Mirage (Re)build thread - Jerry

[Blueovalz]

That bevel on the rear panel was probably the hardest part of the bodywork I had to negotiate. Eventually I bought some Home Depot 1" angle aluminum, and put some PSA sandpaper on it and used it to finally get a straight edge and angle on the bevel, even in the corners (where the angle aluminum was cut at 45º to promote a sharp corner. It was a frustrating process prior to that. A short sanding block is pretty good once you get the bodywork shaped correctly. A long board (what I call an "idiot Stick" because it allows even a novice a better chance at a straight body) ensures long flat areas and long curves/corners are flat (something about the length of an air-file or the standard PSA paper). Once I'm ready for wet sanding, I start using the smaller blocks or pads. By then, it's a lot harder to sand waves or imperfections into the panels.

Some of my favorite hand tools to get a perfect body:

The best small sanding block I've ever used. The same size as a typical small sanding block:
http://www.amazon.com/3M-Stikit-Atta...sanding+blocks

A great intermediary block that is longer than the small ones, but shorter than the idiot sticks:
http://www.amazon.com/3M-5441-Stikit...sanding+blocks

About the best "long" sanding block out there:
http://www.hillas.com/Categories/3M-...4toaAi_t8P8HAQ

A good soft 600 grit or finer sanding block. It conforms to a lot of small curves and corners:
http://www.amazon.com/3M-05442-Stiki...sanding+blocks

The old-style blocks where the paper is folded under and punctured by three nails works okay, but they rarely are perfectly flat. The 3M stuff is about as good as it gets.