Again guys, happy to assist...
slvrshadow. I personally haven't tried the Langka myself, I do it the "old school" way of building up and sanding. But I know that topic has been largely posted here, so i'm sure you can dig up some valid opinions.
Chip, yes, that's a good photo of just how to wrap the sandpaper, because indeed he has it folded over the edges (hard to see but I can tell) and wrapped over top too. That's a bit different type pad/block than the one I use but it's the same approach no matter.
Chip, I wouldn't tape around the spot you're touching up. The whole object is to blend the spot into the surrounding area, and taping will not lead to that end.
Also, what can happen if you take a lot of paint off the spot you're sanding is- the taped off area will be built up and untouched, and you'll again see a 'waver' or indentation in the paint from the depth difference, or dichotomy between the spot and surrounding/taped area. Strongly advise against it. You can tape off ridges and door creases/edges when doing whole panels(to avoid cutting through since those areas are thinner), but I always recommend you remove the tape when near done and make a light pass or 2 over it to blend the sanded area in with it. You just don't want a huge level difference defined by a line. Make sense?
Yes, you WILL probably freak after you've sanded the area down and dried it, that's a given for a neophyte, but trust me- after you've hit the area with your first pass of rubbing compound, you'll be breathing easier, and be stoked at the results. It works every time.
As mentioned in my article, you might have to compound 2x, polish 2x in succession to get good shine/clarity, especially by hand. I always use a rotary now for the compounding and polishing phases, but in the past a friend and I did EVERYTHING by hand on a couple show trucks I painted, from wetsanding to final polishing, and the trucks looked amazing. It CAN be done by hand alone, so don't let that scare you.
When I spoke about 5-6 passes, that's a general rule, and there are variables of course-the make of car (Chryslers I have noted are seemingly thinner than Fords as far as clearcoat) and the type of block and the pressure you apply also come into play, but I will stand pat on what I said as a guide. Once you make 2-3 passes, dry the area. You will see what you have done and how much orange peel you've taken off. Remember, orange peel looks like small dark dots against a sanded panel, because you are seeing the depressions via that shadeing difference.
SURE, you can use 3000 grit, it will give you better control over what you're cutting at first. I think that's a good idea if you're apprehensive.
Use X strokes over the touch up, yes. You'll get a flatter , more even result.
You just have to trust the science.
