Flat and Polish
To flat and polish, is to flatten down imperfections in the paint surface using sandpaper, then to polish it using a machine polisher, so it's shiny again. This is sometimes called "wet sanding" or "Cut and Buff" in the Americas.
This expression is common in body shops where cars are being repainted. Sometimes mistakes can be made which cause a high point, run or sag in the paintwork, or there might be some other imperfection such as excessive orange peel, debris, bubble or pinhole which can be removed by flatting and polishing.
This technique can also be used to lessen or remove damage to the surface of the paint such as scratches and is essentially the same thing as 'paintwork correction'.
We also flat-and polish plastic headlights to remove oxidation, discolouration and staining. We do this with a 6-stage headlight polishing system.
Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 13/12/2023 15:35