An added accessory: Evans branded water bucket

Water pump with HBBW logo

        Projects with complicated graphics start with color sanding and buffing, I first used the smaller pad recommended by the manufacturer, using some 1000 to knock out all the nubs and dirt. At this point, remember to use a low rpm, because at high speeds the DA can create a hydroplane and result in less cutting by the sandpaper– basically just wasting your time. Throw away this sheet of sandpaper and do not reuse it because it has foreign debris embedded in it that can scratch or contaminate your finish.

        Next, grab your 6" pad and use some 1500 grit sandpaper. From here you can switch to a more aggressive grit sandpaper or finish up with your 2000 grit sandpaper. The situation will depend on the amount of orange peel on the finish.

        With the buffer I used a 3M heavy compound with a #1 pad, then  polished it off with Meguiar’s polish and a gray waffle pad. The compound and the #1 pad will buff your finish to a nice shine, but leave you with a bunch of swirls that the waffle pad and polish will remove. All that’s left is to rub everything down with some Meguiar’s wax on a micro fiber cloth and we are done!

        If you are a seasoned painter with some skills, you can get a pretty good finish straight out of the spray gun, maybe even better than most factory finishes, that won’t require any color sanding and buffing. But when the challenge calls for a really pristine finish that’s going to turn some heads, color sanding and buffing is a must.

        For me there is a great sense of accomplishment doing everything by hand. However, there is nothing wrong with finding a little help where I can. The Quick Cut Sander saved me up to three-quarters of the time and would probably cut the time of a do-it-yourselfer in half.        As a matter of fact, as you can see in the photos, I was so impressed that I developed my own signature line of sanders for the company.

        So if you really want to save some time, cash, and a backache, give the Quick Cut Sander a try and check it out at www.quickcutsanders.com. Good luck and have fun!

        Rich Evans, owner of Huntington Beach Bodyworks in Southern California, is an award winning painter and fabricator. Currently he is offering workshops at his facility so he can share his special techniques to other industry professionals. For more information about Evans, visit www.huntingtonbeachbodyworks.com.