Has anyone attempted paint correction themselves?

[Cobra Jet]

Paint correction as in removing or smoothing out the factory clear orange peel and/or light surface scratches using 3000 grit polish paper (wet sanding) and then compounding, polishing etc?

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[robwlf]

yes sir i do it alot as im a painter.. its hard with newer cars the clear is so thin. flat surfaces are easy its all the edges that can cause problems , 3000 wont get rid of peel.. thats a final step before buffing.. i use 2000, then 3000 3m foam backed sand paper on a da... so cases i use 1500,then 2000,then 3000.
and i only use 3m cutting compound, step1.. then go step 2 then 3 .and i use a big boy buffer dewalt 10inch with 3m foam pads ,white for compound, black for step 2 and baby blue pad for step 3 ..i have never had bad results with 3m in the 14 yrs i been using it

 

[Cobra Jet]

yes sir i do it alot as im a painter.. its hard with newer cars the clear is so thin. flat surfaces are easy its all the edges that can cause problems , 3000 wont get rid of peel.. thats a final step before buffing.. i use 2000, then 3000 3m foam backed sand paper on a da... so cases i use 1500,then 2000,then 3000.
and i only use 3m cutting compound, step1.. then go step 2 then 3 .and i use a big boy buffer dewalt 10inch with 3m foam pads ,white for compound, black for step 2 and baby blue pad for step 3 ..i have never had bad results with 3m in the 14 yrs i been using it

Thanks for the detailed reply!

Yes, I had purchased a pack of the 3M foam backed 3000 grit “sheets” (prob like 6”x3”). I wasn’t too sure about going any lower in grit (1500 or 2000) as my concern was that those grits may be too aggressive, no?

I am familiar with proper care, as I do have a Porter Cable 7424 w/ the 10” variety pad set and also a 3” pad set (for smaller regions).

I also have the Meguiars liquid compound, which I have used with good success (it’s easy to apply and remove with low “powder residue” when it is semi dry). I also have some 3M products as well as Zaino and Griots products.

I have never attempted paint correction myself using the wet sand methods. With the wet sanding using 3000 (or the 1500/2000) grit papers, I am assuming the user must go with the grain of the sheet metal for best results?

My 2018 is in excellent shape, but there’s just some very minor spider webbing surface scratches, minor road debris scratches from daily highway driving and of course some minor orange peel. Mind you, none of these have penetrated the paint layer, it’s all topside (clearcoat) and none are fingernail deep.

What speed do you usually keep your DeWalt on when doing the paint correction?

 

[robwlf]

well the foam back i use paper wise is for a da sander .. if you dont have a da use a foam soft sanding block if you use it with just your fingers youll finger f@#k marks in it .. if its just light scratches and minor stuff 3000 might get it out lowest id go would be 2000, i use 1500 to denib spots like dirt from painting then go over that with 2000, then 3000 .. always checking and always rinsing it off

trick is you have to sand it with light paper first like 3000 then rinse, then dry the spot.. to see if it worked.. if not instead of using the 3000 again i knock down to 2000 sand it with little force a few times then rinse and dry and see how it looks its a long process by hand and new car paint is thinner...when i paint something i know i can use a da with 1500 foam back and a interface pad and it wont dig deep. i use 3 coats of clear when i paint most cars or parts..

cutting compound i keep my buffer on 3 with even pressure, polishing i keep it up on 5

 

[Labradog]

IMO wet sanding shouldn't be done on most cars that are daily driven. Just not worth losing that much clear.

 

[robwlf]

if you wet sand then do a ceramic coating your fine but.. i mostly wet sand the stuff i paint which as a lot more clear then any factory paint job

 

[vernonator]

You may want to look into products that are specific for DIY paint correction. I use Adam's Polishes and they are very hard to screw up. Yes they may take a bit more time - multiple reps if your car is BAD, but you will have a VERY hard time burning thru your clear.

 

[BadGTR]

Wet sanding is not for the beginner specially with the thinner clear coats on today's finishes. Your best bet would be to start with a decent polisher, like a Flex and use a harder buffing pad. Get a decent cutting polish and do some correcting there. You will not get it super flat like you would sanding and buffing. But you will definitely improve it and wont go thru the clear coat, lol.

 

[SAWerks50]

A ceramic coating does not add much thickness to the surface at all. 1 layer provides about 1 micron of thickness or about 1/50th the thickness of your clearcoat. I'd live with the orange peel. Sanding and rotary compounding can really cut down the factory clear quickly. Good luck with everything!

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