Jean-Claude
Keeper of the beautiful
In the recent months I have worked on some really hammered paints that required heavy correction. Through these jobs I have played with my work flow a lot and feel like I am working with a process that is worth sharing.
All prep work is the same with the exception of adding tape on some of the opposing edges of panels you're working for added protection. The change that I have seen make a big difference in the amount of time required to cut heavily is working with very low speed RPMs with a wool pad and rotary. I'll start with, in this case, m105 and a purple foamed wool pad. Prime the pad and ensure there is some(not quite enough to cause sling) water moisture with about a single spritz-mist from a spray bottle. The area I work tends to be about 1~2 sq ft. Use a fluffy wool pad. Don't use one you've used with a DA.
Start at 600 RPM and spread out the product over the area you're working with no pressure. After spreading, bump the speed to about 750 RPM and apply medium pressure making maybe 2 passes. It will be more dry than wet now. Move up to 900~1000 RPM and turn on the highest pressure you can without risk of overheating the paint and slow down a lot. Maybe moving 1 inch in 2 seconds. Don't work the pad flat, edge it up slightly so that you have more than a crescent moon's worth working the paint. Work the machine for 2~3 passes in a cross pattern(first side to side then up to down, ect.).
If your lighting is set up right, you can literally watch RIDs work out from one side of the pad to the other. You will see insane'o marring and holograms at this point(albeit, a huge improvement in the heavy scratches). Once you achieve the correction you feel is reasonable, bump up the speed to about 1600~1700 and move with light pressure slowly, but faster than with low RPMs(think jeweling with a compound). Spritz some water if you see the life left in the compound, otherwise reapply 2 drops. This will remove a lot of the heavier marring but you will definitely need to clean up the paint further with SIP/whatever medium cut you like then finish down.
If you don't have the level of correction you desire yet and you have enough paint left to work with, don't bother with the high'er speed RPMs until you get to that point. When you're done, there should not be much compound to removed. You may have some spots where the far edges of the pad flashed compound but the main area you worked should be free of compound.
The biggest draw back to this process is it generates more dust than any other process I have used before. Over the last few heavy correction jobs I have done using this process, it has cut out the need to spot-wet sand. The only spots I have not used this to completely remove scratches on were spots that had paint a bit on the thin side.
The nature of this process is pushing the wool pad/rotary pretty hard. If you're not very familiar with the tendencies that rotarys have with wool pads, I would not try it. There may not be an easier way to burn a spot on the edge of a panel if you're spinning the pad the wrong way against the edge...
The exact RPMs are not set in stone but those are within 100 RPMs of where I work.
I'd love to hear some feedback.
All prep work is the same with the exception of adding tape on some of the opposing edges of panels you're working for added protection. The change that I have seen make a big difference in the amount of time required to cut heavily is working with very low speed RPMs with a wool pad and rotary. I'll start with, in this case, m105 and a purple foamed wool pad. Prime the pad and ensure there is some(not quite enough to cause sling) water moisture with about a single spritz-mist from a spray bottle. The area I work tends to be about 1~2 sq ft. Use a fluffy wool pad. Don't use one you've used with a DA.
Start at 600 RPM and spread out the product over the area you're working with no pressure. After spreading, bump the speed to about 750 RPM and apply medium pressure making maybe 2 passes. It will be more dry than wet now. Move up to 900~1000 RPM and turn on the highest pressure you can without risk of overheating the paint and slow down a lot. Maybe moving 1 inch in 2 seconds. Don't work the pad flat, edge it up slightly so that you have more than a crescent moon's worth working the paint. Work the machine for 2~3 passes in a cross pattern(first side to side then up to down, ect.).
If your lighting is set up right, you can literally watch RIDs work out from one side of the pad to the other. You will see insane'o marring and holograms at this point(albeit, a huge improvement in the heavy scratches). Once you achieve the correction you feel is reasonable, bump up the speed to about 1600~1700 and move with light pressure slowly, but faster than with low RPMs(think jeweling with a compound). Spritz some water if you see the life left in the compound, otherwise reapply 2 drops. This will remove a lot of the heavier marring but you will definitely need to clean up the paint further with SIP/whatever medium cut you like then finish down.
If you don't have the level of correction you desire yet and you have enough paint left to work with, don't bother with the high'er speed RPMs until you get to that point. When you're done, there should not be much compound to removed. You may have some spots where the far edges of the pad flashed compound but the main area you worked should be free of compound.
The biggest draw back to this process is it generates more dust than any other process I have used before. Over the last few heavy correction jobs I have done using this process, it has cut out the need to spot-wet sand. The only spots I have not used this to completely remove scratches on were spots that had paint a bit on the thin side.
The nature of this process is pushing the wool pad/rotary pretty hard. If you're not very familiar with the tendencies that rotarys have with wool pads, I would not try it. There may not be an easier way to burn a spot on the edge of a panel if you're spinning the pad the wrong way against the edge...
The exact RPMs are not set in stone but those are within 100 RPMs of where I work.
I'd love to hear some feedback.
