z-pc by hand

[Psycho792]

i own a steel gray 02 m3, and i have some swirls noticable under light due to the dealer washing my car. i don`t own any detailing machines, as i`ve done everything by hand. i use the complete zaino line, my usual day of detailing goes like dawn(if havn`t detailed in a while), z7, clay, z7, z5, z6, z5, z6, z2, z6. now that my swirls are somewhat noticable i`m thinking about getting the z-pc, so i was wondering how effective it would be if done by hand. if not z-pc, i`d take any recommendations as to what i should do after wash but before z5

[gmblack3]

ZPC or any other "polish" is not going to remove swirls by hand. ZPC acts more like a paint cleaner by hand.

[Psycho792]

even if its very very very slight minor spiderweb swirls

[jmsc]

I`ve been a PC user for 3 years now. As a test last year, I took some Menzerna IP on some light scratches by hand and some Z-PC on some other light scratches by hand using a MF applicator. What I ended up doing was creating more clear-coat scratches. Apparently, polishes with some abrasives need to be fully broken down by heat and/or steady repetitive action. Hand action just won`t do in my opinion. Again, this was just a test for myself.



Oh yeah. It took me a few minutes but I fixed both scratches using my PC, a yellow pad and IP. Followed that up with a white pad and Z-PC. Never saw the scratches again. You can try it by hand but have good lighting on your surface so you can see the progress as you go along.

[No_Traction]

I am a beginner myself. But, starting out into this detailing hobby, I promised myself to never use a machine (hand only).



So, to meet my personal goal of "hand only", I needed to develop "a method". Here is how I learned to remove light scratches and micro marrs.



I practiced on blank CD-ROM disc and the clear plastic of CD Jewel cases. The concept is that the plastic CD Disc and/or Jewel Case will behave that same as a painted car surface. So, I take a paper towels and rub hard into the plastic surface to introduce swirls. By the way, this is a great way to test your washing and drying cloths to see if they produce micro marrs. If your drying towels can produce scratches into the practice plastic surface, the towels will probably micro marr your car.



After producing a marred surface on the practice plastic, I take a microfiber (nothing ever touches my paint except a microfiber - lesson learned by testing on the plastic) and begin to practice using Mequires M80. After you learn to polish out the swirls in the plastic, you are ready for the real paint. Yes, it is possible. I can easily do it - to take a scracthed and heavly marred palstic surface, and polish it out to be perfectly clear with no scratches (prestine). But, I had to practice alot on the CD Disc and Jewel Case before I aquired the talent.



And, I have been able to polish my daily driver with neglected paint to have it shine like a fresh paint job. This is by using M80 applied by hand with a microfiber bundled into several folds.



Below are my personal notes (to myself) :



Definition of a Pass = a once-over with working the M80 into the work area. I use circular motions. A "Pass" is similiar to one coat, but the M80 is only applied at the beggining of Pass #1. Then, Pass#2 thru Pass #7 are similiar to apply coats WITHOUT adding any more M80 - just keep working the M80 that is on the surface and in the microfiber. Do NOT turn the microfiber - once you start Pass#1 thru Pass#7, you should be rubbing the surface with the same patch of microfiber. This is because you are breaking down the abrasives with each pass into a finer abrasive with each pass. And, you need the broken down abrasive from each previous pass to help buffer out the remaining pass. This process is repeated until by the time you get to Pass#7, the abrasive is super fine and polishing the surface into a marr-free surface.



Trick is to never have next pass to be less pressure than any previous passes.

It is NOT really nessecary to start first pass with light pressure.

The first pass can be medium or heavy pressure (depending how deep you want the M80 to cut), but for a beginner it is easier if you use light pressure for the first three passes.

Just make sure that all following passes are the same pressure or progessively heavier than the starting pass.

Pay attention to passes #1 thru #3 to have approx same pressure, then pass #4 begin to increase pressure

significantly, then pass #5 increase pressure significantly more than pass #4. Passes #5 thru #7 will probably be the same pressure as pass #5 because arm is too tired.

Other trick is to NOT to use too much M80 compound. The compound will begin to dissappear by pass #4. Passes #5 thru #7 will appear to be dry with nothing there - just keep rubbing although it appears dry.

Other trick is to use expensive microfiber only to apply M80. Anything else will marr paint.



After polishing, use some drugstore rubbing alchol (70%) to rinse out the polishing oils left behind by the M80. I am a new Zaino users, so I am aware of this requirement.

[Psycho792]

m80 = z-pc?

[No_Traction]

Not sure what your question is regarding "m80 = z-pc?"



The M80, also called #80, is not a Zaino product. Meguiars is the company that makes M80.

Here is the link



http://www.meguiars.com/?pro-cleaner-polishs/Speed-Glaze



Also, I forgot to add to my orginal post that I polish ONLY ONE PANEL PER DAY. Actually, I polish only one panel after each weekend wash. I would not try to do a whole car by hand in one day. The quality would suffer greatly, and your arms would suffer greatly, if doing too many panel by hand in one day.