Anyone who knows how to do automotive paint

[T4RFool]

A few weeks ago my wife's corolla got a lovely scratch/gouge in the paint from a kid riding by on his bike. I have sanded down the area and repainted using a duplicolor color match paint, that turned out great. The paint looks great, the problem I'm having is with the clear coat.

I applied several layers of the clear with resulted in an orange peel like texture which was to be expected. I sanded the clear coat down using 3 types of wet sandpaper, 800, 1500, 2000. The texture of the clear coat is smooth and feels like the rest of the car. I used a polish on it but I don't think it worked because everything is still cloudy and does not look polished. My questions are, do I need to sand it down further? what polishing compound should I use? I used turtle wax polishing compound and scratch remover, that didn't seem to work unless I didn't sand it down properly.

 

[T4RFool]

Do I need to do a rubbing compound first then a polishing compound?

 

[Mytoy4]

Rubbing compound and polishing compound are the same. If you finished with 2000grit, you should use fine grit compound typically. However, if it's sat a few days or more since you painted it the clear coat has further hardened and you may need a more aggressive compound.
Did you use an aerosol clear coat? If so, I'm not sure how's that affects the sanding/polishing since it's not a catalyzed product but rather dries by solvent evaporation. Think lacquer. Probably more information than you wanted but I'm not sure what we're dealing with exactly. Assuming it is dried thoroughly and you have sanded out the courser scratches out completely, fine or medium cut compound with a polisher at medium speed should get it done. Not an orbital waxer/polisher here. Move slowly but keep moving, keeping the polisher pretty flat as opposed to tipping it, and be extra gentle near edges and sharp body lines, trying to spin the buffer off the edges as this will reduce your chance of burning through. Good luck!

 

[T4RFool]

It was an aerosol can of the duplicolor clear coat. The sanded down 2000 grit finish feels as smooth as the rest of the finished car. As far as the buffer goes... I dont have one, I've been doing everything by hand. Is a polisher required?

 

[Mytoy4]

Yep, you'll want a polisher. You'd be rubbing til your arms fall off otherwise. If you have a Harbor Freight nearby they have a good one for home us that will run you about $30-$40.

 

[T4RFool]

I dont have anything like that near here. The closest place that might have a polisher would be a walmart or an Orschelns. I don't know if either of those places would have anything like that and they're 30mi away. I'd probably have better luck looking online. Any suggestions on brand or model?