Painting help!
 

Just finished a project & my clear was close to perfect, but I wanted to try sanding with 1500, then 2000 & polishing/buffing for my first time. Not sure what I did wrong, but it's pretty dull now & extremely difficult to remove the "3M Rubbing Compound" & "Hand Glaze". Do I need a machine to buff it out? How do I fix this back to a luster shine?
Any help appreciated, Thank you

What clear did you use?

SEM Promax Enamel

That's a 1k clear... If fully cured/dry it should be fine to try and buff out. See what some of the other pros on here think but from 2000 grit I usually go to a buffing compound before going to polishing glaze.
Initially polishing glaze can be hard to get off but it does come off with elbow grease. You could try a Meguiars mirror glaze #82 on a buffing wheel which is a light to medium cut. I've used it on 1k clear before the hand glaze and final wax.

Oh, but be careful with a buffing wheel on models/fiberglass. You can easily burn the underlaying finish if you use too high rpm/stay in one location too long.

Here is a pic of the near impossible to remove film. I think I added too much, & maybe I wasn't suppose to let it dry? IDK, but tell me if this sounds crazy; Buy a small rotary buffing machine, them add more rubbing compound with the machine & hope I can dissolve it all into my clear, then add hand glaze via the buffing machine & hope the shine comes back.
I think a machine is the key, but only guessing, & its only 3/32 wood glassed, so Im worried about damaging it.
Thanks

I use a 6" buffing wheel, not a rotary dremel like, as you will very likely burn it. What you have there seems removable with a 6" wheel and 3M Perfect it.

how long did you let the clear cure? Enamel will need at least a week before you can do anything with it.

check pawn shops for the buffer. would 3m's "finesse" line work on that?

Thanks for the replies guys! I didn't think the structure would be able to take my craftsman orbiter, so I attempted to do it by hand, & probably put on too much, or tried to do to big an area at a time. The buffer took care of it & with lots of work & patience it looks like glass again:)

Cool. Let us know how this kind of paint system works out with maybe some pics when you are done. I don't have access to the pro equipment and proper breathing equipment and am always interested in non-catalyzed/non-iso paint systems.

Sure, I took my Boomerang Sprint's top deck to my local auto paint supply store and had them match the yellow paint & put it into a rattle can, then purchased the clear in a rattle can also. I wanted urethane, but was told it's not available in rattle cans. I'm painting in my apartment in NY while the wife & child are at the in laws, so a little pressed for time on my projects. Here's a pic of it before and after buffing. The clear is SEM Promax, it's pretty cheap, about $5. If I was painting a big money composite though, I would just pay for a premium urethane.
hope this helps, Jay

I'm using 3m polishing auto body paste and electric buffer with 3m sponge white and gray ,set to low rpm and do the rotation in out direction.