Roller Paint Job Diary

Now, we'll see if I am patient. One guy on the original thread in moparts.org was disillusioned that his car didn't shine like he expected after 1-1/2 hours of buffing. I needed two for wetsanding, at my best speed with 400. At 1000-grit, it took me almost 3 hours. Anyway somebody piped in that the days and hours he spent on body prep were something like 500 hours and his pics showed the result after 20 hours of buffing.

This guy was patient, from my earlier post (close-up before and after shot):
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2068&postcount=9

I hope the cooler weather won't affect it.

I'm going to use a Walmart 10" Random Action polisher and 3M's Rubbing Compound/Swirl Remover, after I block-wetsand with 2000. Wish me mucho luck, eh?

 

I'm going to use a Walmart 10" Random Action polisher and 3M's Rubbing Compound/Swirl Remover, after I block-wetsand with 2000. Wish me mucho luck, eh? [/quote]
Norm,

I have one of those 10" Random Action polishers and I'm not happy at all with it. I never ever got the expected results from it. Although you don't use high speed while polishing the 10" polisher is fairly slow and the unit is clunky at best. Mine broke the second time I used it. I think you ought to spend a little more and get a real polisher even if it's not professional because the various foam pads do a much better job of polishing. Those crappy cloth pad covers that come with the 10" just don't do the job. I think that the smaller foam pads that are around 6" give you better control too.

 

Norm,

I have one of those 10" Random Action polishers and I'm not happy at all with it. I never ever got the expected results from it. Although you don't use high speed while polishing the 10" polisher is fairly slow and the unit is clunky at best. Mine broke the second time I used it. I think you ought to spend a little more and get a real polisher even if it's not professional because the various foam pads do a much better job of polishing. Those crappy cloth pad covers that come with the 10" just don't do the job. I think that the smaller foam pads that are around 6" give you better control too.[/quote]

I've got a good 6" Dual Action unit too, but I thought I'd try the big one first. My buddy with the camera liked his results. The little one has adjustable speed control too. I was going to use the small one tight areas and the big one on the roof and hood. Thanks for pointing it out. If the big one dies, then it won't cost much to replace it.

 

This one is called a WaxMaster and comes in a bucket? Is that the same as yours?

 

No, mine came in a box and was $20. I think it came from WalMart or someplace like that.

It's just too cheap to do the job. I polished the light blue areas of my Cougar by hand with white liquid rubbing compound and it helped a lot and took all day but it needs a power job to get real shiny.

The 10" buffer I have is only good for shining up a wax job. It's no good for polishing.

I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am with the paint job you've done. The carport shop is great too by-the-way. It's going to look fantastic when you get the wood grain applied and all the trim you've restored. I'm becoming a believer in the roller paint concept but I'm still impatient and not sure if I could stick it out like you've done.

Pretty soon you'll have about 1200 parts to reinstall.

 

Well, thanks for the praise, but like you said "I can't wait until the wood grain is on, either!" I was just checking all the parts this morning and found one small container of fasteners that I hadn't rust-protected - mostly common ones. I thought I was so thorough and organized. Don't know how that one slipped. But I'll get them today.

AND, I forgot to paint to gas tank door, after I rust-protected it too. But I've got a couple of rattle-cans for these little jobs.

I searched the WaxMaster site and found out this one is a Turtle-Wax sponsored model, so maybe its ok. I plugged it in and it sure is smooth running and quiet. I may work late into the evening since its only dropping to 10C all night.

Here's one on E-Bay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/JET-by-Wilton-W...2493711QQihZ007QQcategoryZ42266QQcmdZViewItem

Here's a site with almost every brand known:
http://www.snapnpost.com/shop/orbital_waxer.html

Here's the cadillac of polishers:
http://www.cyclotoolmakers.com/

And here's an old dual head GE model that I'd like to modify as my own, one of my old seniors neighbors was throwing it out and gave it to me, I think GE must have thought the Cyclo unit was a good idea
http://www.adclassix.com/ads2/51gepolisher.htm

And here's the English Rolls-Royce of biggies:
http://www.orbitalpolisher.com/index.html

Well, I feel better knowing its a good brand machine W-109 looks like the 99402.
http://www.misgroupinc.com/index.cfm?area=shop&action=vendors&vid=16&CID=1089

That link comes from this Tools Link List (well organized)
http://www.jettoolparts.com/#Waxer/Polishers

 

That one on ebay looks similar in concept to mine but is probably much better. I hear though that the foam pads are the ticket for good quality polish jobs.

 

I agree on the Foam pads. He left me a few -color-coded.

 

Did you roll or spray the door jams and the radiator support? The radiator support looks as good as the rest.

 

Sprayed the rad support, brushed the jambs. Rattle-can would work if you bought it case lots to get the paint without batch variations, but you'd still need to wetsand and spray and wetsand finer, and spray, etc.

Once the paint is thinned out, the brush marks flow out really well. It even runs just like the rattle can product, but slower because there's less thinners in the rolled-on mix. Rattle-cans use more thinners. I think it's 80% thinners and 20% paint.

Got the 1000 grit done all over the car (even the SWMBO helped!), now I'm doing the 2000 -grit and then buffing the whole thing tonite!

 

Thanks! I got all the wetsanding done, including the 2000-grit, but its too dark to see the shadows, even with the big lights. We're up and out early tomorrow. 11C and low winds in the morning. I hope to get her closed up with windows tomorrow, but I'm buffing first!

I got all the brush marks out, and after the 2000-grit, I used a wet cloth and saw the EXACT pleats in my tarp 5 feet above me! I tried to read the wattage of the bulb in the lamp 6 feet away, but it was just a bit fuzzy!

Really, I am between shocked, surprised and one very happy camper.

 

pics man ...pics!!

 

These are from yesterday!

http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4057&postcount=148

My buddy is coming back Friday for post-woodgrain pics. You don't want to look at freshly wetsanded, mucky paint do you? I'm buffing tomorrow, installing the windows and as much of the woodgrain that I can to get the handles back on.

 

Buffing 202

I was re-reading all 8 documents again. The 8th one, from page 20 to the end is all about buffing and waxing. 69Charger makes a comparison of Lacquer BC/CC to Rustoleum chemistry and why you can wax, right after buffing, right after the last wetsanding, one day after the last coat dries. (Reverse order ).

Here's the link back to the 8 documents on this site:
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2871&postcount=49

If you haven't downloaded them you won't know the finer details that folks shared. One guy painted his car in the underground parking lot at Home Depot and his office parking lot, after hours - Serpent is his handle. I still laugh so hard that my ribs hurt when I read that.

Anyway the 8th Section has the finer details of finishing. I placed the moparts.org links in the header of each document as to where they came from so you don't have to GOOGLE anything. I've read these documents at least 20 times, and I've found that I missed details UNTIL I either blew it or I needed it. Since last nite, I've read those last 4 pages at least THREE times and laughed my a$$ off, as well as learned a sh!tload! Good way to start these final steps - I'll chuckle away while my arms wear out moving that machine around for a few hours. This ain't the time to blow it!