Cut and Polish advice needed

[GK]

After seeing my slightly dulled clearcoat and a fair degree of swirls and fine scratches on both my roof and bonnet, I'm going to enlist the help of my brother in law and his variable speed buffer.

He's got some good lambs wool pads and will teach me how to use it properly.

I need to know however, what product I should use. Repo Paint Doctor isn't suitable for machine use, and I'm not going to do it by hand!

The clearcoat seems a little oxidised in spots and there's heaps of swirls. I suspect before I bought it, they wen't pretty hard on the previous cut and polish.

I'm really not sure what to use to restore the clear coat. I'm sure the paint underneath is fine.

What do you guys use? Any advice is welcome.

GK

[WoodysXR6]

I use pro 1 polish system made by ppg at work.

I also only use wool pads for major water damage or scratches with a cut compound.
Wool pads can be very dangerous to use for the in experienced.

I always use another 2 finer pads every time i use the wool pad to remove finer scratches, then followed by a hand polish.

Meguiars have some decent stuff to but its costly stuff.

I take it he knows what to do?

Regards, Woody

[howesy]

Try one of the polymere type products first. you wont take valuable layers away and it sometimes gets rid of light oxidisation and puts a coating on it. I use carlack but I believe meguires make a good one as well.

[GK]

Originally Posted by WOODYS_XR8

I take it he knows what to do?
Regards, Woody

Hi Woody,

Lord I hope he knows what he's doing!

GK

[WoodysXR6]

Pretty much a wool pad will cut the s#*% out of it lol.

[GK]

Originally Posted by WOODYS_XR8

Pretty much a wool pad will cut the s#*% out of it lol.

So the buffer with 6 speeds should only be used on 1-2 with a foam rubber pad?

GK

[WoodysXR6]

Originally Posted by GK

So the buffer with 6 speeds should only be used on 1-2 with a foam rubber pad?

GK

Um on a harder foam i normally use it around 3thou and on final i might switch it up to 3.5ish.

Its hard to say you dont want to burn the paint so keep it moving at average pace, keep a mild'ish pressure on it.
with the final pad i am lighter with the buff but move it around quicker.

Its 1 of those things that is hard to explain, you just do it and go with how it comfortable for you.

Hope this helps a tad
Regards, Woody

[GK]

Originally Posted by WOODYS_XR8

Um on a harder foam i normally use it around 3thou and on final i might switch it up to 3.5ish.

Its hard to say you dont want to burn the paint so keep it moving at average pace, keep a mild'ish pressure on it.
with the final pad i am lighter with the buff but move it around quicker.

Its 1 of those things that is hard to explain, you just do it and go with how it comfortable for you.

Hope this helps a tad
Regards, Woody

Thanks for your advice. but it's one of those things that I'm not very confident about.

Also, being the hands on and visual learner, it takes me a while to digest written instructions.

Cheers,

GK

[Peuty]

GK, product wise I would post in Dave @ Waxit.com.au's forum page and see what he recommends.

[GK]

Originally Posted by Peuty

GK, product wise I would post in Dave @ Waxit.com.au's forum page and see what he recommends.

I'll do that now.

Thanks all,

GK

[XR6-VCT-2000]

An electric buffer with a wool pad in the hands of the unexperienced can be as damaging as using a heatgun on your paintwork !. I've seen unexperienced people in the past strip paint down to the bare metal in seconds accidently! . Practice on a dump old car first (or the missus car..lol), and as 'Woodys_XR8' said / don't push too hard at all and keep the buffer constantly moving ;).

[Oo_xrsx_oO]

GK as the others have said a buffer in inexperienced hands is a potential disaster! Without seeing your paint I would suggest having a go by hand - maybe try a swirl/scratch remover and then paint cleaner/polish/wax and see how it fares. Maybe then use the electric polisher if it needs it?

[GK]

Originally Posted by Oo_xrsx_oO

GK as the others have said a buffer in inexperienced hands is a potential disaster! Without seeing your paint I would suggest having a go by hand - maybe try a swirl/scratch remover and then paint cleaner/polish/wax and see how it fares. Maybe then use the electric polisher if it needs it?

I've tried the clay bar, scratch x, and a repo product suitable for clear coats and have waxed afterwards.

No deal! LOL!

I've spoken with a friend who was a detailer and have got down detailed instructions on how to go about detailing (pardon the puns)! LOL!

I'm going to try it first on the left rear door and see how that goes. I'm going to use the least intrusive paste Meguiar's #2 with a polishing pad first. If I feel good about the door, I'll do the right rear door. If I feel good about that one, I'll do the others, then the boot, roof and finally the bonnet.

God willing, I'll have it in hand by then, or have stuffed something smaller that sends me the clear signal that I should enlist the help of a generous friend who's done this a squillion times, or the help of a paid professional.

I do happen to know that robjunior used to detail cars! Hint, hint. In all seriousness, this is something I think I'd like to be able to learn to do. I guess we've all got to learn sometime.

I've been told how to use the machine, and how to keep it moving, how to check the paint after 10 seconds a few times to see if it's hot, got an idea now of what rpm to use on the buffer, so I think I'm going to give it a shot sometime before next week.

If you're the God loving/fearing type, send a few up to the big fella upstairs for me! You know I'll say a few prayers before giving it a shot, but the extra from some of you guys couldn't hurt! LOL!

Cheers,

GK

[XR6-VCT-2000]

<~~~ says a prayer for GK .. Gl mate ;) .

[GK]

Originally Posted by XR6-VCT-2000

<~~~ says a prayer for GK .. Gl mate ;) .

Many thanks! LOL!

GK

[private9]

Good luck GK. I've always wanted to give my cars a decent polish myself, and have even bought everything needed in the past, but I know very well that I'll end up frying my paint!

I sense another one of your famous how to's coming!