Removing Fine Scratches with a PC ROP

jcrist · 04-03-02, 10:43

Learning the ropes with my Porter Cable Random Orbit Polisher. I have a 4 month old car with minor clear coat scratches (can't feel with your finger nail). It's a dark car though so they show in the sun unless the car has been freshly detailed.

I tried 3M SMR but didn't like the results due to the oils in it - didn't remove the scratches and left a bunch of hazing/smearing and an "oily" slick finish I didn't like. I tried Finese-It II and loved the wet-look finish with a very clean surface, no oils, so Klasse SG bonds really nice, but still can see scratches. Tried Perfect-It II Rubing Compound, then Finesse-It, then SG, best results, but still can see scratches at certain angles.

My take on this is that you really can't remove scratches with a Random Orbit Polisher, even the PC at full speed, and you really need a Rotary Polisher (better know what you are doing though).

But, just curious if anyone has found a winning combination technique/products with the PC that actually removes the scratches? Of course it is probably pointless because on a dark car, you are going to have the surface scratches starting to return right after the first wash thereafter.

porterdog · 04-04-02, 06:00

... but mebbe my scratches were finer than yours? One thing I may have done differently is that I ran the PC until the 3M SMR was nearly dry and invisible; you say your finish was left oily. I saw that a couple times on my first try and so came back here to do a little research and what I found was people saying things like "you really need to work it" and "run full speed with firm pressure until it starts to dry, then gradually reduce pressure".

$0.01,
Robert

BradE · 04-04-02, 06:06

jcrist,

Sadly I know exactly what you mean. IMO for anything beyond light swirls the PC probably won't do the job without using something super abrasive. I can remove things in a few passes with my DeWalt rotary that the PC would not even touch.

For the PC try different pressures. Use strong pressure with the first pass and then lighter and ligher with each pass. Also the type of pad you are using makes a big difference. If you want you could try a lambswool pad with some Finesse-It on the scratch. The lambswool will likely leave some micro-marring, so it will need to be polished down further.