Surfing School - Glassing - Buffing

After the gloss coat has set, use a razor blade to lightly take off the resin buildup along the rail tape line. Next, using wet fine grit emery cloth, sand down this rail edge, and any other blemish in the outer coating. Finally, using blue shell or a similar car wax, buff the rails and overall surface of the board to a shiny finish. Be very careful to keep moving the buffing pad in a circular direction and not to leave it in any one spot too long or it will burn the boards finish.

Some people use the same equipment, a grinder, for both sanding and buffing. Buffers operate at higher speeds (rpms), resulting in a glossier finish than can be obtained from a buffer. This speed is what can cause the surface to burn quickly if the buffer not controlled. Practice on an old board before you try buffing a new one.