Couple of questions...pad/product

[jbizzle22]

I'm using a PC, orange pad, Hi Temp 357.

1st- I've ripped the white velcro backing away from my Sonus Orange Pad...well, halfway. Is there a usual cause for this? Just want to make sure I don't make the mistake again in the future. Don't know if it was too much pressure, or my technique of washing the pad, etc.

2nd- I've been using Hi-Temp 357 Magnum (w/ said orange pad---6") to do my wife's Black 02 Altima. I've made 2-3 passes in all areas. All the spiderwebbing has come out flawlessly, but some of the larger clearcoat scratches (nothing too crazy) and the water marks will not come out. I figured I would at least be able to get rid of the water etching.
Do you think these could have been left alone so long they've etched all the way through, or is there a more extreme approach i should take (product-wise) to get better results?

I'm sorry I don't have any pictures, the car does look better, but I honestly expected nearly flawless results...and I was pretty certain the Hi Temp would be strong enough. Any suggestions would be GREAT.

Thanks!!

[Accumulator]

Originally Posted by jbizzle22

I'm using a PC, orange pad, Hi Temp 357.

1st- I've ripped the white velcro backing away from my Sonus Orange Pad...

2nd- I've been using Hi-Temp 357 Magnum (w/ said orange pad---6") to do my wife's Black 02 Altima. I've made 2-3 passes in all areas. All the spiderwebbing has come out flawlessly, but some of the larger clearcoat scratches (nothing too crazy) and the water marks will not come out. I figured I would at least be able to get rid of the water etching.
Do you think these could have been left alone so long they've etched all the way through, or is there a more extreme approach i should take (product-wise) to get better results?

Sounds like the large surface area of the pad, combined with any pressure, is too much for the Velcro. I'd switch to a 4" pad for the heavy correction (and 357/Heavy Cut works well by PC with a 4" pad).

Water marks are often too deep to be removed by PC and even too deep to be removed safely at all. Products made for that (e.g., AutoInt/ValueGuard's Paint Correction Cream) are very aggressive, rotary-only, and they take off a *lot* of clear. I live with the water etching on my wife's A8 and recommend that you consider doing the same.

Remember that to get a flawless finish you gotta remove all the flaws...and that can involve taking off a lot of clear. Working by PC, it might be possible, but it'll take a long, long time. I recently used used the 357/H-T HC with a PC/4" to remove a light RIDS on the S8. Noting that it has hard clear, it took me a lot more than 2-3 passes, I can't even begin to guess how many but I did wonder if I should've just got out the rotary. And this was a "nobody sees it" RIDS too, the kind that didn't show under most lighting. 357 is good, but it doesn't work miracles on deeper marring.

I dunno if switching to H-T EC would make that much of a difference, but that's the next step..that and a more aggressive pad, but I'd probably stick with a mild cutting pad and just try the EC. But actually, if it were mine, I'd probably just use the HC a few more times and live with whatever flaws are left.

[jbizzle22]

Thanks! Just curious, what is EC? Same company as the 357 stuff? I'd like to pick some of that up. But yeah, it does look alot better, i'm happy with the work overall.

It took FOREVER.

But thanks for the advice. that's what I needed to hear.

[wannafbody]

HI TEMP EXTREME CUT is the most aggressive they offer

[jbizzle22]

thanks! is that much more agressive than the 357? (if you've tried both).

[Accumulator]

Well, it's not a *huge* difference but to me it's enough of a difference to go with the EC for more serious correction at least on hard paint. Yeah, you'll notice a difference IMO.

[Jordan@DD]

I hear to much about HT EC, how much more aggressive is it than OC HC?