The WIZARDS BUFFING SYSTEM has been regarded by many painters and restoration experts as the best finishing system available today.

FINISH CUT™

The key product in the system is the FINISH CUT compound. The FINISH CUT will deliver high gloss finishing while leveling to remove 1500 grit or finer sand scratches on fresh paints.

FINISH CUT is amazing because it can actually be used as a one step compound and eliminate the need for several different products.

When using the correct pad for the job, FINISH CUT will not only remove sand scratches and level the finish, but it will leave the paint finish with an extremely high gloss without the regular swirl marks left behind from other compounds.

After the job is done, clean up is very easy. The FINISH CUT leaves very little dusting, and powder is at an absolute minimum. It is a water-soluble formula; so it cleans up easy with water, without staining or etching. 

You mentioned fresh paints, are you saying that the FINISH CUT will only work on fresh paint?

Not at all, The FINISH CUT will work great on all types of single stage, clears and OEM factory finishes; weather they are fresh or aged. The thing to remember is that fresh paint is always going to be a little softer; when compounding, it cuts faster and scratches easier. Because the FINISH CUT formula doesn’t have the traditional rigid abrasives, it finishes off without the swirls, making it an excellent choice for fresh paint.

You said it doesn’t contain the traditional, rigid abrasives; what kind of abrasive do you use that makes it work?

The FINISH CUT does have a series of non rigid abrasives that start out with more cutting power and then break down into a polishing stage as it’s used; thereby giving you the best possible initial cut along with an excellent finished gloss.

The FINISH CUT does not contain any wax, silicone, or crystalline silica; which is the rigid abrasive. Buy the way; crystalline silica is not only a scratchy abrasive but the dust generated by it has been linked to some forms of lung cancer. That’s why a mask should be worn when working with those products.

I see that WIZARDS has buffing pads too. Can the technician use his regular pads, or do you have to use the WIZARDS PADS, and how do you choose the right pad for the job?

You can certainly use any kind of pad you want; you just won’t get the proven results that we have spent years to perfect. I know what some customers say: “You just want to sell your pads”. Many times customers will say they have their own pads, so they don’t want to invest in the right pad for our system. Then after they try it, they tell me they’re disappointed. I know that if they start out using the right pad, and our technique, they will be a customer for life.

OK, I’m not a buffer but I’ve watched people buff, and it all looks like the same technique to me. What’s so special about your technique and how do you use the FINISH CUT for the best results?

All right, I’ll get into the proper use of the FINISH CUT and the WIZARDS BUFFING SYSTEM in general; including the TURBO CUT compound and our WIPE DOWN INSPECTION DETAILER

It amazes me how many people ask “What do you have for swirls after buffing”? My answer is always the same. If you use the right compound, you won’t have swirls. They always look at me with a puzzled look of disbelief. Then I show them.

First off, you always want to start with a clean surface. You can’t expect to remove swirls if dirt or coarse compound dust is pulled into the work area.

When wet sanding or DA sanding, always finish off with 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper before buffing. If you want to cut it down with a course grit paper first, that’s OK, but you’ll always have to sand with the finer grit to remove the deeper scratches. Remember; it’s easier to sand than it is to buff. So why not spend a little more time sanding and less time exercising your back?

A side note about sandpaper: American and Japanese manufactures do not rate their paper the same. For example: An American 2000 grit scratch will be easier to buff out than Japanese 2000 grit. It is true that the Japanese paper has more uniform abrasive, and won’t have the “random sharp edge” to give you a deeper scratch. What they do have is all the abrasive pieces in alignment, and they all cut with the sharp edge. True, they may cut a little faster at first but so would an American grade with a lower number. So what I’m saying is if you’re sanding with 1500 grit and you think it takes too much buffing to get the scratches out, finish with a finer grit. Find a combo that works best for the paint you use.

OK, here is the technique that works best with our compounds. Apply the FINISH CUT compound generously to one spot on the panel. I’ll start out with a spot about the size of a 50 cent piece or larger. Remember; if the pad is new, it’s going to take more compound to load the pad. A dry pad is going to soak up more product than one that’s already wet. So it’s better to use more, than less, especially when starting out.

What you don’t want to do is apply the FINISH CUT in ribbons or specks and then spread it out over a large area.

“Old school” teaching says: Spread it out all over, then buff lightly because applying pressure will cause swirls and burn the paint. That’s what happens with the outdated, oil based compounds using sand for an abrasive.

WIZARDS compounds are based on water-soluble formulas using the latest abrasive technology.  This combination can yield awesome results, when following the recommended technique with our pad system.

Why is it so critical, how the compound is put on the paint?

If you apply ribbons or specks, you end up buffing a larger area. When you do this you can’t really concentrate on one area and you dissipate your efforts. When you buff larger areas at a time the abrasive begins to break down before it has a chance to do its job. You want to get as much cut as possible before the abrasive breaks down into the polishing stage.

This method is a little different, but it makes the big difference. It is a key factor in getting the best and fastest results with the WIZARDS compounds.

You always want to start out with the WIZARDS FINISH CUT WOOL PAD. Adjust the speed from 1800 to 2000 R.P.M. and position it over the compound at the 2 o’clock position about half way from the center to the outside edge of the pad. Hold the pad flat to the surface and apply pressure. If you have a variable speed buffer, start out slow and go to full speed. Slowly move the pad while applying adequate pressure to remove scratches.

Work the buffer with an overlapping motion within a couple square feet at a time, adding more compound as needed. Move on only after the scratches have been removed. When you see the scratches melting, lighten up on the buffer but continue with slower movements, adding more compound as needed. Never dry buff once the scratches are removed. Dry buffing will produce additional marks from the pad.

Whatever you do, don’t whip the buffer back and forth, riding the edge of the pad over the entire panel. Some guys buff like they’re trying to get an aerobic workout. This is a great way to waste time, splatter product and scar the finish with swirl marks.

Now the pad you’re using is wool and it’s just for the FINISH CUT compound?         

It’s more than just a regular wool pad. It’s actually a wool and polyester blend. This pad is a proprietary blend, with 25% more yarn that other similar pads. The FINISH CUT pad is great for the first step with either the FINISH CUT or the TURBO CUT compound. It really is the best of both worlds because it will cut like a cutting pad but it finishes off more like a finishing pad.