Cut & Buff 70-72 Egg-crate grills?

[zwede]

My '71 is finally getting painted and I'm doing some of the cut & buff myself. The painter will do all the cut & buff on areas where he can use his polisher and I'll do the parts where his machine doesn't work. The egg crate grills are pieces I'm doing. These were the roughest parts of the car due to flaking chrome that I had to sand blast off. Plenty of pits in the pot metal. I'm doing them all body color, no chrome edges. I shot them with K36 2K primer, and blocked to 400. Then the painter painted them red with 3 coats of clear (PPG 2021 concept clear). Wondering what is usually done to cut and buff these? I have put many hours into the first side and it is coming out good, but I'm having to do all of it by hand. I probably have a good 8 hours in it... Are there any machines that can do the intricate shapes of the grill and get into the corners? My process is: 2000 grit paper taped to a paint stick, sand everything flat (this goes quick). PowerCut compund rubbed by hand (this is the step that takes forever). PowerFinish glaze followed by FinishGlaze rubbed by hand (this goes fairly quick). Any way to speed up the compound step? A machine would knock it out in 1/10 the time, I just don't know of a machine that can do it?

[porchdog]

sand to 3000 and it will go easier.

[zwede]

Thanks. Would a scuffpad do the same or would it be too coarse? 3000 grit is only available at autopaint stores. The closest is a 1 hour round trip so if a scuffpad does the trick it would be good. But if not I'll go get the 3000 grit.

[porchdog]

urethanes dont buff too well by hand. see if your painter has some 3000 pads you can buy. by the box they are a little pricey. i would have sanded them smooth and flow coated them so i did not need to buff. too much work for me.

[zwede]

Originally Posted by porchdog

i would have sanded them smooth and flow coated them so i did not need to buff. too much work for me.

I can definitely see the advantage of doing that.

[0grandmastercorvette]

If you watersand them smooth and re-clear...the clear will lay down smoother and flatter and often times keep you from having to sand and buff them. I just did a 1970 in Cortez Silver...and that is what I did. The car is slick as glass (due to being sanded and buffed) and the eggcrates are just as slick and smooth.
Just a thought.
"DUB"

[zwede]

Update: I had some small primer spots after the cut & buff on the grills. Considering the poor shape they were in before paint I wasn't too surprised. I took them back to the painter and he'll touch up the red and then re-clear. I think that will take care of it. Thanks for your advice Porchdog & Dub.

[jnb5101]

seek out a local dental laboratory. they will have polishing rag wheels that are designed for getting into small areas. they're good for the grills and headlight bezels.

[porchdog]

looks great guy. now the fun part starts.............. buff buff buff

dang , wrong thread but same fella