STEP 1: I begin by knocking down any orange peel or particles by sanding the whole area smooth using a dry 1500 grit disc with dual-action sander (DA). It’s important to use smooth fluid stokes, hitting all the areas evenly. Every few passes, the piece should be wiped down with a soft cloth or paper towel to prevent particle build up which could grind deeper into the finish. This is the best time to work out any drips or heavy particles from the surface. Alternating 1000 grit sand paper or a cutting stone with the 1500 grit during this step is an effective way to safely remove any severe imperfections. Once the area is complete the surface needs to be wiped down with a post-sanding cleaner to prepare for the next step.
STEP 2: Using 2000 grit wet-sanding paper, I sand the entire panel. Wrapping the paper around a firm foam block keeps the sanding area flat. It’s important to use short even strokes as the sanding block moves across the entire piece. I alternate my sanding direction from horizontal to vertical to achieve maximum results and get the piece nice and flat. This higher grit paper should give the finish an even but still dull look, removing the scratches left behind from the prior step where I used 1500 grit paper.
Now it’s time for the second stage - polishing the piece. Polishing works by combining the friction and heat of the buffing pad moving at a high speed with the mild abrasives contained within the buffing compound. The abrasives become finer with each step and eventually disappear when you reach the final stage. As you work through the steps, you’ll see the finish become smoother and smoother until a perfect gloss is achieved.
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STEP 3: Once the piece looks even and any scratches from Step 1 are removed, I move on to a sanding pad that is one step down from polish-grade. A good example of a pad at this level is the 3000 grit Trizac Pad by 3M. The pad must be soaked in water for a few minutes before I attach it to the DA. Moving over the over the surface a few times in multiple directions with the pad while attached to the DA will bring the finish to a very dull polish. Once again, I wipe the surface with a post sanding cleaner. At this point, the finish should almost resemble dried satin or semi-gloss paint.
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