If it has paint... it gets polished...

[z06meister]

Nice job Mike. Love the El Camino, is that your car or a customers car?

[Grizzly]

Very nice job Mike!

Every surface of the El Camino looks fantastic!

What did you use on those tires? those nice deep rich looking tires really compliment the awesome work you did on the paint.

[rohnramirez]

Holy Cow! That just looks awesome! I'm speechless, Mike! Stuff like this just makes me more and more excited to get my hands on the DA!

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Originally Posted by z06meister

Nice job Mike. Love the El Camino, is that your car or a customers car?

Not mine, I prefer the 1966 for the more squared up roof lines...

This 1969 El Camino is one of Matt's customer's...

Originally Posted by Grizzly

What did you use on those tires? those nice deep rich looking tires really compliment the awesome work you did on the paint.

You're going to die when I tell you... I did nothing except wipe the wheels and tires with a spray detailer and a clean, but tatty towel from the Tatty Towel Collection. To be honest, after this paint polishing portion of this project, I was pretty much ready to turn it back over to the owner. It has Post-it notes on it right now as it sits in the AG Garage that say, "Don't Touch", because even fingerprints show up easily to the eyes. The wheels need to be polished and the tires need to be cleaned, white letters spruced up and then the tire dressed fresh but that's another day and another project. I just gave them a good wipe down and what you see is whatever dressing was applied by someone else.

Originally Posted by rohnramirez

Stuff like this just makes me more and more excited to get my hands on the DA!

You can definitely do a lot of correction with a DA Polisher but the grunt work on this project was done using the rotary buffer.

Here's the deal, as Joe Fernandez pointed out at least a year ago if not two years ago... it used to be it would take years of practice to acquire the skills to turn out a really nice finish on a car but those days are behind us now. Technology has come a long way and now days the buffing pads available, the chemicals available and the tools available, (tools includes both the different polishers as well as discussion forums where you can get information), make it easier and easier to get professional results for just about anyone.

It's just a matter of,

• Evaluate the condition of the finish
• Choose the right product for the job
• Use good technique

Another thing I've seen that's different now days is that there are plenty of talented professionals always willing to share what they know to help bring others further up the road.

Each one teach one...

[Meghan]

Originally Posted by LincolnZephyr2006

Owner will be astonished!

I think he will flat out be floored, this car looks showroom new!

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

It has Post-it notes on it right now as it sits in the AG Garage that say, "Don't Touch", because even fingerprints show up easily to the eyes.

I went in the garage and saw the notes, really made me want to touch it but I didn't!

[Mister B]

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

It would apply when comparing Unigrit to Unigrit but probably not when comparing conventional wet/dry paper to Unigrit.

I would think that the new unigrit foam finishing discs might even be a tiny bit less aggressive than just the unigrit sandpaper itself without the foam backing. For example 3000 grit unigrit foam finishing disc vs. 3000 grit unigrit sandaper. Would you agree? Maybe the difference is hardly noticeable, but I was just curious what you thought or if you have even compared the two, foam backing vs no foam and both grits being equal?

Thanks.

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Originally Posted by Mister B

I would think that the new Unigrit foam finishing discs might even be a tiny bit less aggressive than just the Unigrit sandpaper itself without the foam backing. For example 3000 grit Unigrit foam finishing disc vs. 3000 grit Unigrit sandpaper. Would you agree? Maybe the difference is hardly noticeable, but I was just curious what you thought or if you have even compared the two, foam backing vs no foam and both grits being equal?

Thanks.

Your observation actually sounds good on paper but on paint what I noticed is machine sanding with #3000 removes more paint faster than sanding with #3000 by hand.

My guess is this is merely a mechanical difference as when you're machine sanding you have equal pressure over entire face of the paper and the disc is spinning against the paint. when hand sanding you can try as hard as you want to apply equal pressure over the face of a backing pad but it's a little tricky to do and then the sanding action comes from --> you <-- and you and I usually are not as even or consistent as either an air powered DA Sander or an Electric sander.

The picture below was taken from this article,

Basic Hand Sanding Techniques






Another factor that needs to be counted is whether or not you're using a foam interface pad between your sanding disc or film. "Generally speaking", a foam interface disc will bring the aggressiveness level of a grit size up one level to the next grit level.

So if sanding with #1500 and no foam interface = #1500 grit, then sanding with #1500 with a foam interface = #2000 grit. This isn't a perfect science but the bigger point being that a foam interface reduces the aggressiveness of a paper.


That's why if you're in a body shop and you're removing surface texture like mottling, DIP, or Dirt in Paint, Orange Peel, Runs and Sags, etc. you would tend to not use a foam interface pad and instead of using a foam backed disc you would use a film disc, (film = no foam backing on the sanding disc)

[Mister B]

That makes sense. I would agree that machine sanding would remove paint faster than doing it by hand.

I guess my next question would be in what case would someone choose the Unigrit foam backed disc over the Unigrit film disc (no foam)? With both grits being equal what are the advantages and disadvantages of one type over the other? Just trying to better undersatand them.

Thanks

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Originally Posted by Mister B

I guess my next question would be in what case would someone choose the Unigrit foam backed disc over the Unigrit film disc (no foam)? With both grits being equal what are the advantages and disadvantages of one type over the other? Just trying to better undersatand them.

Thanks

Great question!

I think I answered this somewhere on the forum but not sure where?

Here's why though, the film disc will cut faster and level the paint flatter better, (that's two things), so it's really not for factory paint it's for use in body shops where the paint will be thicker and supposedly the end-user will be experienced and trained for using a faster cutting disc like the film disc.

I certainly wouldn't use this on factory thin paint. Remember,


"Use the least aggressive product to get the job done"