Need Some Help: Polishing problem....

RickyMartinZ28 · 11-02-09, 11:07

I'm working on a Camaro, with some very very odd clear...

The clear is extremely hard, it's taking a rotary @2500 rpm with a LC 4" Yellow pad and Ultimate Compound to even begin removing 3000 grit scratches...

When I'm finished with that combo, I have holograms.

I'll follow up with the Porter Cable with the LC 4" Orange Pad and UC to remove the holograms, which it barely does. Then I'm left with pig tails... tiny circular scratches...

I'll follow that up with the Porter Cable with the LC 4" White Pad with Swirl X, and have even tried Menzerna Intensive Polish... again, I result with pig tails as mentioned before, except less severe...

Follow up with PC and LC 4" Blue Pad with an assortment of polishes... nothing helps...

The only thing, was ColorX, which all it's doing is filling in the tiny scratches... After an IPA wipedown it all comes back...

Even applying wax with a foam pad is causing scratches...

I'm completely frustrated, the defects aren't easily seen on the green portions of the car, actually I can't see them at all, I just know they are there... The black portion however and defects are very very apparent...

Anyone have any ideas? I'm totally stumped.

Also, even a blue LC pad on the rotary with colorX is causing problems...

Jakerooni · 11-02-09, 06:40

Sounds like you either have some bunk product or some contaminants in the pads. If the pads are really clean I would look into the products to make sure they are still in good shape. A lot of things can cause product to react differently. Anything from age/shelf life to temp's and humidity.

Scottwax · 11-02-09, 07:41

I'd use the rotary to remove the holograms, not a PC (for the very reason you mention, pigtails).

If you can get your hands on Meguiars #105 and #205, that will probably help. #205 with a polishing pad @ 1200-1500 rpm does a real good job removing holograms from #105.

Not much you can do, I've done a couple of those Camaros and the paint is freakishly hard.

toyotaguy · 11-02-09, 07:47

IPA the whole car to see if its just the sections you are doing or if they are in the paint already done and not removed. I would toss out the yellow pad, its pretty much junk IMO - doesnt more harm than good!

get a purple foam wool or a yellow wool pad and go to town with those instead! too much heat with the LC yellow too fast!

memnuts · 11-03-09, 10:45

I think part of the problem is the OP is using 4" pads. On a rotary they don't hve the same amount of cut as a 5.5" or 6" pad. Rotaries have more power because the pressure and speed that is generated by spining and not small shimeying movements a DA creates. I would try the same product on a bigger pad and see what happens. i made this same mistake when I got my first rotary and was less than impressed with it. When i stepped up to the bigger pads is when i went with nothing but rotary to do all my details.

RickyMartinZ28 · 11-03-09, 03:00

The car had a repaint a few years back....

I'll try the suggestions... I'll have some time tonight to play with my combos some more.

All my products are in good shape, most my pads are new out of the box... I'll play with it and post my results...

Scottwax · 11-03-09, 03:26

Sometimes I have a stack of pads and a bunch of polishes sitting next to a car because nothing seems to work.

Accumulator · 11-04-09, 07:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottwax

I'd use the rotary to remove the holograms, not a PC (for the very reason you mention, pigtails)...

I can't help but think that *that* might require greater rotary skills than RickyMartinZ28 possesses (hey, not like I'm a rotary-Meister either). I wouldn't expect the UC to leave *too* awful holograms, assuming the final passes were at a lower speed

I wouldn't expect UC to leave pigtails on hard clar via PC, I find that perplexing

I can't help but wonder if the UC is bad (hey, I had a bad gallon of M205 recently).

Quote:

If you can get your hands on Meguiars #105 and #205, that will probably help. #205 with a polishing pad @ 1200-1500 rpm does a real good job removing holograms from #105.

Heh heh, but what about the holograms left from the M205? I suppose the PC oughta take care of those easily enough.

Yeah...getting things as nice as possible via rotary and *then* switching to the DA makes a lot of sense.

paintxpert · 11-04-09, 05:29

You can clean the mess up with a rotary polisher mild finishing glaze with 6 inch wool pad. Polish keeping the polisher as flat as possible. You can use Meguires swirl remover. after that switch to a finish pad in sponge and you can use your favorite glaze. I am afraid your problems may be a lack of ability to use a rotary polisher. Practice makes perfect. Chevy paint of the older varieties is never a pleasure to work with. This is one of the reasons I am not real fond of d/a s.

Scottwax · 11-04-09, 06:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Heh heh, but what about the holograms left from the M205? I suppose the PC oughta take care of those easily enough.

Yeah...getting things as nice as possible via rotary and *then* switching to the DA makes a lot of sense.

I normally don't get holograms from #205 on harder paints.

I used the KB method on one side of a GTR today (rotary the other) and still used #205 via rotary to take out the #105 rotary holograms and KB method hazing. Go figure, right?

bullitt21 · 11-04-09, 08:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottwax

I normally don't get holograms from #205 on harder paints.

I used the KB method on one side of a GTR today (rotary the other) and still used #205 via rotary to take out the #105 rotary holograms and KB method hazing. Go figure, right?

I totally agree with Scott on this 205/Rotary issue. I have never had a problem with holograms with 205 and a rotary. Don't get me wrong, I can get great results with a PC(But it takes more time) and 205, but I love being able to to run 205 at 1200-1500 and then dial it back down to 800 or 900rpm to finish it off. If I don't like the final look of any finishing polish I'm using, I always reach for UF with a 3M UF pad or similar pad by another manufacturer.

Oh yeah, and using a bigger pad IMO would be much better via rotary. You don't have to go ultra big, just a 5 1/2 or 6 1/2. 5.5 has become my favorite pad and 4" or 3" TufBuf pads for spot polishing.

MichaelSpoots · 11-04-09, 08:56

Perhaps this magic "HD Uno" should be thrown into the mix to test the claims

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