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Coelacanth wrote:

Alex B wrote:I used 320 grit wet and dry to get the worst of the scratches out (you need to be brave and careful at the same time) then 600, 1000 and finally 1500 grit wet and dry (the chassis will look rubbish in terms of finish but the clear coat will take care of that). After a thorough wash in hot soapy water I shot 5 or 6 coats of regular halfords clear coat leaving around 15 minutes between applications. I found the key to getting a good gloss finish is to apply the clear coat in light layers holding the can around 3 to 4 inches from the chassis, any further away I find that you get more of an 'orange peel' which needs to be flatted back then polished to give a glossy result. You need to make sure you get an even covering I found it helps to have a light above where your working to check the covering.

Actually, if it's for a shelfer, there's no need to go through all that clear-coating and subsequent wet-sanding to get a glossy look. Once you've finished wet-sanding up to 1500 or higher grit, the key to getting a polished finish is simply applying rubbing compound and giving it a good buffing, then do the same with polishing compound. I usually follow that up with an application of Nu-Finish Scratch Doctor. There's no need for a clear-coat protection for a shelfer, IMHO.

In fact, it's not the clear-coat that makes the finish glossy, but the wet-sanding you did (all over again) after the 1500-grit. If you're spraying clear-coat out of a rattle-can, I almost guarantee you'll get orange-peel, regardless of methods. That will just have to be wet-sanded out again. For a shelfer, just skip the clear-coating and apply rubbing compound, polishing compound, and Nu-Finish Scratch Doctor after your final 1500-grit wet-sanded surface.

Just saying this to warn others in advance before they start clear-coating everything and getting frustrated with having to waste more hours wet-sanding out the orange-peel you just put all over your nicely sanded surfaces.

RedScampi wrote:That looks awesome Alex! Who knew you could restore a carbon fibre chassis that way? I'm not familiar with the Halford's finish, is it a polyurathane? How hard a finish will it be when its cured? I suppose you could always put a chassis protector on it if you did decide to run it.

By the way, you can use some good metal polish and get a chrome like finish on that motor plate, or as I have done in the past, you can respray it silver. For one of my JRX2's I found a semi-flat silver that looks very close to the original finish.

brian s wrote:Not sure I could run the Works 93, it is by far my most precious

brian s wrote:which of the oakdale venues did you use, pontlanfraith (spelling might be wrong) or the later venue up on the top of ?(cant remember the name )