Was I expecting too much?

[chrisguga]

I'm trying out my Porter Cable for the first time and I'm using the SHR and orange pad. I hit this first test area of my hood 3 times so far and I'm still left with these scratches. You can't feel them with your fingernail and I figured machine polishing would cut right through them. I initially used speed 5, but I have used speed 6 the last two hits because I wasn't seeing results.

 

Am I going to need to wet sand with 2500 and then 3000 before moving to the SHR? I don't have the SSHR and would rather just jump right to the wet sanding instead of trying SSHR and the green pad only to find out it's equally as ineffective.

 

Also, my polish seems to flash faster than I expected. I go horizontally over an area and then vertically over it and the polish is already clear. Am I doing something wrong?

 

Thanks for the help,

Chris

 

[chrisguga]

Lusty, thanks for the encouraging words.

 

In your opinion, how does the green pad + SSR compare in cutting ability to compared to other products like the ones you mentioned?

[Odds and Ends]

As others have already said.....

 

1st - nice work

 

2nd - although it worked out for you, jumping right to sand paper IS NOT a smart thing. Many people will try it, have great success the first time out only to do serious damage the next time around. 2000 is pretty serious and if you think you may want to stick with sanding to fix major defects, I'd invest in some 2500 and some 3000. The extent of scratches and thickness of paint and clear coat is only millimeters thick to begin with and it doesn't take much to sand through it. If you don't use a paint meter first, you have absolutely no way of knowing how thick it is and how far you can go without doing damage. Also, how much pressure and what technique is necessary to remove "X" amount of clear? Trying not to preach...just sayin'.

 

3rd - Yes, those scratches would have come out with SHR on a focus pad, SHR on a Flex, SSR on a PC and probably, eventually, SHR on your PC. If you need or want to knock out scratches faster and safer, invest in a Flex or learn to use a rotary polisher, both of which are much safer than sanding.

 

4th - Again, looks great, congrats on your success...just remember that this is not the best way to proceed. I've "been there, done that" more times than I'd like to admit. Take your time, get a feel for how each product and tool interacts with one another and then you can decide on a plan of attack.

 

- Darryl

[Chewy]

Those scratches would have been no match for the 4" Focal Pads!

 

That's EXACTLY what I do!

[Redvenm]

As others have already said.....

 

1st - nice work

 

2nd - although it worked out for you, jumping right to sand paper IS NOT a smart thing. Many people will try it, have great success the first time out only to do serious damage the next time around. 2000 is pretty serious and if you think you may want to stick with sanding to fix major defects, I'd invest in some 2500 and some 3000. The extent of scratches and thickness of paint and clear coat is only millimeters thick to begin with and it doesn't take much to sand through it. If you don't use a paint meter first, you have absolutely no way of knowing how thick it is and how far you can go without doing damage. Also, how much pressure and what technique is necessary to remove "X" amount of clear? Trying not to preach...just sayin'.

 

3rd - Yes, those scratches would have come out with SHR on a focus pad, SHR on a Flex, SSR on a PC and probably, eventually, SHR on your PC. If you need or want to knock out scratches faster and safer, invest in a Flex or learn to use a rotary polisher, both of which are much safer than sanding.

 

4th - Again, looks great, congrats on your success...just remember that this is not the best way to proceed. I've "been there, done that" more times than I'd like to admit. Take your time, get a feel for how each product and tool interacts with one another and then you can decide on a plan of attack.

 

- Darryl

Very nicely explained Darryl.:D:D

[Bill-V8V]

Have you inspected it in the sun since the wet sanding ?

[chrisguga]

I really do appreciate all the good advice. Please don't think I'm dismissing it. I'm being especially careful with the sandpaper and not even getting some of the scratches all the way out. I'll knock them 90% of the way out now and then really go after them with the focus pads later.

 

Bill, I haven't had a chance to really inspect it in the sunlight other than briefly admiring it to and from the car going to work. It was overcast so I wouldn't be able to see much anyway.

 

I intend to buy a set of 500w or 1000w halogen lights shortly. Are the 1000w necessary or are the 500w plenty good enough?

 

I finished the trunk and part of the roof tonight with more good results. I'm really slow at this and initially thought if someone asked me to machine their car I'd only charge $300 or so for a complete detail and machine polish, but if I'm going to charge a rate similar to what I make at my regular job, it's going to be a hell of a lot higher because this took about 3 hours for the hood and 2 1/2 for the trunk counting the wet sanding for both.

 

Anyway, everyone loves pics!

 

[Vincenzo]

Very nice. At first I thought that those lines were in the paint, but then I realized that it's part of the garage. Lol.

[chrisguga]

I went ahead and ordered the focus pads and SSR. No more sand paper except for the ultra stubborn areas.

[Lusty]

Some advice from a guy who's been there! I know no detailing friends, or anyone else that details. I basically started from scratch and learned along the way over the past 3 years.

 

The biggest thing is don't expect a miracle your first time around! I've learned that polishing takes a LONG time to master, and frankly I think I still suck! lol but not as bad as the first time I picked it up. Every car is so different than the other. As others have said, don't rely on the sand paper! It's all too easy to jump to that, believe me!

 

I'm working on a truck right now that is the biggest pain in the ### (you can see it in the new to the forums section I posted it last night), and I tried every **** combo out there trying to cut into the forcefield that is the Dodge clearcoat. I tried diff pads, polishes...multiple combos, and finally settled on m105 and surbuf pads. It still didn't remove what I wanted. Then I resorted to the sandpaper. I feel bad for doing it but I didn't have any other choice. The temptation is there though, it saves so much time but it's just not the same. Who doesn't love spending hours and hours polishing their own vehicle?? I know my wife doesn't...heh.

 

Just keep at it man!

[Chris@Adams]

Those scratches would have been no match for the 4" Focal Pads!

[Lusty]

Lusty, thanks for the encouraging words.

 

In your opinion, how does the green pad + SSR compare in cutting ability to compared to other products like the ones you mentioned?

 

I can't speak for any of the Adam's product line yet. I only recently found out about them when I came across some detailing videos featuring their products.

[chrisguga]

I did some more work today. I machined polished the faces of my wheels and then hand polished the barrels. I also painted the calipers and cleaned up the wheel wells.

 

[Bill-V8V]

Great job Chris

[chrisguga]

Thanks Bill. My wife doesn't understand why I like to detail the car. She says, "Why do you wash it so much? It's not even a luxury car." Well no **it. If I wasn't paying for your student loans, your credit card, your car payment, paying to start up your business, etc it WOULD be a luxury car! lol

 

A Mercedes E55 AMG or BWM M5, most likely!

[mbreyer]

:lol: I feel ur pain man

[Lusty]

I wish women understood detailing! My wife nags about the same thing!!! I'd like to see her put on make-up with only 1 makeup tool! "Here's a q-tip hunny, go to town!"....lol

[Bill-V8V]

I wish women understood detailing! My wife nags about the same thing!!! I'd like to see her put on make-up with only 1 makeup tool! "Here's a q-tip hunny, go to town!"....lol

 

Thank you, I needed a good laugh today :lolsmack:

[StormChaser]

I wish women understood detailing! My wife nags about the same thing!!! I'd like to see her put on make-up with only 1 makeup tool! "Here's a q-tip hunny, go to town!"....lol

 

Ahem.....

 

I do believe I speak for the ladies of Adams....NOT all women misunderstand the need for detailing.

[bigcarrot]

Wet sanding through your clear is way more expensive than focus pads!

[camaro2ssblack]

your not working the polish long enough, work it until you really cant even see it anymore. In my experience, it should take about 5 or 6 of the vertical + horizontal passes for the polish to truly flash...I would do another pass of the SHR with the above technique and go from there.

[phantomgti]

Hey chris. Are u using enough product on the pad? I made an error of not priming the pad first. Maybe that's why it flashes so fast. Hope the others can help out of why it is ineffectivw on the scratches.

[Bill-V8V]

Pay attention to the amount of pressure too, and be patient. It can take a little work to get the results.

[chrisguga]

Camaro2ssblack, I guess I definitely haven't been working it long enough. I was afraid of working it too long and having a dry pad on the clear. I guess that's not a legit concern.

 

Phantomgti, I do think I have enough product. I've been spreading it on speed 5 quickly before I bump it to speed 6 because it flings everywhere if I hit it with speed 6 right away. I also always prime the pad with detail spray.

 

I started out without using a great deal of pressure, but lately I have been leaning on it pretty hard for the remainder of the hood. I wonder if I'm applying too much pressure? Of course, the rest of the hood isn't as scratched up as the area I first started with. I'll go back and hit that first area again with a 4th and 5th hit to see if I can make some progress on those scratches. I'm really trying to avoid wet sanding as I don't have a clear depth meter and don't intend to spend the money on one. The wife would kill me.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll put them to work.

[camaro2ssblack]

With good pressure and working it longer, you should make some considerable improvements on those if not knock them out completely. The focus pads would definitely get them out...

[1anonly]

Chris, those scratches will come out but maybe not with the PC. Do you have the 4" spot pads? Those would take them out in a second.

 

The one thing you need to remember is that 100% perfection does not come over night. I have over 30 hours of polishing with a PC and a Flex and my Corvette still isn't perfect. Just be patient and it will be perfect.