buffing auto clearcoat

dunkelcustomcue

dunkelcustomcue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So far I've had a lot of luck with my clearcoats, most come out looking like glass. However I've had a few with small fibers or hairs in it after it dries. What's the best way to get it out and buff it out to that mirror like finish?
I've tried 2,000 grit then compound, but it just doesn't shine as well. Should I spin it on the lathe and buff? Any help would be appreciated.
 
dunkelcustomcue said:
So far I've had a lot of luck with my clearcoats, most come out looking like glass. However I've had a few with small fibers or hairs in it after it dries. What's the best way to get it out and buff it out to that mirror like finish?
I've tried 2,000 grit then compound, but it just doesn't shine as well. Should I spin it on the lathe and buff? Any help would be appreciated.
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Many finishes must be rubbed out with a particuler brand of compound and a certain time period must be waited. I don't know what you use and I probably couldn't make a recommendation if I did as I'm not a body man and there is so many different auto-finishes, hardners and reducers which affect the outcome.
All auto-finish manufacturers have trouble-shooters to give information on their product for best results. Give them a call with your specifics and they will be more than happy to direct you in the right direction as they want their product to look better than others.
Getting a great shine after rubbing out is the reason I went back to an auto-finish after investing in an ultra-violet outfit and a number of different finishes. The stuff was taking me hours to rub out and still not look as good as auto-finish.
Dick
 
Dick, Thanks for the response. I use Dupont Chroma Clear. You are right every clear coat needs a different product, I'll check with them in the morning to see what they recommend.
 
After years of expierimenting with finishes, from lacquers to Super Glue,I settled on Du Pont Chromeaclear about 10 years ago. Their newest clear, is their best yet. I finish my bare wood, sanding with 600 grit. I spray my cues assembled(just barely loosened) & hanging vertically. Just before spaying I wipe the area to be sprayed, with mineral spirits. Then immediatly spray 3 medium coats. After 2-4 minutes, I give it 3 more medium coats. I repeat this one more time. You can sand this stuff in as little as 2 hours. I like to leave it overnight. There usually isn't any over spray on the joint surface, but if there is, now is the time to clean it off with a VERY light sanding with 600. With the cue together I sand with 400, while the lathe is spinning. Then sand ,using 400 WITH THE GRAIN, to get rid of all the circular sanding lines. Follow that with the same, using 600. How much paint you take off is something you will have to experiment with. I then repeat the spraying, putting on about 12 medium coats. Sand, starting with 600,1st with the lathe turning & then with the grain. ALL OF THIS SANDING IS DONE DRY. This is usually enough clear to give me a good finish. I then go to wet sanding, using 1000 then 1500. Always finish with the grain. I follow with 3 grades of rubbing compound, finishing with SWIRL REMOVER. LET THE COMPOUND DO THE WORK. Don't press too hard & always use cotton cloth patches. I used to do murals & pinstripping in a body shop , so my background is that of a painter. HOPE THIS HELPS...JER
 
Jer, Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge! I use West system epoxy as a sealer, usually 3 Coats, first I wipe the wood with acetone until I don't get any color on the paper towel. This can take awhile with cocobolo and other oily woods. First coat gets wet sanded with 400 grit then 600 grit, wiped down with acetone and another coat gets applied. I wait atleast 3 days between coats. On the last coat after wet sanding I wipe the cue down with
prep sol (preperation solvent) and spray 4 thin coats on of dupont chroma clear. You might think 3 coats is alot for a sealer, but the first coat almost always gets sanded off and the following coats are sanded until completely smooth. I think if you use a sealer that dries too fast it doesn't get a chance to soak into the wood and bring out the deep tones and colors. I'm going to try Jer's way on a cue and see how it compares.
 
Meguiars 3 step system. Cut, Polish, Wax. It works for most automotive finishes.
 
Use Dupont Brand 1500S and 3000S buffing material. There is a chemical reaction Dupont builds in so their compunds work best. Beats all I have ever seen because their compounds won't buff other finishes very well. They want you to have to use their products for the whole job. 3M products work but not as well or as fast on Dupont.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
I forgot to mention that before the clearcoat I use a sealer made from shelac , thinned 4-1. The Dupont that I use is the 7600S...JER
 
Chris, Thanks for the advice! I'll pick up some and give it a shot.

Jer, How many coats of the shelac do you put on? how long does it take to dry? Thanks again.
 
dunkelcustomcue said:
Chris, Thanks for the advice! I'll pick up some and give it a shot.

Jer, How many coats of the shelac do you put on? how long does it take to dry? Thanks again.
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1 coat of shellac & it drys within a few minutes. You can spray it, brush it on with a foam brush or use a rag...JER
 
Jer, It usually takes me a week to seal a cue to the point that I'm happy with it. I'm going to have to give the shelac a shot.
 
dunkelcustomcue said:
Jer, It usually takes me a week to seal a cue to the point that I'm happy with it. I'm going to have to give the shelac a shot.
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If you are spending a week trying to seal your cue I believe you are going about it the wrong way. It sounds as though you are trying to use a sealer for a filler and that is not the proper way to fill the grain lines in a cue. Thinned shellac has been used for eons as a sealer. What you want a sealer to accomplish is to soak into the surface and harden sealing in the oils and stain on the wood and making a surface that the finish or filler will readily stick to as a primer is used on a metal auto body. Very thin shellac accomplishes this well. One coat or at most two coats of a sealer is all that should ever be applied. Once the cue is sealed it must then have the surface filled to make perfectly level and the sealer is not good for this. Shellac, when built up is brittle so is not good for objects that are handled much. You can fill the wood pores with finish, epoxy or a mired of other substances to make the cue perfectly flat. By using these fillers it doesn't take nearly as long to build up the finish than if just using finish which goes on in thin layers and needs drying time between coats.
Dick
 
Dick, Thanks for the response. The reason I'm using the west system as a sealer is because I really like the way it brings out the grain in the wood and gives it depth, it takes a little longer but I feel it's worth the time. I'm always open for new ideas and I'm going to pick up some shelac and give it a shot. Any suggestions on what shelac works the best?
 
You're not putting on enough paint, in each coat. You have to spray a medium wet coat, each time the paint comes out of the gun(without getting a run). Last week I put on 9 coats, let dry for 4 hours, sanded with 600, wiped it down with mineral spirits, hung it up & sprayed 12 more coats. The next morning I lightly sanded with 600, then WET SANDED with 1000 & 1500. Then I polished, using several grades of compond & finished with a swerl remover. Then I put the wrap on & delivered a beautiful $775 Q to the owner.
It takes longer to clean up than it does to put on the finish.
That's the beauty of the Dupont clear...JER
 
Jer, I put on atleast 5 clearcoats let it dry overnight wet sand with 1000 the 1500, then put on approximately 5 more coats. On the recommendation of my local paint shop I tried the 3m perfect it 3000 system, it comprised of a rubbing compound and final glaze. I wet sanded with 1500 and then 2000, then applied the rubbing compound with a soft paper towel and then the final glaze with a soft paper towel. It came out amazing!! no swirls nothing but a beautiful shine, like I never hit it with sandpaper.
 
dunkelcustomcue said:
Jer, I put on atleast 5 clearcoats let it dry overnight wet sand with 1000 the 1500, then put on approximately 5 more coats. On the recommendation of my local paint shop I tried the 3m perfect it 3000 system, it comprised of a rubbing compound and final glaze. I wet sanded with 1500 and then 2000, then applied the rubbing compound with a soft paper towel and then the final glaze with a soft paper towel. It came out amazing!! no swirls nothing but a beautiful shine, like I never hit it with sandpaper.
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A thing to note is that a glaze will make a poor finish look good for awhile but does not last. You need to rub out your cue to the shine that you are happy with and then you can use a glaze to fill the tiny rubbing scratches for the extra shine but remember that that glaze will wear and dissipate after a while and the finish will revert back to the state that you buffed it up to. If properly rubbed, glaze helps very little as there are none of those tiny scratches for the glaze to fill.
On the sanding between coats from one day to the next. Unlike laquer, that when applied softens the previous coats and then just becomes one thicker coat, two part urethanes are chemically cured and once cured are not affected by additional coats. It is for this reason that the instructions state that if longer than an hour or so has passed since the last coat to wait a certain length of time and then scuff the finish with sandpaper before applying additional coats. this sanding is to afford something for the new finish to cling to as the previous coats have gotten to hard and smooth for good adhesion. When going down to 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper you are not really sanding but more polishing the surface. For this reason when I scuff between additional coats of urethane I use 400 or at most 600 grit to prepare the surface. After my final coat of clear and before my rubbing compound I wet sand starting with 800 and progressivley down to 12,000 grit and then go straight to 3M micro rubbing compound and finishing polishes. This sounds like a lot of wet sanding but in actualality it takes me less than ten minutes from start to finish to rub out a complete cue.
Dick
 
Don't WET SAND, til you have put on enough coats that all of the low spots in the grain are filled in. The reason is that the wet sanding will leave you with white MUD, that will settle into the pockets of the grain. If you do happen to have some of these white dots that show up in the finish, try rubbing down the cue with mineral spirits, then while it's still wet, spray a coat of clear over it. Follow that with a few more coats & the white dots will disapear...JER
 
JER, does finishing with cyanoacrylate after the auto-clear advisable? Needed or would be better or not?

Hadj
 
I don't think you need it. One of the problems with using any GLUE, under the finish is that it's very hard to apply it in an even coat. It has to be sanded smooth, so that the shaft, or cue will roll straight. Depending on how uneven it is, you could be sanding a high spot of glue in one spot & sanding the wood in another, making it lopsided & uneven. The sealer SEALS THE WOOD, that's it's job. The clearcoats job is to fill in the irregularities in the grain & give a smooth protective outer skin to the cue. When you have a wood that has deep grain like Bacote, you have to develop a touch where by you get a MEDIUM WET COAT. In body shop language, that means so wet it ALMOST RUNS , BUT IT DOESN'T. I spray 3 coats like that. You let that set up for the recomended time & give it 3 more & than 3 more. You should have most of the voids filled in then. With DuPont 1500S clearcoat, I wait 3-4 hours & sand. This is the point that what makes the finish. You must DRY sand down, til there is the equivalant of 2-3 coats left. Now repeat the 9 medium wet coats. DRY SAND WITH 600, til you have a smooth finish THEN wet sand & rub it out. Even with the deepest grained wood after 2 -9 coat sesions you shouldn't have to respray a 3rd time...JER
P.S. I do go a little lighter on my very 1st coat.
 
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