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Finishing the Repair

Page 6 of 6

Click photos for larger versions

IPhoto showing compounding if kayak.f you want a smooth shiny repair the next step is to wet/dry sand the area. This is done with 400 to 600 grit sand paper. Keep a small (16 oz.) container full of water and dip the sand paper into the water every few seconds. The wet/dry sand paper will bring out some sheen to the repaired area.

The inner masking tape is 1/8" away from the damaged area when using the wet/dry sand paper.

The final step in a great repair is to compound the area. Use a fine compoundPhoto of 3M Microfinishing Compound. like the 3M Microfinishing Compound. Remember to use a respirator and work in a well vented area. Compounding works by removing a little material to bring the high areas down to the low area. Just compound enough to get the sheen into the repaired area. The masking tape should be 1/4" away from the damaged area. While you can compound by hand a random orbital buffer works best.

The Porter-Cable (97335) 5" variable speed random orbital sander kit is a great tool to have for doing this type of repair. You can add a foam pad to this tool (top photo) and use it to compound or wax the repaired area. This random orbital sander has a hose attachment to hook up to a shop vac to help keep the dust down. Amazon has it for $150. It may be our best repair tool we own. The Foredom flex shaft tool is a close second, but much more expensive and not as versatile for the price.

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