Auto body repair & detailing: Buffing new paint, acrylic enamel paint, auto body supply

Question
I e-maied you earlier and you requested the type of paint I was using.My original question was, I have repaired and painted my gar with acrylic enamel paint. After it dries and hardens what do I have to do next as far as buffing it before I polish and wax it? Thanks Again Ed

Answer
Well...since you chose enamel...I would say you're done...unless you want to spear it around some.

Lacquer is made to wet sand and polish.

Base/Clear Coat...same thing.

But enamel never dries...sure, you sprayed acrylic enamel.  All that means is that its tougher--right.  Lets see what happens when a shopping cart or bicycle goes down its side--one big smear.

I don't know what you painted, but enamel's highest and best use is not for cars...its for tractor trailers.

In any case...using a variable speed polisher set on a slow speed, you can't use polishing compound, but you can use 3M's finesse-it, but you got to keep the heat down--that means you got to go at a low & slow RPM.

Go to a real auto body supply store, and tell the guy you need something to remove swirls--like 3Ms finesse (lotion like for swirl removal), and have him sell you a polishing sponge kit for your polisher as well--AS YOU DON'T USE FINESSE WITH A WOOL OR COTTON PAD.

In addition, ask him for the finest compound he sells--this should be 1 step grittier than the other stuff, and have him sell you a fine wool pad as well for it.

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Try the finesse first, if its OK; try the more, fine, abrasive one--is it OK?

If not, your stuck with finesse...it will take a while, but it polishes nice--especially when used on paints its suppose to be polishing--keep off that speed.

If the slightly more abrasive one is gently polishing, and not smearing; then do a panel (NOT THE ENTIRE CAR), and go back over it with the finer finesse stuff.

If the finesse was able to straighten the other stuffs polishing swirl marks, then go for the whole car.

Always polish in the shade--stay out of the sun...especially with a soft enamel...and if this was painted at MACCO, and they told you they baked the finish, ask them why the interior didn't melt like it would have in a Detroit when they put cars in ovens years ago?