This article will focus on Tamiya Polishing Compounds and how we get to that point, so let’s grab a bunch of items from the store and have some fun. Many Items Gathered Together

The final Tamiya application was with their Finishing compound. Here I did 2 or 3 applications to get a mirror finish. If you look closely, you see the reflection of my glasses and finger at the bottom of the polished part. It’s quite remarkable the look you achieve with not much effort. The great thing about Tamiya’s Finishing Compound is that it can be used for any general polishing, such as removing fingerprints or getting rid of water marks around decals. Fine Compound with Applicator and Silver Labeled Tube as I say I was only using the chrome and aqua clear as a test as I had it ready sitting there cured. I’ve painted another 2 test pieces with my main subjects colours. Tamiya TS spray then 3 coats of Tamiya LP gloss clear. I will give it 3/4 days and then try the compounds on those. H.G. Barnes is a former voice-over artist and retired sales and marketing professional. He’s the author of two large volume science fiction adventure romance novels with many more in the works. For well over 40 years he’s been building scale model replicas and now does commission work for clients in Canada and the USA, plus completes projects for companies in Asia and Europe. Now let’s have a look at the part after drying for 48 hours. It’s vital to let your painted parts cure for no less than 2 days, yet I’d strongly recommend a week or two even. You can see the glossy shine is gone and many micro scratches came through. There are 3 coats of paint on this bonnet so you have a choice. You can polish now, and hope to reach the level of the valleys, or you can clear coat. Please consider clear coating, it’s far less messy, hence why I did. Near Mirror Finish of Part Resting on Blue GloveI did not got an answer for wich Tamiya polish I should use. I saw that they sell three different kinds and I think that it is for the shelf queens. Is it possible to use just one for an ok result? I also tried it on some spoons with the LP paint on tonight, not clear coated and I couldn’t replicate the problem with the Alclad so the Tamiya TS spray is more robust than the Alclad clear! Still I couldn’t get a noticeably different finish between polished and non polished after 3x fine and 1x finish

At this point you can choose to reapply the course compound or move on. It depends on your theme and desired look. Make certain, though, you wash your applicator in the warm water. Takes but a few seconds and ensures what is put on it next is not contaminated by the previous job. Rinsed Off Part with Course Compound Behind For the course compound I went against the scratch grain to cut down the hills. It took less than 5 minutes of this motion to see a difference then I swirled for another few minutes. The course compound usually has had enough when it begins to cake, as in the picture. Don’t fret, we’ll look after that in a jiffy.) Dried Compound on Part with Applicator Just as in the automotive industry the key to a good finish is in the preparation. A shiny surface will show many flaws, thus to begin I’m going to make certain that the surface of my plastic is as even and smooth as possible. In this example I’m using the bonnet of my Tamiya Lotus Super 7.

Then go finer, like 1000. Usually 1000 is enough for my bashers. But if you want more, you can use 1200 or 1400. I don't think going beyond 2000 is meaningful. As the paint solidifies, the paint surface is what makes it smooth. Even if you make it as sooth as the reflective surface of Hubble telescope, it won't matter. The reason why I still do 1200 or 1400 sometimes is to make sure that 1000 grit did not miss 800 scuffs. So 1200 or 1400 is like a quality control for me. 2000 would be extra nice. For some modelers this would be enough shine, but there are a few more steps left to get better results, so hang with me till the end. As you can see there is a drastic improvement and with just one application. Also note, I’ve washed the part and applicator. Almost Mirror Finish with Applicator and Tube Behind Clear coating gives a much better surface to polish your model and you don’t have to worry so much about digging into the color paint layers. It also will fill in those micro scratches and level out super smooth. There are many clear coat products which Sunward Hobbies offer, in this case it’s Tamiya X-22 Clear, again reduced 50/50 with Mr. Leveling Thinner 400. Mirror Finish on Part in Blue Glove I'm afraid 2000 will clog up right away. (Also, it would take forever.) I would try #800 or so and see how it goes. It depends on how much paint needs to be removed. You can start with 800, but I have a feeling that's too fine. There is no set rule, so you would have to judge as you sand. Coarse grit (like 600) will get things done faster, but you don't want to leave deep scratches. So starting with finer grit than you think you'd need is a better idea. If it takes long, you can go slightly rougher to do the majority of the sanding done.