Need help with polishing with pc

[Z06Addict]

In the process of polishing and need a little help. I'm on the hood and

it looks pretty good but I still have these tiny little curly scratched when I get close, ever after several passes with fmp. You really can't tell alot in these pics but here is one that looks good to me.

 

 

And here is more

 

 

 

 

Is it normal to see this at this stage before any wax or b glaze or should I go yet again with the fmp? The fmp seems to flash much faster than the shr, is this normal?

[Chobbs]

I think it is because I wash my car outside. The slightest breeze will deposit dust in the water droplets during washing and during drying. I do have a canopy that keeps the sun off the car and things falling onto the car from my tree

[Chobbs]

This is the time you would use 50/50 IPA/distilled water. Wash the car as normal then use the alcohol to get the wax off and proceed with the detail on that panel.

[Z06Addict]

This is the time you would use 50/50 IPA/distilled water. Wash the car as normal then use the alcohol to get the wax off and proceed with the detail on that panel.

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Ok so regular rubbing alcohol and distilled water after the wash.... This is useful, I was wondering about the wax. I'm guessing just spray the mix on and wipe off with mft.... wipe off immediately or let it sit a min?

[Chobbs]

No need to let it sit. Then just proceed as normal. This is what I am in the middle of doing. More time to properly tape off the panel and more time to focus on the correction. I have noticed, however, that I am still putting swirls in my paint due to wash technique. It is frustrating.

[mbreyer]

Try switching wash mits in the middle of the wash and use a designated one for the lower portion(the dirtiest portion) of the car. On top of the two bucket method i also spray out the mits to during wash. Got black paint and it is not forgiving.

[Z06Addict]

This is my first black car and it has been a learning experience.

[mbreyer]

Same here

[Chobbs]

I do use two mits. I am not sure where they are coming from

[Z06Addict]

I do use two mits. I am not sure where they are coming from

 

Do you hand dry or use a master blaster? Do you think it's from washing or drying?

[Chobbs]

I have a rigid shop vac that blows. I us the CR spotless water system ( dionized water). When I am done rinsing with DI water I use the shop vac to blow out all the cracks. I then use detail spray and the GWDT to dry off the car. I turn my towel frequently and am constantly checking it. I can take my time, as I am not worried about water spots.

[Z06Addict]

Well I didn't expect it to be easy but I did underestimate the time it takes. I got most of the job done but not all perfect. I think I'm going to continue on with the fmp as I have time this week so I can get the wax on after that, and then try and go back at times and try and perfect a panel at a time. Any advice on this approach?

[commdir911]

Well I didn't expect it to be easy but I did underestimate the time it takes. I got most of the job done but not all perfect. I think I'm going to continue on with the fmp as I have time this week so I can get the wax on after that, and then try and go back at times and try and perfect a panel at a time. Any advice on this approach?

 

 

Speaking of time - and I really don't mean to hijack the thread. I just hand polished my Charger yesterday. It's brand new (see the other thread "New Car") and the paint was mint. I did the entire hand process from wash & claybar to SHR & Revive to Buttery Wax. The entire process took 8-9 hours at least. Assuming paint is corrected, how much time can you expect to save by using the PC? I know you will get a better product than if you do it by hand but everyone talks about it be faster and easier.

 

What is a realistic percentage of time savings?

[MAYBEN]

I dont have an answer for time, but your shoulders will thank you..

[commdir911]

I dont have an answer for time, but your shoulders will thank you..

 

True'Dat! I'm feeling it today....

[Team Adam's]

I guess I just did't expect to need to make 4 or 5 passes of fmp to repair the damage done by shr... Is this normal?

 

Not at all... now what leads you to believe its the remnants of SHR that you're trying to remove? Not being able to see them in the pictures I'd guess one of 2 things are happening here:

 

1) You didn't spend enough time with SHR and jumped to FMP too soon... the 'damage' is might be what was already there and not fully removed in your SHR stage. Before doing 4-5 passes with FMP why not do a 2nd pass of SHR then another pass of FMP??

 

2) You shorted the time you spend on the SHR step and did put damage in. Underworking a product can lead to some strange issues and people a lot of times go too short on the working time. If you stop before the polish is fully flashed you may have worse looking paint when you started.

 

 

Speaking of time - and I really don't mean to hijack the thread. I just hand polished my Charger yesterday. It's brand new (see the other thread "New Car") and the paint was mint. I did the entire hand process from wash & claybar to SHR & Revive to Buttery Wax. The entire process took 8-9 hours at least. Assuming paint is corrected, how much time can you expect to save by using the PC? I know you will get a better product than if you do it by hand but everyone talks about it be faster and easier.

 

What is a realistic percentage of time savings?

 

Depends on the condition of the paint when you start, but the PC isn't so much about saving time (it will save you time, but thats not the big point) Its more about the results that are able to be achieved.

 

YOU CANNOT CORRECT PAINT BY HAND. You can improve it, but completely correcting it by hand simply isn't realistic. With a machine you CAN get to 100% perfect with the right technique and investment of time.

 

"Point A" to "Point B" will always be substantially faster with a machine vs machine. The bigger difference is you can't get to point C, D, or E with hand polishing no matter what you do.

 

Look at it in terms of speed... 6800opm for the Porter Cable... 9600opm + 480rpm for the Flex... thats 200 or 300 times faster than you can even hope to move you hand for any period of time.

[commdir911]

Not at all... now what leads you to believe its the remnants of SHR that you're trying to remove? Not being able to see them in the pictures I'd guess one of 2 things are happening here:

 

1) You didn't spend enough time with SHR and jumped to FMP too soon... the 'damage' is might be what was already there and not fully removed in your SHR stage. Before doing 4-5 passes with FMP why not do a 2nd pass of SHR then another pass of FMP??

 

2) You shorted the time you spend on the SHR step and did put damage in. Underworking a product can lead to some strange issues and people a lot of times go too short on the working time. If you stop before the polish is fully flashed you may have worse looking paint when you started.

 

 

 

 

Depends on the condition of the paint when you start, but the PC isn't so much about saving time (it will save you time, but thats not the big point) Its more about the results that are able to be achieved.

 

YOU CANNOT CORRECT PAINT BY HAND. You can improve it, but completely correcting it by hand simply isn't realistic. With a machine you CAN get to 100% perfect with the right technique and investment of time.

 

"Point A" to "Point B" will always be substantially faster with a machine vs machine. The bigger difference is you can't get to point C, D, or E with hand polishing no matter what you do.

 

Look at it in terms of speed... 6800opm for the Porter Cable... 9600opm + 480rpm for the Flex... thats 200 or 300 times faster than you can even hope to move you hand for any period of time.

 

Thanks Dylan!

[Z06Addict]

Not at all... now what leads you to believe its the remnants of SHR that you're trying to remove? Not being able to see them in the pictures I'd guess one of 2 things are happening here:

 

1) You didn't spend enough time with SHR and jumped to FMP too soon... the 'damage' is might be what was already there and not fully removed in your SHR stage. Before doing 4-5 passes with FMP why not do a 2nd pass of SHR then another pass of FMP??

 

2) You shorted the time you spend on the SHR step and did put damage in. Underworking a product can lead to some strange issues and people a lot of times go too short on the working time. If you stop before the polish is fully flashed you may have worse looking paint when you started.

 

 

 

 

Depends on the condition of the paint when you start, but the PC isn't so much about saving time (it will save you time, but thats not the big point) Its more about the results that are able to be achieved.

 

YOU CANNOT CORRECT PAINT BY HAND. You can improve it, but completely correcting it by hand simply isn't realistic. With a machine you CAN get to 100% perfect with the right technique and investment of time.

 

"Point A" to "Point B" will always be substantially faster with a machine vs machine. The bigger difference is you can't get to point C, D, or E with hand polishing no matter what you do.

 

Look at it in terms of speed... 6800opm for the Porter Cable... 9600opm + 480rpm for the Flex... thats 200 or 300 times faster than you can even hope to move you hand for any period of time.

 

I understand what you are saying. The reason I think it's the remnants of shr is because of all the tiny little curly scratches I keep talking about that was not there before I started.. I known the problem is with my technique. I can get it to the point I want, but it takes a long time. Of course I'm working on black car and under fluorescent light which is a challenge for a nube. There is also a real possibility that I am under working the product in fear of over working.... But I

will get the hang of it. It's a great product and the support is unbelievable. I may not be using enough product. I was trying to go with the Junkman's 3 pea size dots on the pad, but I feel like I don't get enough work in before it's dry or worked out (I am adding ds)

[Z06Addict]

At this point I am pretty discouraged about the polishing thing, close to putting the wax on and calling it done. I think my problem is in the shr step. I have the same problem i have read about with the micro marring after shr and it is way to hard to correct with fmp . I have tried several changes to technique with little change in result. Does anyone have a good pic of what the paint should look like just before going to fmp?

 

[1anonly]

At this point I am pretty discouraged about the polishing thing, close to putting the wax on and calling it done. I think my problem is in the shr step. I have the same problem i have read about with the micro marring after shr and it is way to hard to correct with fmp . I have tried several changes to technique with little change in result. Does anyone have a good pic of what the paint should look like just before going to fmp?

 

 

 

Don't be discouraged. It takes time....lots of time to get it perfect. I have 16 hours with a PC and another 8 with a Flex on my Corvette and it's getting there. Corvette's are just pains in the butt to correct.

 

Maybe focus on one panel a weekend. Leave the wax on the rest car and just do the hood. It might take 5 passes of SHR and 3 of FMP. Just be patient. Rome wasn't built in one day. Your paint isn't going to corrected in one.

[Z06Addict]

I have a pearl white Nissan Maxima that I drive to work and it has been neglected, so I got it out this afternoon and gave it a shot after watching AJ's vid again and I felt really good about the results in a very short time. So now I go to the boom boom room where the Vette lurks like I'm on a mission:pc:. I used the same technique as on the Maxima but not half of the results. I don't know if it's just because it's black or the clear is just that hard. I now have a haze that I can't get rid of to go along with the micro marring.

[Team Adam's]

If you have hazing you underworked the product more than likely.

 

Like others have said, vette clear is substantially harder than others.... also you have the fact that fiberglass retains heat which throws a whole other set of circumstances at you with product drying faster, etc.

 

You're basically combining 3 bad circumstances for a noob to machine polishing:

 

1) You're aiming for 100% flawless your first go around.

2) Your working on black with is a bear no matter what your experience level.

3) Your working on a vette with hard clear coat.

 

Honestly, best thing to do now... step back, relax, and take a break from it. Finish it up and enjoy the 90% improvement you've got for a bit... then come back to it in a few weeks and begin working on a panel and continuing to tweak your technique.

 

No one got perfection their first time out.... if it was that easy you guys wouldn't need guys like Adam, AJ, or myself to give you advice.

[Z06Addict]

It's ok Bill, I got those all around me haha. I'm betting a certain someone wouldn't let him be in the house so he is resided to the garage.

 

This is a man that understands!

[BlueGenCoupe]

Sorry, no pics are loading on my side. Since your not getting the swirls out with the least aggressive method, I think its time to Step it up to the orange pad and SHR, and then FMP/white pad

[the1inblue]

It looks fine to me. Idk what youre seeing. BG does hide some imperfections.

 

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[Team Adam's]

Hey Brandon. I'm not seeing the issue you're describing... in the last shot I can see what appears to be either minor pitting or maybe just dust particles on the finish... anyway to get a close up with the flash? Try setting your camera to "macro" if its equipped.