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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Paint buffing

Just getting to the final stages of flatting and polishing the new cellulose. I've watched hours of YouTube videos and the different approaches are bewildering. But my key question is, what compound to do you guys swear by? I have nearly finished a bottle of Farecla G3 so do I buy another one? I had some G10 years ago but it hardly took anything off.

Les
L B Rose

Les. For new paint G3 is best, followed by G10.

G3 will leave some swirl marks, and G10, being a finer grade will buff them out.
But stay off the edges with the buffer. It's so easy to go through on the edge. If you have flatted up to the edges, you can finish them off the by hand.

Bernie.
b higginson

I cut mine back with something like 2000 wet and dry and then found good old T Cut seemed to work best. Doing it by hand - not got one of those fancy mop things! (Probably why I’ve not actually finished it all yet after 2 1/2 years since painting it!)
John Payne

Yes John, I found that 2000 was about right, a 3000 disc on the orbital machine did next to nothing. I have seen in videos people going up to 7000 grit. They must have time on their hands. After 2000 it needs about 4 passes with the polisher - then of course all the blemishes appear! I have to limit hand work or it sets off the tennis elbow.

Les
L B Rose

For my cellulose paint job, I wet sanded with 1200 and 2000. Then Farecla G3 followed by G10. Be very careful at edges or sharp concave curves (under the rear lights).
Chris Madge


If (when) you do go through the colour on an edge what do you do? Do you try touching in with a brush? Obviously a spraygun, even a touch up one will put overspray everywhere. Maybe a rattle can filled with the same paint? But that would still create overspray.
Bill Bretherton

Hiya,
As others have said, I only use cellulose paint for paint jobs on my Mk 3 midget.
Spray it and leave it for a day or so.
I wet sand with 1200 - 1500, then 2000.
Then I use a DA on slow speed with
Farecla G3 ( the Yellow bottle)
followed by Farecla G10.
I use a harder hard for the G3, then medium , then fine foam pads for the G10 .
I then use Autoglym Super Resin polish after a week or so with the Amazon own brand polishing clothes- these are dirt cheap and VERY good.
Brings up the paint a treat.
All the best.
Cheers colin
colin frowen

In response to Bill's question, does anyone use an air brush for touching in faults such as rubbed through edges?

If so, do you have any advice as I'm thinking of digging my simple Humbrol one out to have a go at a few localised paint issues.

Colin (a different one)
C Mee

When i wet sanded my car I went through in a couple of places. With cellulose you can paint over with a brush. Once dry, a gentle wet sand and polish to blend it in.
Chris Madge

Chris, brushing does sound like the best way to correct mistakes.
Bill Bretherton

Yes I use an airbrush for touching up. I even used it to spray the whole of the scuttle. It causes a lot less overspray than a rattle can. I power it from a tyre pumped up to over 35 psi, using a home made valve adapter. The finish is great, better than from the can. It's an ancient airbrush bought 40 years ago for models, but with a larger pot made from a 35mm film can (remember those?).

I now have a new bottle of G3 and a foam pad, but only the cordless drill as I am too mean to buy a polisher just for this car. I did try the foam pad on an orbital sander but it was hopeless, as the amplitude is far too small. It's surprising how much dust is thrown up by a rotary mop. My hair went pink.

I used the orbital sander for flatting, which was generally very good, but 2000 grit caused some little spiral marks, which were difficult to remove with 3000. No sign of clogging on the 2000, so I don't know what caused the marks. They have mostly polished out.

Les
L B Rose

OK here is how it looks so far. I just have the sills and scuttle to repaint. Sorry my last post meant G10 not G3. Having run out of G3 I used Turtle compound which is a bit more aggressive. The G10 on the foam pad works very well, but the frustration is that a lot of blemishes only show up after the G10 so I have to go back a grade and repeat. I found that the spiral marks seemed to come from the 3000 grit, which does very little other than pick up bits of clogging. So the Turtle compound after 2000 grit is the best option. There are still some dodgy bits but overall I am feeling more confident. I did polish through the colour coat on the hardtop in 2 places, but the airbrush sorted those out. One very odd thing is that when I do that the blended patches are darker than the rest, but after a few weeks you can't see the difference. All the same paint out of the same tin. The blended patch lightens, when you'd think it would darken.

Les



L B Rose

Please tell me that is post polishing Colin... Or I am off to cry about the state of my paint...
Malcolm

Les not Colin! I blame tiny phone screen!
Malcolm

Malcolm, I can assure you that Colin's paint is nothing like as good as that.

In fact I claim the worst paint job you've ever seen - as representative of the PO responsible, that is.

Colin
C Mee

I dunno Colin... I rattle canned mine in a dusty garage, did the wet sanding then kind of got bored before I properly buffed it!
Malcolm

Malcolm, I bet your paint stays put if you use masking tape on it!

Pealing tape off mine removes spots of red and leaves white primer showing where it used to be! And that's just one of the paint problems!
C Mee

Malcolm, you surely don't think I got that finish straight from the gun?

Les
L B Rose

This thread was discussed between 31/01/2021 and 23/02/2021

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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