Tamiya polishing compound - process

[A_S]

Hi all

 

just got my hands on some of this to finish a current build. Currently got the fine and finish with the coarse being delivered from spotmodel later this week.

 

tried the fine and finish on a test piece I had laying around and A.) didn’t notice any difference and B.) it seems to have taken off the top layer of clear coat and paint from the test piece.

 

the test piece was done to test chroming and was finished using alclad aqua gloss clear on top of aclad chrome.

 

so as a result I’m a bit worried about letting it loose on my current project.

 

what are people’s work flows with this stuff? Do you sand with sand paper before? That idea fills me with dred. Especially after my test piece!

[colin]

If it came off using Tamiya's fine, then wet sanding would be a major problem.How many coats of clear was on the test piece.

it's unlikely the fine would remove that much, but I've never used Tamiya's so don't know how coarse it is.Did the compound have a reaction to the Alclad and soften it I wonder, I've had decal softner react with Alclad Aqua gloss before

[Ray_W]

I would not be polishing Alclad even with protective coats with Tamiya polishing compounds. I don't think it will achieve anything other than strip it off.  I would be interested in why you need to. Is it just to smooth the top gloss coat?

 

I use them for preparing surfaces prior to painting or polishing robust paint coats when fully dry say for example after you have sanded out some orange peel and you what to get a high polish. I mainly use them for polishing canopies. 

 

For me, typically the Tamiya compounds would go on after 3,000 grit sponge.

 

Ray

[Pin]

What exactly are you trying to polish? It seems like you are polishing painted (NMF) stuff. While you can do it the primary purpose of the compound is to deal with transparencies, for example when you need to remove a seam from a canopy. On transparent parts the difference between coarse / fine / finish compounds is clearly visible 

[bmwh548]

Never used the finish one, as far as I understand it's more of a wax than a polishing compound. I use the coarse and fine on all of my auto builds, the resulting shine is more than enough for my eyes.

[keefr22]

I've used it for years on car builds, to either polish out 'real' car paint applied by spray can or decanted through the airbrush, or to do the same with clear coat applied over acrylic or laquer base paint. 

 

2 hours ago, A_S said:

Do you sand with sand paper before?

 

That depends on what you term 'sand paper'. If my paint finish has a lot of orange peel and/or dust particles in it, I'll use micromesh, wet, in grades from 3200 to 12000 depending on the severity of the impurity in the paint, until it's smooth and 'dull'. I wouldn't go anywhere near any paint finish with 'sand paper'! I'll then use all three of the Tamiya compounds in order, sometimes repeating the process a number of times until I'm happy with the finish. I find the 'Finish' compound is good for removing swirl marks left by the first two compounds.

 

Having said that, I don't wet sand acrylic clears like Aqua gloss, and would be very careful with the coarse compound as you can easily burn through such clears using it.

 

2 hours ago, A_S said:

just got my hands on some of this

 

My main problem with it at the moment is finding any to buy - can I ask where you got yours from?

 

Keith

[Pin]

2 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

My main problem with it at the moment is finding any to buy - can I ask where you got yours from?

 

I'm not out of supplies yet but I saw all three in my local HobbyCraft just two weeks ago

[keefr22]

Thanks Alexey, unfortunately they don't list it on their website, and our local store is now useless in the model supplies department.

 

Keith

[A_S]

I’ve never seen it in hobbycraft I got mine on amazon for £15 as that’s the only place I could find it

 

Tamiya Polishing Compound Fine and Finish SET https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00XDRKEGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VrxtFbRDGEZDB

 

my objective is to get a nice glossy shine on my car body like I’ve seen people get on YouTube by using it. They tend to sand the body first with 6000/8000 grit sand paper

 

as I say I was only using the chrome and aqua clear as a test as I had it ready sitting there cured. I’ve painted another 2 test pieces with my main subjects colours. Tamiya TS spray then 3 coats of Tamiya LP gloss clear. I will give it 3/4 days and then try the compounds on those.

 

I also tried it on some spoons with the LP paint on tonight, not clear coated and I couldn’t replicate the problem with the Alclad so the Tamiya TS spray is more robust than the Alclad clear! Still I couldn’t get a noticeably different finish between polished and non polished after 3x fine and 1x finish

Edited August 31, 2020 by A_S

[bmwh548]

What are you using in combination with the compounds? I've found that a cloth that is slightly rough helps the Coarse compound get rid of orange peel much faster, but on the Fine compound you need a really soft one. Also, if you're already getting a uniform surface with relatively good shine the paste won't improve it much.

[Pin]

IMO orange peel requires some more drastic measures, such as sanding sponges or micromash, than polishing compound that only makes the peel shiny.

[keefr22]

9 hours ago, A_S said:

They tend to sand the body first with 6000/8000 grit sand paper

 

As I mentioned, I use Micromesh pads in grades from 3200 to 12000 - they come in a set like this;

 

https://www.modellingtools.co.uk/micro-mesh-2-pads-set-of-nine-6785-p.asp

 

Again, depending on how smooth your finish is when it's dry you may just need the 6/8 and 12 thou pads, or even get away with not using them at all and go straight to compounds.

 

9 hours ago, A_S said:

Tamiya Polishing Compound Fine and Finish SET https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00XDRKEGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VrxtFbRDGEZDB

 

Those are only two of the system, there's also the coarse compound which is the first stage in the process. Those two won't smooth out a paintjob on their own without an awful lot of work, unless it's already very smooth out of the can or airbrush.

 

Keith

[A_S]

I had an order needed from Spotmodel in spain so I've ordered the coarse from there. The postage costs mean you need to be buying a lot to make it worth shipping but as I needed some other stuff anyway, it made sense,

[keefr22]

2 hours ago, A_S said:

The postage costs mean you need to be buying a lot to make it worth shipping but as I needed some other stuff anyway, it made sense,

 

I always find that a good excuse too!

 

 

[Shin]

In my personal experience I've found Aqua Gloss to hold up well to decal solutions and weathering techniques (enamels and oils), but not to sanding. 

 

If you're looking or a durable clear coat that can be sanded then polished I suggest Tamiya X-22 gloss, Mr. Hobby GX100 or 112, or if you want to stay acrylic I've used Mission Models gloss as well. Make sure they all have ample time to cure (not just dry) before attempting any sanding and/or polishing. You could try letting the Aqua Gloss cure over a week and try again, but with other more durable options I didn't bother. 

 

edit to add: I don't think you mentioned what you are using to apply with the Tamiya polishing compounds with. If you burned through the clear coat AND the paint, I'm wondering if your cloth or whatever you're using is too abrasive and is actually causing the damage. 

Edited September 1, 2020 by Shin
follow up question

[A_S]

Hi - using some micro fibre clothes - bought from Halfords for polishing the real car..!

[keefr22]

23 hours ago, A_S said:

Hi - using some micro fibre clothes - bought from Halfords for polishing the real car..!

 

 I use the same (for models, not the real car, that hasn't been polished for years...!! 🤣 )

 

Keith

[Alasdair]

I've been experimenting with various glosses and polishing techniques. I haven't noticed any particular issues with Alclad Aqua and the Tamiya compounds. Yes, if you rub too hard on too thin a coat you can break it down, but I haven't seen any signs that Alclad is particularly susceptible.

Edited September 14, 2020 by Alasdair

[Steve Wall]

I don't want to sound like an idiot here but I haven't used a finishing compound on the model I've recently finished however, why cant you just use a commercial compound like t-cut?

[Ade H]

I believe that some car modellers do use automotive compounds on paint. But your question prompts my oft-stated mantra: if you want to know how/whether something works, test it. Just like this thread's originator was doing.

[bmwh548]

Nothing wrong with car polishing compounds, just make sure you pick swirl free ones. Also the cloth is just as important as the compound.

[colin]

Meguiar's PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish, brilliant for clear parts and as a final polishing compound for top coats, then Meguiar's quick detailer.