1000 grit sand paper. Try 0000 steel wool instead.

I obviously did not read the whole thread.

[quote]Incidentally, I believe the ban on nitro-cellulose lacquer only applies to the sale of the material within the state and to it's usage in the auto industry. Consumers are free to bathe in the stuff if they so desire, and can obtain the stuff (off the internet, perhaps?)...
[quote]
Gaddy, you may be right. I just know I can't buy it anyplace. I used to get spraying lacquer on trips out of LA county but my last trip the shop owner said it was banned in all of California. I love lacquer. It is so forgiving.

The 2 part stuff they sell goes on well and dries rock hard overnight but it stays tacky for several hours...no problem in a paint shop but not ideal in MY garage shop! Perhaps a heat lamp would help reduce the cure time.

Before I get jumped on by the AQMD (air quality management district for those who don't speak Californian) I should state that I spray way less than a gallon a year. My last gallon of clear lasted me 10 years. 95% of my spraying is done with touch-up (detail) gun.

Hello Everyone:

It's been a while since my original post, and I finally have a couple of projects I'm willing to experiment on. I have a small base for ABC Blocks that I've painted and have applied several coats of Krylon Glossy Clear Coat.

The next step in my plan is to lightly sand down the clear coat with 1000 grit sandpaper. I plan on going very lightly with a sanding block. Once that's done, I plan on using the Ultimate Compound mentioned in the YouTube video. I don't have any decals on the base - no worries there.

I went back and read all the comments which are VERY helpful. I understand Bill's point about getting the surface level to create the piano shine I'm after. So, leveling is going to be my goal here.

Does my plan sound okay? BTW...I found another video by the same guy - this time he uses spray paint and eliminates a lot of steps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MsVWj3fG......&list=UL

Thanks.

Ron

Update for those interested...I tried out the above technique, but I'm dissappointed. The finish doesn't seem to be improved much, if at all. I bought 1500 grit paper, so maybe that has something to do with it. I'm going to try the process again to see if I get better results.

Ron

Here is an update: I've done a fair amount of experimenting, and I'm having much better results. I'm using 1500 grit paper and then the rubbing compound. Sometimes, I'll do 2 or 3 coats of the rubbing compound to get the scratches out that are left from the sandpaper.

The three photos below are from three current projects: Stratosphere base, Traveling Block base, block from Block-go.







Tomorrow, I'm going to experiement on a piece of apparatus that has a waterslide decal underneath the clear coat. I want to see if the sanding and rubbing compound will mess up the decal.

Ron

Great job Ron!

Use extreme caution when sanding over the waterslide decals. It's easy to sand through the clear coat! Believe me, I've learned the hard way. With guitars and nitrocellulose lacquer I can re-shoot the clear coat if I sand through, but it's still a pain. I could see where it might damage the waterslide decal, so be careful.

Regan