Rubbing Out The Paintwork

My process is similar to II Leone's above but with a slight twist, no clear coating usually.

Note: I work with enamel paints.

• Sand and/or spot putty defects in plastic after a detergent wash and alchohol wipe.
• Wet sand with #600 aluminum oxide sand paper (blackish wet sanding sand paper).
• Primer, let dry, wet sand with #320 - #600 grit, dry, alchohol wipe.
• Touchup any defects, let dry, wet sand, dry, alchohol wipe, primer coat, let dry real good.
• If the 2nd primer coat looks pretty good, no blemishes showing through so no need for another coat, then I'll wet sand lightly with plenty of water and #600 - #800 grit.
• Alchohol wipe, dry and then color mist coat, let dry thoroughly, wet sand #800.
• Alchohol wipe, dry and then color mist coat, let dry thoroughly, wet sand #800.
• Color coat, let dry, wet sand #1200, alchohol wipe.
• Color coat, let dry, wet sand #1200, alchohol wipe.
• Let paint job dry for about a month.
• Rub it out with Crest toothpaste, followed by rubbing it out with Meguiar's Scratch X and then wax it with Meguiar's Gold Class Clear Coat Paste Wax. These products are easily found at Wal*Mart.

Meguiar's Show Car Glaze #7 works nice too.

Thanks guys, really appreciate your time.

Oh heaven, I could go on and on about this.  I've tried it all at one point or another and have found only one thing works, elbow grease.  If you really want to get nuts and put on a killer absolutely awesome finish this is how it goes.  Others out there will think this is nuts, but it really does work.  First, it starts with the bare plastic.  Take a very light compound sandpaper and gently smooth out all blemishes.  Get rid of the mold seams and everything else you do not want showing up later on.  Then put on your first coat of primer.  Yea, I said first coat.  Because the next step is to wet sand this coat.  And of course you will cut through the primer to the plastic.  Keep going until you get a really smooth base, then put on your second coat of primer and repeat.  Go ahead and polish out the primer, because a good base will give a good color.  When you get this done, start the process all over with the color coats.  Paint, polish and repeat.  When you get the paint looking like a mirror and really smooth, no orange peel or other nasties, then clear coat.  Most like Future, I don't.  Go for a good laquer clear coat and repeat the above process.  When you have this all done, bring out the finishing compounds like Mothers or Blue Magic.  Do not under any circumstances use a finishing compound until this point.  The oil and other materials in the compound will not take paint at all.  You will get fish eyes and other nasties.  When you are all done with this, wax it!  Easy huh?  I use denatured alcohol to prep before all painting and clean the parts as well as I can.  White metal is best prepped with acetone or something stronger to get rid of the oils. 

Good luck!!!!

Try these links - between them they should answer your question.

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2002/03/stuff_eng_tech_car_paint.htm
http://www.italianhorses.net/Tutorials/PerfectPaint/paint.htm
http://www.scalewiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Preparing_a_body_for_primming_and_painting

Good luck.

aussie1 wrote:

Can someone explain how you "rub out" the paint and what you use....

It depends on what type of paint you applied. .

Do you mean they use Future without rubbing? I think I'll try that as it does give a beautiful finish straight over paint.

A lot of modelers use Future floor polish as a finishing cost. I prefer using The Treatment Model Wax which is available at hobby shops and from Micro Mark.

You can either use Tamiya Compound (coarse, fine and finish), or you can use Micromesh Polishing Cloths, this is what I use! Tamiya Compounds must only be used with a soft cloth, and only by rubbin' in a circular motion! Micromesh must only be used by sanding at right angles, so you sand vertically and then horizontally, and then once finished you apply some show and shine wax, you will get a killer shine!