt have any alternatives...that misting the area is a good idea so dust dnt fly around that much...never thought bout that...
as for the "wet" coat....exactly how wet...ive tried VERY VERY wet and the OP is minimised but since its dusty, alot of particles get clogged on the the surface...Ive tried light to medium wet and its less dusty but needs more polishing....so guess thats the trade off....
so far for thinning, i use around 10:5:3 clear coat, harderner, thinner respectively.
Anyone with a better formula for my "dusty" garage?

[stevenoble]

Originally Posted by derka-derka

yea the place where i can spray paint my kits is pretty dusty...cos its in a garage and i dnt have any alternatives...that misting the area is a good idea so dust dnt fly around that much...never thought bout that...
as for the "wet" coat....exactly how wet...ive tried VERY VERY wet and the OP is minimised but since its dusty, alot of particles get clogged on the the surface...Ive tried light to medium wet and its less dusty but needs more polishing....so guess thats the trade off....
so far for thinning, i use around 10:5:3 clear coat, harderner, thinner respectively.
Anyone with a better formula for my "dusty" garage?

I find that the 'orange peel' effect can be affected by the amount of thinning.On the Hiroboy website he recommends 50ml clear, 25 ml hardener, 7.5ml thinner (10%) I find I use more thinner and it suits my airbrush so much better, goes on smoother and I get virtually no 'orange peel' effect.I usually mix mine as follows, because the quantity listed above makes far too much anyway and I end up wasting it.I find that 5ml clear, 2,5ml hardener and 2.5ml thinner works best for me.It makes a full cup on my airbrush and that full cup will finish an F1 body cowl and the wings etc.It does make it a lot thinner and it will run far easier, but it goes on so much more smoothly and flows out enough to virtually eliminate the 'orange peel' It doesn't seem to affect the coverage or the gloss level either and you still get an excellent shine and it's a tough finish as well.
As for the 'wetness' of coats I usually apply the lightish tack coat as recommended then 2-3 'wet' coats, reasonably heavy but not so heavy that they will run.You need to get the 'magic' moment wet enough so it's not dry (means more polishing work) but just before it runs (more rubbing out and re spraying work) if it runs.
I would certainly experiment with the thinning levels until you find the formula that suits your painting style and airbrush set up.However you don't want to be adding massive quantities of thinner to the mix as I'm sure this would reduce the effectiveness of the clear as a clear and you may get problems of it eating into the colour coats or destroying your decals.

[derka-derka]

Ive managed to polish the body to a shine that i can clearly see my self in it...but there a fine fine scratch marks left be using compounds and polishing waxes....whats the best method to reduce or even remove these scratch marks...ive tried liquid wax and buffing but it doesn't do a real good job...

[360spider]

Finer polish.

[mn80228]

Try Meguiar's Scratch X.
I have used that on all my latest builds, and it works beautifully.
I use a polishing kit, and then after the final grit, I just buff out the light scratches with the Scratch X.

[drunken monkey]

there are quite a few reasons for fine scratches on paint.

i) not fine enough polishing medium
ii) too much pressure
iii) paint is not ready for polishing
iv) cloth used is not "clean" enough

it's really up to you to try and identify the problem.
In most cases, changing the type of cloth you use and making sure it isn't too clogged up with medium and paint while you polish will be the first thing to try.

[derka-derka]

I think it mite be that i apply too much pressure....but with light pressure the shine doesnt come up...
and 1 more question...
ppl say apply polish, and buf in circular motion and let dry to white glaze....
HOW important is letting dry to white glaze...because most of the time i just rub until i cant see the polish anymore...and i dnt wait b4 wiping with clean cloth...

[derka-derka]

I have the following tools and materials for polishing...anyone would help me rank them from most coarse to most fine...

2000 sandpaper
Kitten cutting compound
Turtle liquid Wax
Turtle swirl remover
Kitten Cream polish with carnuaba wax
Colgate Gold Toothpaste
Tamiya Compund- Fine