How to Cut and Buff a New Paint Job

[@nigelmoreland8252]

Great video, really instructive; the first video I’ve watched that sets out the steps in an understandable and comprehensive manner.

[@CoreysCave]

Thank you very much! Glad you found it helpful.

[@donnrobb7970]

I agree !!!!! Informative for beginners ...

[@MrPontiacfever]

I've watched a few videos on cut and buff where they started with 1500 so i made my attempt.I went through so many sheets it was ridiculous.One guy said he did one whole side with 2 sheets and took him 20 mins.No way, it took me sessions to be done with 1500. The next time i will have 1000 grit ready to go before i even think about cutting and buffing. again.Great video and explanation.

[@donmegabeatz]

I started today. 1500 didn't do shit. I dropped down to 1000 and now I'm able to move on with life.

[@JohnSmith-lz1up]

Great video, pays out the steps in a logical format, thanks very much.

[@vencilldavid]

Best video on cutting and buffing I’ve found! Thanks

[@CoreysCave]

Thank you so much!

[@hassyman4783]

Good procedure to get the gloss. Wishbu had payed more attention on the metalic. Very blotchy and uneven. But not bad on the clear

[@jimcook3448]

You are so right about paint on new cars. My sister bought a brand new Kia a couple of months ago. Nice and shiny, until you look closely. I've had better finishes with rattle cans. Great video, really enjoyed watching it.

[@CoreysCave]

Jim Cook Thank you, glad you liked the video. I just bought a 2019 Ram and the finish is better than most new vehicles but not great. I am going to polish it and ceramic coat it soon.

[@GabrielAcuna-bo4yp]

GOOD SHIT THANK YOU FRIEND UR EXPLANATION OF THE REASON FOR THE ALLIGATOR EFFECT MAKES SENSE AND WAS NEVER ABLE TO BE EXPLAINED BUT UR REASONING MAKES SENSE. ...

[@schawn4925]

I have come full circle. I subscribed for my microgreens, but recently bought a new car and wanted to brush up on auto bodywork. Stubbled across this video searching Orange peel. Thanks for the content dude

[@CoreysCave]

A more recent video on a dark paint job I did if people are interested kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4DRpaN6odesoNE

[@billkerr2060]

Thanks new to this and got the orange peel effect lol this will help me it's just an truck but good way to learn and got to learn some way books dont work for this part thanks again

[@CoreysCave]

Bill Kerr Thank you and good luck!

[@Chynna357]

Best video ever and very easy to follow

[@CoreysCave]

Thank you very much!

[@TheMrstevie]

just painted my car best tutorial video on this out there super thank you man!

[@CoreysCave]

Thanks for that, I really appreciate it. I hope your paint job came out great! Thanks for watching.

[@CoreysCave]

I have watched a lot of “My Friend Pete”. A little over the top but there is good information in there.

[@ignacionanez2707]

Streves o

[@flyurway]

Did a hood on my truck, used the DA wet with plenty of soapy water, 1500, 2000, 2500, then 3000. Looked great. Break out the buffer and DA marks appear over the entire thing! Pulling my hair out trying to figure out why! Not the first time this has happened.

[@CoreysCave]

Make sure everything is very clean, a small piece of dirt on the sandpaper can cause the DA marks. Another tip is to make absolutely certain each grit is completely removing the sanding marks from the previous grit. Another possibility is that the DA marks are actually in the paint itself, that you didn’t use a fine enough grit before paint.

[@filibertobarrera3839]

I have a airbrush just in case,sand burn thru with 400 keep it only in the burn thru and sand with 1500 1 inch around burn thru.Spray burn thru with light coat let it dry 30 minutes,follow with ur blend keeping it only on the burn thru.Let dry add clear coat to air brush and clear up to the 1 inch around burn thru.Let dry and cut and buff.their are very cheap airbrushes at harbor freight.

[@chiperler2073]

im getting ready to do this to my truck i just had painted and want to get it right i have the interface pad and 3m paper thanks again

[@CoreysCave]

Good luck, let me know how it works out for you.

[@bradh696]

Great video! Thanks for taking the time to make this. I found it to be very helpful.

[@CoreysCave]

Brad H Glad you liked it Brad!

[@thomascharlton2792]

excellent video my friend, thank you and have a great day! PS. I did cut through my clear and it was a miserable experience. 😞

[@kennyromans9079]

I’d have to say if You’re worried about sanding thru clear then best to start w 1500 or even 2000 just to be safe. A lil texture is to be expected on most cars. I say it’s best to save grace and leave some clear for the future if God forbid it gets a Scratch and needs to be buffed

[@CoreysCave]

Kenny Romans If you don’t mind some texture then I would agree.

[@MichaelZorn2]

Clay bar goes so far to help texture. But yeah start with a higher grit. Not gonna scuff as much. It will still work just takes a little more work to get the same result. I'll go from like 600-800 up to 1500. On my taillights I started with 2000 grit.

[@jimfurr.3]

What's the deal with speeding it up when giving advice about going through the clear coat - that would have been helpful info!!!

[@CoreysCave]

Jim Furr It was a an excessive rant that went on and on. Really I could make a separate video for dealing with sanding through the clear.

[@mikenismogtr]

@@CoreysCave Next time don't speed up advice no matter how long the rant. Anyone can always move the video up if they don't want to hear it. I guess we could also slow it down in the playback options. Good video! Cant wait to start painting some parts for my own vehicles.

[@kylealexander1521]

Change your video speed to 0.5x and you can hear what he says, although he still sounds like a munchkin 🤣

[@don_dota]

🤣

[@alexbabcock1880]

I can understand him just fine

[@chiperler2073]

thanks but i was talking about the air sander you used for the 1500 and 3000 thanks

[@CoreysCave]

It’s just an average DA, also not at full RPM. Any DA will work.

[@m.tplayz8222]

Great video mate, you have awesome skills, im doing my 75' xb falcon here in Australia and after seeing this ill try that meguiars system to polish it

[@CoreysCave]

Teddy Turner Good luck man, I hope it comes out great.

[@davidgiraldoyepes]

Amazing work Corey 💪🏻

[@CoreysCave]

Thank you, I’m glad you liked it.

[@katzhunter4473]

1500 > 2000 > compound > polish

[@CampbellSuperKids]

THANK YOU

[@EduardoGutierrez-kn9rm]

Right

[@sbptrb]

Thanks for thorough info.

[@CoreysCave]

Thank you, hope it helps.

[@foxybrown2]

I used to sand like that until i worked at a shop and no one sanded like that and still got good finish I learned to sand the way he is doing it in Vocational college but when i got in the real world no one was sanding like that. Look at some of the guys on other you tube Like The Refinishing network or the Gunman or Dutch Painter.

[@CoreysCave]

foxybrown2 This is just my way and it works for me.

[@ColGadarby]

Great video. Just had my car painted here in Mexico. Went to pick up the car yesterday and he said - Ah - polishing is a separate job. not included in the price I gave you for painting the car. We need more dinero !

[@CoreysCave]

Thank you, hope it helps you.

[@matthewdonaldson6698]

Gotta use the 3000 Wet,always use it really wet,wetter there better to work all your 1500 away,You can use 5000 for Black Cars,or anything,it's will make the buffing, Cutting alot easer,won't even need a Wool Pad!!!!

[@CoreysCave]

Matthew Donaldson I’ve never used 5000 grit, that must really polish it up nice! Thanks for commenting.

[@doiron12]

Ive sanded through the clear and it looks like onion skin. Only way Ive found to fix that is to base and clear all over again for that area.

[@CoreysCave]

doiron12 That’s just about all you can do. What sucks is when you get a chemical reaction and the paint wrinkles up.

[@gmannfram8682]

I liked how it looked before he even started lol

[@gregorysomers2986]

Dude. You're amazing. Thx 4 video!

[@CoreysCave]

Gregory Somers Thank you, glad you liked it.

[@camillusayih9547]

Wow I like gud jop..buartifull cane and cilery .👍👍👍😻😻

[@MrRedex88]

The 3M 1500 are for use for dry sanding only. That's why your DA was bouncing around.

[@CoreysCave]

Good catch, I made this so long ago I can't remember if I was aware of that or not.

[@MrRedex88]

@@CoreysCave Good luck going forward 👍

[@DIYCustoms]

What I hate the most is how I do exactly the same procedure with the cut and buff step and I end up with a shit load of scratches, new scratches that were not in the paint. I recently painted the roof of my vehicle in black. I used 3000 wet sand on a DA, came out looking amazing! I'm thinking, after I buff, the paint will look extraordinary. I used the 3M Rubbing Compound 05973 with a McGuire's maroon cutting foam pad. What a horrible mistake that was. I was left with a shit load of scratches. I wanted to blow up the car into pieces. The more I buffed, more scratches. I feel like re-clearing the whole damn room again.

[@CoreysCave]

Damn that sucks. I have used the 3 M process and just didn't care for it. Love the Mcguires stuff. Whenever I have had scratches from buffing it's a cleanliness issue. Not saying that's what happened to you but any little dust or dirt will be a disaster.

[@DIYCustoms]

lol... my foam pad was new when I started. I'm starting not to like buffing. I'm getting ready to paint my whole car but first converting my garage into a temporary paint booth. Reduce dust particles to avoid buffing. I don't mind orange peel. I'll take orange peel any day instead of annoying scratches.

[@wamwam05]

waltwitty this dude sucks. Stresses about not sanding thru but starts with 1000 grit. Flat out no need. 1500 is plenty rough to remove orange peel. Also cutting with foam is silly, it takes forever. Get a wool compound pad and learn how to use it. Then jumps grits when sanding! Theeeen does his buffing with a damn random orbital! Wow get a rotary buffer and join the professionals. I guarantee if this car was a darker color or especially black he would have had tons of scratches easily visible. This color is forgiving. But my comment is not.

[@CoreysCave]

I have used wool and foam, if you look again you will notice the heavy cut compound I was using is made specifically for a foam pad. I actually do prefer wool but this foam process works pretty good.

[@suefast1904]

waltwitty You crack me up!!!! Everything you said is EXACTLY how it works for me... SUCKS...I can follow steps to the teeeee and still end up with f’ing hairline scratches, deeper scratches, shit even the paint ends up a different color.....don’t tell me it’s all in the technique!!!???

[@Dg-zj6jo]

nice job dont forget your mask for polishing

[@jamesbuck5395]

so many questions im about to do this to my car so any thing you can answer will help... 1st how many coats did you put on? was the black harder to do than the green? what grit sand paper did you use? how long do i need to let it dry before i wet sand? and how loong till i buff? can i put 2k clear on a few days after i paint?

[@mistersunflower4156]

Thanks for posting

[@Ray-se1km]

Nice color too.

[@jeraldmolnar6026]

Very helpful.Thanks so much!

[@CoreysCave]

Jerald Molnar Happy to help :)

[@brucewalters8974]

I've watched several KZbin videos on polishing. Yours is really good by the way, but the one thing I don't ever seem to see is whether or not you can do a cut and polish on paint, and not just clear coat... Your thoughts ? Thank you

[@CoreysCave]

Thank you and yes, you absolutely can cut and polish single stage paint. It’s the same process. I will show that on my automotive channel Corey’s Garage soon.

[@brucewalters8974]

@@CoreysCave Thank you for taking the time to reply... It is much appreciated

[@CoreysCave]

@@brucewalters8974 of course, any time

[@Boostfreak7245]

Great info mate, thank you!

[@CoreysCave]

Nick Sanders Your welcome!

[@jaimerego8313]

This video was 5 years ago. Which polish paste do you recommend now??

[@CoreysCave]

I haven’t tried any others, I still highly recommend Meguirs. But that doesn’t mean there are not better ones out there.

[@JimVincitore]

Great video! Very cool! Thank you!

[@CoreysCave]

Jim Vincitore Thank you, glad you liked it.

[@AAhshitsun]

Why only use a da only in the bottom? Why nit do the top with DA?

[@CoreysCave]

I use the DA on all of it.

[@victorvaughn2]

I wish you didn't fast forward that bit where you were talking about sanding through clear. I was learning a lot and it was very interesting. It was also directly related to this video, because we need to know exactly the risks in the cut and buff process.

[@CoreysCave]

Victor Vaughn I’m sorry about that, I didn’t think people would want to hear me ramble on. The video is already quite long. In short the risk is that if you sand through the clear you will almost always sand through the paint as well. When you go to touch it up the paint can have a reaction causing it to wrinkle up, if that happens the little touch up can get big quickly.

[@jeffreymartin2575]

When DA with 3000 sandpaper , what is that bottle spray ? Water and soap? Dish wash soap?

[@CoreysCave]

Jeffrey Martin Water with a tiny amount of dish soap.

[@mreightytwenty8709]

And also use a wool pad for compounding and a soft black pad for polish and swirl polish.....you should finish up with a professional job....

[@kaylummclachlan3964]

If I put on 3 coats of clear and than cut and buff will the paint job last a long time?

[@flyboynextdoor]

Nice work Sir!

[@CoreysCave]

flyboynextdoor Thank you!

[@Hollymountainhwy16]

How long waiting time after fishing clear coats before buffing?

[@CoreysCave]

Diều Hâu I wait at least 24 hours. The sooner you buff the softer it will be and sanding is much easier.

[@Hollymountainhwy16]

@@CoreysCave ,Thanks have a great weekend!

[@chiperler2073]

what RPM is the sander you are using? thanks!

[@CoreysCave]

I believe when I did this it was a Portacable electric DA/Polisher. No idea what the RPS are but I never had it to max speed anyways.

[@carlitos8thgen]

What kind of polish you use is there a step?

[@BassShoter]

nice job the shity part r the colors to paint u see shades where the color didn't apply even i know it sucks had the same problem on my KITT firebird jet black waiting for the psint to dry out

[@CoreysCave]

BassShoter/Dave’s Garage!!! Yeah I definitely struggled with some striping, my gun wasn’t setup very good or my technique sucked that day.

[@BassShoter]

most likely its your gun they tend to go bad when used offten also cleaning it right not rushing things but we all get pumped up when finally the paint gets don offten cost us more time buffing or re spraying haha ben there imagin black paint so hard to do

[@Sonido_Pachanguero]

Those compounds and polish are silicone free?

[@CoreysCave]

Yes they are, it is one of the reasons I really like them.

[@heavymechanic2]

Looks like a lot of unnecessary work. I use 1500 to level, block it out with 2000 wet and polish. I'm no pro at buffing but have learned how to use foam pads. Planning to get a wool pad to speed up the process. Do you have any tips on what wool pad to get? I have a TCP 8" but not sure if its worth using. Compound - M85? or something else?

[@CoreysCave]

heavymechanic2 I don’t have a favorite when it comes to a wool pad, I do however like to use wool in general.

[@heavymechanic2]

Thanks for your honest answer.

[@OrseTheChef]

check out Mirka brand wool pads. i have a lot of experience with these wool pads in general and they work a charm with 0 pressure..

[@splash5974]

Its not unnecessary steps... The 3000grt cuts your machine time down. I have 5000grt for after the 3000 and it already starts to shine it up. Great work my friend!

[@soniquethedog1]

Hello,I've just painted base and clear coat ,and left to harden for a few weeks, but after flatting with 2000 and then maguires compound, it looks ok ,but after a few days cracks and lines appear please can you help?

[@CoreysCave]

Dave Holmes I’m sorry Dave, that isn’t something I have ever experienced. Are you saying the clear itself is cracking? I suppose if cracking is occurring it could be at any level of the paint layers.

[@CampbellSuperKids]

Appreciate the video

[@MrSticks9999]

You're using an orbital buffer to do this. A rotary buffer ( real buffer) should be used. Your orbital is for the final stages.

[@jd_turner_ai]

Not necessarily... With the right pad and the right chemical, a DA is perfectly capable of handling this job.

[@MrSticks9999]

@@jd_turner_ai I disagree. As a restorer and retired Instructor or paint and body . . wrong tool. Maybe a millennial thing, but not the best way to do it. Plain and simple.

[@jd_turner_ai]

@@MrSticks9999 A rotary is definitely quicker at removing defects - no one will argue that, but if you are going for a faster job altogether - stick with a DA. Proven fact, DA tools give a reduction in time in any project OVERALL. Watch this and learn from one of the most sought after experts in the field. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqqnhmd5jKZ8ibc

[@MrSticks9999]

@@jd_turner_ai LOL

[@kraiden3]

the grit you start with depends on the amount of orange peel. I was "told by pros" that I needed to start with 1500. After showing it to someone they agreed that I needed to start with 800.

[@CoreysCave]

I have never needed to start with 800, but if it worked for you thats good.

[@danielgibson1462]

Michael Collins, Oh yea, i always use a wax and grease remover before painting or clearing anything. I gotcha now.

[@alexbabcock1880]

Maybe I just missed it, but how long after spraying the final coat did you wait before starting step 1 here? I’m assuming the longer, the better. Is there some ideal range?

[@alexbabcock1880]

Really appreciate your detailing of your process! It’s not easy to find, and I’m sure it’s time-consuming for you to share as well

[@CoreysCave]

It was about 48 hours. The sooner you cut and buff the easier it is to sand. However it is also easier to screw up and sand through because the clear isn’t super hard.

[@Slava-du8dw]

I like Meguiars two step polishes because of the performance but after DIY and 3D One I no longer find them the best on the market. It really annoys me that even with a polishing pad moistened in a rinseless wash, their polish dries quickly and dusts an already clean car. It is good for small areas when there is no rush, but not at all for time-efficient polishing

[@tamborgsfamily9558]

Hello everybody. Can you suggest a good clear coat?

[@CoreysCave]

DemiGodRon Araos I have been happy with PPG. I recently used their Omni line of production clear and it was just fine. I’m sure there are clears that lay down better but I can’t really speak to that.

[@elmeradams8781]

Why didn't you start by 1500 grit da the whole thing then get the parts you can't da by using hand sanding.

[@CoreysCave]

You mean machine sand with 1500 to start instead of hand sanding? That is something I might try.

[@glasnost8863]

Because he's an idiot

[@DustyPearl-13]

@@glasnost8863 Why are you insy=ulting the gentleman...? He, at least, is doing something instead of criticizing and insulting people like yourself! Try to be a better person who sees the bright side of things....!

[@DustyPearl-13]

@@glasnost8863 PS- Do you at least know what glasnost means...?

[@usiega]

@@glasnost8863 that was unnecessary. We are all here to learn. No need to call names

[@erlingweiseth2774]

Are You buffing the paint itself, or the clear coat here?

[@CoreysCave]

Erling Weiseth clear coat.

[@davegrohl7666]

+Erling Weiseth You don't ever buff or even sand base coat, unless you're stripping the old paint.

[@erlingweiseth2774]

I know! I was just asking.

[@swampg88tr]

I am worried bout going thru clear too. I am not sure if I did, surface is 3000 finished great. try to buff now but how do I know if I am on clear coat or paint ? PLEASE !! HELP !!! THANKS

[@CoreysCave]

swampg88tr You will know if you go through the clear, trust me. Like I said in the video you almost never sand through the clear without going right into primer. When you were wet sanding the slurry should always look a milky color, if you sanded through the clear the slurry would turn to the paint color. Why are you worried?

[@AucklandFrancis-bp9iu]

All you need is a is a can of paint and to buff it out

[@dennisa6492]

You must have a Helium leak in your garage. Better have that checked out.

[@CoreysCave]

Dennis A Haha I will try to track that down.

[@michaelcollins1899]

Lol, holy cow guys, go to his channel, all his videos are indoor growing of micro greens, veggies, lol, and hes showing us how to compound a car !!! I cant believe i got called an idiot by this guy ! ;)

[@sierraridgereaper]

You are an idiot. Didnt yer momma ever tell you, if ya aint got nothing good to say, say nothing at all....

[@oldschoolamerican714]

Get a squeegee insted of rags

[@CoreysCave]

old school american You’re absolutely correct

[@startrekking359]

Can someone give me a link to wet sanding lacquer single stage nothing out there I can find

[@CoreysCave]

Tony Rauch It’s actually the same process but you need to be even more careful to not remove too much material.

[@drewdaniels94]

Im repainting a car with single stage right now, ive had more success with it starting with 1500 grit and going to 5000. Its less cut overall especially if you have runs and It takes much longer but ive had better results

[@CoreysCave]

Drew Daniels There are many methods, I definitely recommend using what works for you as we all have different experiences. Thanks for sharing here because someone may see this and decide to try your method and have results like yours.

[@drewdaniels94]

@@CoreysCave thanks! Definitely good tips on the sanding though. Watched as a reminder on the general process. I do it so rarely.

[@CoreysCave]

Drew Daniels I’ve learned a ton on KZbin, that’s why I shared this. I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@markhamze154]

I can see you have water stuck underneath the paint!

[@CoreysCave]

I can assure you there is no water under the paint.

[@jbncnow]

Did you paint the car in here?

[@CoreysCave]

I did, in a dusty old garage. Here is the playlist for the project. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn7OZX-wpNSeqKs

[@bodiddley.5531]

You should have used m l05 then m 205 you used the wrong products all backwards

[@CoreysCave]

Watch again.

[@kells77]

105 then 205 all the way He is using out dated stuff still works just more work

[@Dg-zj6jo]

so you paint and lacquer so your cutting into lacquer not the paint its self yes

[@CoreysCave]

Neither are lacquer, but yes cutting into the clear coat only not the base coat.

[@Dg-zj6jo]

ok cheers

[@Mrbigp59]

why machine sand at all

[@CoreysCave]

Mrbigp59 Because it’s way faster.

[@TheChicagoSchwinns]

If your explaining something, try not to speed up the video because we cant understand you.

[@clemc1711]

paint looks modily

[@CoreysCave]

I'm not sure what that means.

[@nigcor]

i when through several comments wondering if anybody picked up on that ,he did a nice job but he need more coats of base and then pull the gun back 12'' to get it right.

[@alweiss9356]

Cant hear you not going to watch

[@CoreysCave]

Thanks for the feedback…

[@michaelcollins1899]

Just read all the comments. Numbers dont lie, dont do it this way.

[@michaelcollins1899]

You cannot paint right over compound . Stop.

[@CoreysCave]

Michael Collins Well you would be wrong. It is a body shop safe product that does not contain any chemicals or waxes that interfere with paint. Should you paint over a shiner surface? Of course not.

[@michaelcollins1899]

CoreysCave you are an idiot. How many restorations have you done??? Because i know how many i have done!!! You CAN'T paint over compound! Dont tell anything if you dont know what you are saying! To paint a car at minimum, you need to wash, scuff with sandpaper , wash again, and body prep with wax degreaser. And that my friend is to just achive a used car lot maco special paint job. A full restoration paintjob, you will have about 15 steps around that car with different grit, degreasers, preps, etc, the total rounds around a restoration from start to finsh is at least 20 passes........and you tell ppl that you can paint over this stuff lol...no clue

[@CoreysCave]

Michael Collins Keep watching my videos and learning. It’s great you are so passionate, your channel must be full of quality examples.

[@michaelcollins1899]

CoreysCave and yes, i also agree with others, you block weird. Watch some videos b4 making your own, there are tons of knowledgeable guys here you could learn from. Straight line scratches are the hardest to remove, you have already figured that out im sure lol and oh btw, look up the tds on this compound and you will see you are wrong...that is if u even know what tds means......and the second hurdle which is knowing how to even read and translate the info in the tds. I will sum it up for u. You cant paint over this product. I highly encourage you to read it, i just did

[@CoreysCave]

Michael Collins Thanks for all the great comments, real quality information.

[@bodiddley.5531]

You dont know what you are doing please stop you are showing people the wrong stuff

[@CoreysCave]

I am showing people the process that works for me. You are welcome to show yours.

[@bodiddley.5531]

CoreysCave you are useing the wrong products

[@CoreysCave]

This process with these products is not unique to me and works great. There are many products out there and many processes used to do this, this is the way I do it.

[@mikekurtz627]

Bo Diddley, dude, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. You don't have any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism all you have is criticism. Why don't you make your own video?

[@stevenmartin6704]

Looks like hes chewing on his tongue

[@bodiddley.5531]

You need to sand the car and paint it over and save time you are waisting your time

[@CoreysCave]

Go troll somewhere else, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

[@davegrohl7666]

He's right. I can see the tiger stripes and color blotchiness from here, and I'm even colorblind