Clearcoat vs Hand Compounding

[SenojNW]

I have a 2006 Subaru Forester and will be compounding (medium cut) the bonnet front edge on the weekend (yes me again)...



I was going to use Meguiars "Professional Medium Cut Cleaner" or "Diamond Cut Compound 2" (is this clear coat safe?) as ScratchX didn`t make much of an impression when I tried it.



I`ve done a search and found some info on potential to damage the clearcoat and bring on premature clear coat failure.



My question is:



Could you really cut through your clearcoat (i.e. go outside the 0.3 to 0.5 safe zone) when you are compounding (no wetsanding) by HAND???



From the looks of things - the answer is NO...



http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4013&highlight=superior+shine+clear



Any differing opinions???



In which case - do I really need to check paint thickness???



Thanks!

[SenojNW]

OK - will probably give Meguiars Medium Cut Cleaner a go - can you use this stuff by hand is is it rotary only? I wouldn`t use a rotary if working an edge anyway...

[aaron33]

The jump from ScratchX to Medium cut cleaner is large. And medium cut cleaner is meant to be used with at least a PC. On a scale of 1 to 10, ScratchX is a 3, while Medium cut is a 7 and Diamond cut is a 10. I`d use DACP (#83) instead (6 out of 10). It works by hand as well. Then finish up with Speed glaze (4 out of 10).

[White95Max]

I would not use Diamond Cut by hand. That`s rediculous.

[klnyc]

Wow a 2006 ride? You want to use diamond cut compound, com on :think:

I would go online and order some pb ssr2 or ssr1 to the job. Meguiars Medium Cut Cleaner should do it too.

[Accumulator]

Yeah let`s step back and think about this before doing something irrevocable.



I`ve had Subarus and I`ve removed significant marring from them.



Those Meguiar`s products, Medium Cut and Diamond Cut are *ONLY* for rotary use, and I`d be very hesitant to try them with other machines, let alone by hand. Their initial bite will usually leave not-so-micro marring that you won`t be able to get out (without a rotary). Using them is *NOT* a good idea, and the Subie clear doesn`t need such products anyhow, that clear just isn`t all that hard.



There`s a limit to what can be safely removed before you take off too much clear. I`ve had RIDS on Subarus that were not safe to remove; I took them down as far as was remotely advisable with just 3M PI-III RC (05933). I fixed one pretty well using that stuff by hand, and I worried that I`d get clearcoat failure in the involved area.



If it`s safe to remove from Subaru clear, you can do it with much milder products than Medium Cut, let alone Diamond Cut. And you can do it by hand if you spend enough time at it.



If you want to go Meguiar`s, I guess I`d get some of the *NEW FORMULATION* of #2, *NOT* the old rotary-only version. Follow up with #80. If those products don`t take it out you`d better just live with it.

[SenojNW]

Thanks everyone - will source some DACP and give that a go...

[SenojNW]

Can`t get the Megs DACP in the land of OZ!

[White95Max]

Sure you can...the internet is your best resource.

[SenojNW]

Honest - they stopped exporting it to Australia aparrently! I could order from the US but it is unlikely to get here by the weekend...



Am I safe to use 3M Perfect-It III Rubbing Compound (05933) instead by hand??

[Accumulator]

Yeah, you can use that by hand. Work it well so it breaks down and don`t breath the carcinogenic dust. Follow up with a milder, but still abrasive, product.