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I buffed out some cat Urethane by hand,but it seems like it came out more satin than high gloss.I sanded to 1500 grit wet.Maybe some turtle wax? Or maybe it needs to be buffed on a machine.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Hi James. What did you use to buff it? Also, did you sand to 1500 or P1500?

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

I used Meguires 9, 4 ,than 2.The paper does have a p before the # ,but it doesn`t say p grade.Like some of it does.I can`t find anything around here in anything that doesn`t have a P before it.
Maybe this is the trouble.It seems I could just start sanding with a finer grade.Like P1500 instead of 600.Than maybe finish with 2000.Why is sandpaper complicated?

James
Actually I just went down to my shop and took a look.The paper is wet and dry 600b,1200b,1500b,and some 2000,that has no letters.

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Sounds like you're using the right sandpaper. There's a big difference between "P" and "non-P" (CAMI) sandpapers, at least after 220. After that, the P grades get courser and courser than their respective non-P grits. For example, P1200 is about equivalent to 600.

Are you using the McGuire's with a cloth, or what? You might try one of those buffing wheel sponge things that you can chuck up in your drill. Polyurethane is pretty tough, and would certainly take a lot of work by "hand".

Also, I seem to remember the McGuire's numbering system being a bit screwy, but I could be wrong.

Lastly, what kind of polyurethane did you use? I have found that the M.L. Campbell Euro-bild stuff is not all that clear, and seems to be a little cloudy, for lack of a better word.

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

I used a product Robbie O`brien recommends on his finishing video called Ilva TP60.I tried buffing it with a pad on my Orbital sander and it worked okay,but not really good enough.Am I supposed to rub the holy heck out of it with all my might,or buff it gently?I didn`t want to rub thru the finish.If I have to I`ll really apply some serious elbow grease, if that`s what it takes.It`s about to tick me off as it is anyway.Maybe I can rub a whole in it.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

I really like the Ilva stuff.

Yeah, you've gotta buff pretty hard, compared to nitro anyway. At least that's what I've found. Just keep moving so you don't overheat any spots. And hey, it's no fun if you don't go through a spot or two! You might also consider sanding to 2000.

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Thanks for your help Mike.It seems like a pretty good product.It should be ready to rub down tommorrow.I`ll give er a pretty good go . James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

James, Are you buffing with wool or sponge pad? The sponge pads don't seem to cut very fast especially with catalyzed materials. Wool has the ability to hold more compound but the tradeoff is heat. Also, using an orbital is going to be very slow. A circular pattern (if you can lock the pad) will give you a faster polish too. Again, watch for heat. I'm using 2500 wet/dry paper from 3M and If 3M made 3000, I'd get 3000! You can find the 3M stuff at local auto refinishing centers or even Keystone Auto Body parts stores. Keystone has about the best prices on 3M stuff, 3M can get a little spendy but it's worth it. The 2500 comes in a sleeve of 50 "half sheets" (5.5 X 9) I can usually sand a whole guitar level with two half sheets on a sanding block. The finer you can level (wet) sand with the easier it will be to buff. Also, urethanes get hard fast, but continue to fully dry for a couple months. You will want to get on it right away to do your initial buffing and may have to re buff the dyeback out in a few weeks. Good luck!

Thanks for the tips Joe.I sanded the sides up to 2000 dry and it`s getting a pretty nice shine.I`ll have to leave the rest until tommorrow,the super bowl party just walked in the front door.If I can find any finer paper in town I`ll sand more.I think a pretty nice shine can be obtained,like you say if I sand with fine enough grit.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

hi james,
I have been using McFaddens Cat Urethane for the last 4 years and love the finish. I never have tried to buff it by hand but I bet it would be very tough to do. My schedule is to dry sand with 400, 600, 1000 and then wet sand with 2000 Abralon. Next is to buff it with 12" Canton Flannel wheels using MenZurna medium, fine and very fine dry compounds. The end result is a glass smooth mirror like finish. Hope this helps.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

Trying to sand and buff to rub out finishes with the wrong sandpaper, the wrong compounds, and the wrong tools will just frustrate you, and you'll not get decent results...ever. There's a reason why folks invest in buffing wheels...it's because they work. I wouldn't attempt to do finishes without being set up properly. It's cheaper and less frustrating to send the work out, at least if you value your own time much above minimum wage.

You might want to try micro mesh. It goes all the way to 12000 and then you can use the Meguiers or 3M compounds. In my experience with cat urethane, the longer you wait the harder it is to buff. I use Menzerna and a buffer now and the urethanes are still a little harder to buff if I wait more than a day.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

I do my final sanding dry with Abralon 2000 and then 4000 pads on a 3" dia. ROS. This gives a surface that easily pops to a high gloss with a light Menzerna buffing.