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Paint & Bodywork: Buff Out Your Paint Blemishes: Getting Started

Products You Need

Buffing does not require a significant investment in tools or equipment. The picture to the right shows what is needed:

Machine buffer
Course wool buffing pad
Foam buffing pad or fine wool pad
Compound for appropriate pads
Ultra-fine waterproof sandpaper.
A short, straight piece of a wooden paint stick (optional)
Dense foam sanding block (optional but recommended)
Plastic squeege (also optional but recommended)

Basic Steps

Buffing out paint to remove blemishes requires two basic steps. First, carefully sand the paint with ultra-fine sandpaper. Durring the sanding process, runs, dust, orange peel and other blemishe are removed. Once the blemishes have been removed, the paint is buffed or polished to a high luster using a machine buffer, special buffing pads and compounds.

Quick tips before starting out:

Do Not use an random orbital waxer/polisher or modified angle grinder
Use ultra-fine sandpaper such as 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000 grit or higher
Do not use sandpaper lower than 1000 grit (except for severe situations)
Begin with 1200 or 1000 grit and progress to finer papers before buffing
Finish with 1500 grit or higher prior to buffing
Wetsand using a clean sponge and clean water in a clean bucket
Water will carry the "dust" away while wetsanding
Absolutely DO NOT drop the sponge on the ground
Be clean, one piece of sand can create a scratch you can't buff away!
Buffing away blemishes works best with clearcoat paints
Use a machine buffer with a speed around 1800 for best results
Use proper compounds with the proper pads
Do not sand and buff non-clearcoat metallic paints

Please read the Buffing FAQ's for more buffing tips.

Let's Get Started

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