polishing paste, or rubbing compund to finish clear coat?

[raylarrabee]

I'm finishing up my clear coat today and need to know what I am supposed to use to polish the clear after it hardens.  Auto parts store has 2 things that seem appropriate:  rubbing compound and polishing compound.

Anybody know which one is the right stuff?  I don't want to mess up the paint job on the last step.

[Roadstergal]

You always go from harsh to fine.  Polish can come in any of a number of harshneses.  I'd go to a more auto-body-inclined store that might have a better selection of polish.  The one time I did clearcoat polish, it was on a car, and I used Griot's machine polish, full job in order from 1->2->3.

Rubbing compound tends to be harsher than polish, but I've run into polishes that were harsher than rubbing compound.  What you use depends on what state your clearcoat is in.  A masterful clearcoat spray won't need any.  A really bad one will need sanding.

[ktrim]

3m micro finish.  it is designed specifically for that. could also try mequires mirror glaze

[raylarrabee]

A masterful clearcoat spray won't need any.  A really bad one will need sanding.

well, as rattle cans go, I don't think it's too bad, but it's probably a lot closer to "bad" than "masterful"

So, sand then polish.  I'll look for a store with a wider variety of polishes.