How to attack etching with rotary?

evo77 · 09-12-06, 10:33

Using numerous applications with Megs #83, W8006 pad and the PC I didn't put a dent into these annoying rain etchings. My roof has the majority of them (pic below) while the top of the trunk lid, hood and upper portions of the doors are affected as well. Unfortunately my car is parked outside 24-7 and the dew that forms in the mornings gets burned into the paint by the sun.

I'll be purchasing a rotary this week. I'd like to hear some recommendations on technique for removal. I'd like to try the #83 again with the same pad on the rotary. What rpm should I do it at? 1000? Arm movement? Pressure?

wannafbody · 09-12-06, 11:59

I used a rotary with a medium cutting pad and OHC. It's a fairly agressive combo so be careful as you will remove some clear. Hi-Temp Extreme cut would also be a good choice for etching. Just remember you probably won't be able to remove all the etching but make it less noticable.

evo77 · 09-12-06, 01:42

Really? If I can't remove all the etching it kind of seems like a waste of time and a disappointment.

wannafbody · 09-12-06, 02:23

oh I'm sure you could remove it it's just a question of how many applications (wetsanding might be needed) and how much clear you remove. Some defects are better to be improved on than totally removed

awahl63 · 09-12-06, 03:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by wannafbody

oh I'm sure you could remove it it's just a question of how many applications (wetsanding might be needed) and how much clear you remove. Some defects are better to be improved on than totally removed

Yeah I prefer to live with some imperfections instead of thinning the clear

SHICKS · 09-12-06, 04:55

I've got the same thing. The most agressive I have tried is an orange pad with SSR 2.5 or IP on 6 with a PC. I can't remove it. The sad part is my truck was repainted a year ago perfectly. I have polished, sealed and waxed and still could not prevent the rain etching along with the bugs and bird stuff. My cars are also outside 24/7. I will not go any more agressive as I will want to keep my normal light polishing up for a while, so I don't want to remove too much clear. It's only noticeable in certain light.

Steve

evo77 · 09-12-06, 05:49

Yes I have thought about the possibility of the etching happening again after I have removed them. I never really thought about removing TOO much clear.

Catch 22...

Accumulator · 09-13-06, 08:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by awahl63

Yeah I prefer to live with some imperfections instead of thinning the clear

Yeah, me too. I left some etching on the roof of my wife's A8 when I was doing pretty aggressive rotary work..the horizontal panels aren't somewhere I want thin clear.

AutoInt's Paint Correction Cream is made for exactly this sort of thing- removing etching with a rotary- and IIRC it takes off so much clear that you can hardly polish again *ever* after you use it. It takes off something like a tenth of a mil each time you use it and you might have to do a few passes to get the paint truly flattened out. You get what, three, maybe five tenths max before you precipitate clearcoat failure? Too risky in my book.

It really does pay to think long-term; there's not much chance you won't be doing more polishing down the road and if you're getting etching from the dew it's gonna keep on happening.

IMO that's one of the temptations with the rotary- the itch to do just a *little* more in pursuit of perfection. Once you see how much correction it does compared to the PC it can be hard to stop at the "much better, good enough" point.