Color Sanding

[rnsykes]

Could anyone outline the steps involved in color sanding and polishing a single stage paint.  I have somewhat of and idea how it's done, but I'd rather talk to sombody with experience first.  How do I know how much to sand off?  What kind of materials do I need?  I was thinking of using 3M's perfect-it system to polish it.  Do I use a foam pad?  What kind?  A Lambs Wool pad?  How long do I polish and at what rpm for each level of compound?

[Rev-It-Up]

Great thread...look forward to the replies!!

[torredcuda]

In case someone doesn`t know,color sanding is done to smooth out or take out the orange peel look to a paint job.Everybody has their own techniques but here are the basics-to start off make sure you have enough paint on the car b/c you will be sanding and buffing a layer off as you do this.I start by wet sanding with 1000 grit paper,some use 1200 or 1500 grit.Use lots of clean water as you want any dirt to be rinsed away not rubbed into and scratching the paint and be very carefull near the edges and body lines as they will be easy to cut through.Use a rubber squegee (sp?) to wipe the water away to check the area you are working on,it should look dull but very smooth.When it is sanded almost completely smooth switch to 1500-2000 grit for final sanding and wash and dry the car.You can then begin buffing using compound then switch to a finer compound/swirl remover and then to a polish.Doing any of the steps always work a small 2-3 ft section at a time and then move on.Use masking tape on the edges and body lines if you are woried about cutting through.I hope that explains it Ok cuz my typing fingers are tired(both of them) .