HD UNO: How many times can I do this?

gswearengin · 10-21-09, 02:31

[Copied from Machine Polishing forum where it seemed to be dead in the water...hope that's okay!]

Hiya guys,

So, first of all a little background: I have a PC7424XP w/HD UNO and a UNOPAD. I am working on a Black Magic Pearl 2007 VW GTI. I have done this exactly once! I bought the car used, and it has been well cared for but not babied. There were significant swirls and some areas had rotary holograms.

So, after my first attempt, I am both disappointed and encouraged by the results I am having. The rotary holograms, as far as I can tell, are totally gone, and the swirling is greatly reduced. Basically, my car now looks like a car that is only a few months old and has been well cared for (i.e. not destroyed by the dealer, washed carefully with proper techique)...but there are still quite a few swirls and RIDS.

I also tried to repair some paint chips with varying degrees of success. I would really like to remove some of the touch-up paint, and maybe even try again. There is also some marring from wetsanding (3M 2000 grit) that I did not completely get rid of. I would like to re-attack these areas especially, but would also like to take another shot at getting rid of more of the swirls. I am just afraid I might over do it.

I guess my question is: can I do all of this without being worried about over-thinning the clear coat? Might I be better off following up with something like M205 (or even starting with something more abrasive) or maybe getting a different pad? I was very impressed with the results with HD UNO, especially being a one-step system, but I don't really have anything to compare it to.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,

Gary

DavidB · 10-21-09, 03:03

Hi Gary,

Thanks for posting your situation. There is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that your VW paint is very hard. The good news is that your VW paint is very hard.

Super hard paint is sort of a blessing in disguise. It's a bear to polish out, but once it does it stays that way longer.

Some blemishes may not polish out easily with the PCXP. In these cases, I suggest using 3000 grit wet and dry paper on a sanding block. The 3000 grit sanding scratches are very fine and come out very easily with the PCXP and HD UNO.

To remove your touch-up blobs, wrap 1500 grit paper around a 1" x 2" rubber eraser (makes a great sanding block) to level the blob. Then follow with 3000 to remove the heavier sanding scratches. To buff these areas, I first hit them with my rotary or a HD MINIPAD on my cordless drill. It takes less than 30 seconds per spot, then it's ready for final buffing with the DA.