discussion Warning re Polishing Compounds.

[HAWKERHUNTER]

I have never used polishing compounds before and have always been in search of the perfect glass like gloss finish. So I decided to give the Tamiya Polishing Compounds a try on my Black Jack Typhoon. For some reason I thought that I would use a buffing pad on my Dremel to apply the polishing compound. Big mistake. Within seconds the pad had destroyed the paint and even warped the plastic. Fortunately I had the sense to have tried it on a small area, the aileron, which will be easily repaired.

So I then just used the polishing compound on a cloth and applied it by hand and with very little effort achieved a smooth glass like finish.


So if you are going to use a polishing compound I would suggest that to avoid a disaster then don't use a power tool. You will be pleasantly surprised at just how quickly hand polishing will deliver the results. I hope this helps.

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Have to admit I do sometimes use rotary polishing pads with Tamiya compound, but not had that issue. It may well depend on the amount of pressure applied, and the gloss coat. I use lacquer paint and gloss exclusively which may dry harder than acrylics?

 

[HAWKERHUNTER]

Have to admit I do sometimes use rotary polishing pads with Tamiya compound, but not had that issue. It may well depend on the amount of pressure applied, and the gloss coat. I use lacquer paint and gloss exclusively which may dry harder than acrylics?

I was using Revell Enamels paint and varnish. I had applied multiple coats of paint and varnish and left them to cure for well over a week. I just dont know what went wrong.

 

[Snowman]

I have never used polishing compounds before and have always been in search of the perfect glass like gloss finish. So I decided to give the Tamiya Polishing Compounds a try on my Black Jack Typhoon. For some reason I thought that I would use a buffing pad on my Dremel to apply the polishing compound. Big mistake. Within seconds the pad had destroyed the paint and even warped the plastic. Fortunately I had the sense to have tried it on a small area, the aileron, which will be easily repaired.
View attachment 1278315
So I then just used the polishing compound on a cloth and with very little effort achieved a smooth glass like finish.
View attachment 1278316
View attachment 1278317
So if you are going to use a polishing compound I would suggest that to avoid a disaster then don't use a power tool. You will be pleasantly surprised at just how quickly hand polishing will deliver the results. I hope this helps.

Depending on your "dremel", it may be too much RPM and the heat generated by rotating polishing wheel.

 

[pjgtech]

I've seen several times that for clear plastic, eg: plane canopies, windows, etc, just using toothpaste works great.
Not sure about on a painted surface though....?

 

[flyjoe180]

It's possible that enamel is easier to damage with heat buildup up, being oil based. It's tough, but heat might be a step too far for it.

Tamiya's finishing compound gives excellent results, I used it on the Bell X-1. I use small makeup application pads. The hardest part is removing the compound from rivet detail.

 

[flyjoe180]

I've seen several times that for clear plastic, eg: plane canopies, windows, etc, just using toothpaste works great.
Not sure about on a painted surface though....?

Toothpaste is close to the equivalent of the Coarse compound Peter. I would not dare to use it on any finished paint job. It can be used to remove scratches, particularly in clear parts.

 

[Tim Marlow]

I’ve used the Tamiya stuff on both painted and clear surfaces. Only ever hand rubbed it. Secret is to ensure the paint has gassed off properly so it’s hard right through the paint layer before you start (I give it a week) and then to work through the grades coarse to fine, cleaning down properly between grades, making sure you are using a fresh cloth for each. Never taken the paint off like that myself, so do wonder if the paint had properly hardened before you started.