Porter Cable/Trizact Sanding Stripes

[KenRobertson]

Hi All,

Some quick background. I'm restoring a '68 Firebird and it was painted about 6 months ago (BC/CC). I'm totally new to wet sanding and picked up a Porter Cable 7424XP and the suite of the the 3M Trizact sanding disks (1500/3000/5000).

I started with my trunk lid and used the Trizact 1500 sanding disks and they worked awesome. I have basically no orange peels left and the scratches remaining are barely noticeable. What is noticeable are sanding marks that are left behind from the Trizact pads. They basically look like tiger stripes.

Is it normal to have these marks left behind? Is this something that will buff out? (I also have the Perfect-It compounds #1 and #2)

I've attached a couple of pics below. Thanks in advance for any advice.

--Ken

[MPBGT]

That looks normal, for the best results you now need to go over it with 3,000 grit then buff, polish, LSP.
The issue I have had on the past was the edges of the sand paper chipping for lack of a better word and putting curly scratches in the paint. Nothing a little more sanding won't take out, but you just have to have enough paint.

[dlc95]

Yeah, refine them as much as possible, especially if you're gonna remove them with the PC.

I went to a friends house to polish a work truck cab, and his 70 Chevelle wagon. He decided to wet sand the wagon with his finest grade paper 1500. All I had with me was my first gen PC, and some foam pads!

I gave it the old college try though...

[Mike Phillips]

Yes that's normal.

Just compound with a wool pad and a rotary to remove the sanding marks. Follow this with a foam pad and any orbital polisher with a medium to fine cut polish for hologram free results.

Then after 30 days seal the paint with your favorite LSP


Now how about some pictures?


Also, since this was your first post to the forum...


Welcome to AutogeekOnline!

[KenRobertson]

Yes that's normal.

Just compound with a wool pad and a rotary to remove the sanding marks. Follow this with a foam pad and any orbital polisher with a medium to fine cut polish for hologram free results.

Then after 30 days seal the paint with your favorite LSP


Now how about some pictures?


Also, since this was your first post to the forum...


Welcome to AutogeekOnline!

Thanks for the feedback everyone. How critical is it that I run a wool pad with a rotary vs my PC7424XP? I'm really liking my PC and am not real keen to go purchase a rotary unless it's going to make a big difference. (been looking at the prices on these things).

Thanks again,
Ken

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

How critical is it that I run a wool pad with a rotary vs my PC7424XP?


I'm really liking my PC and am not real keen to go purchase a rotary unless it's going to make a big difference. (been looking at the prices on these things).

Thanks again,
Ken

You can try to remove your sanding marks using the Porter Cable. I've done it and I'm sure others have too. The best way would be using either a fiber pad, like a microfiber pad or using the new grey 5.5" ThinPro foam cutting pads which are sharper than a knife so i.e. great cutting.

5.5" SUPER THIN FOAM PAD OPTIONS for your Dual Action Polisher


Lake Country 5.5" ThinPro foam pads







As long as you finish out with #3000, #4000 or #5000 it should go okay until you get in and around,

Corners
Tight areas
Thin panels
Extreme curved panels both convex and concave
Edges

Basically your PC will be good for removing sanding marks on the major flat panels. Removing sanding marks is where a rotary with a wool pad excells. And by removing, I mean 100% removal.

[Mike Phillips]

As long as you can remove paint you can remove sanding marks or any below surface paint defect.

Here's working by hand...


How to remove wetsanding scratches by hand - FG 400

[Mike Phillips]

Here's removing sanding marks with a RUPES BigFoot 21

Removing #1500 Sanding Marks with Rupes Bigfoot 21 Polisher

[KenRobertson]

Thanks again for all this Mike, I'm learning lots here.

I had already ordered a couple of your wool pads for my PC so I'll give them a try.
So just to confirm, the order you would do things are as follows...

1 - Trizact 1500 pads
2 - Wool Pad with the Perfect-It #1 Compound
3 - Trizact 3000 pads
4 - Trizact 5000 pads
5 - Foam Pad with the Perfect-It #2 Compound
6 - Wait 30 days and then use Perfect-It #3 Compound

Am I on the right track?

Thanks,
Ken

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks again for all this Mike, I'm learning lots here.

I had already ordered a couple of your wool pads for my PC

Am I on the right track?

Thanks,
Ken

Which specific wool pad did you order?

If it's for a rotary buffer the PC won't rotate the pad under pressure.

PC = THIN small pads not thick large pads.