I need some advice and help...

[sixty7mustang22]

So here is the deal. I painted my friends hood on his GTI like so...



http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/sixty7mustang22/Random/DSCF0010.jpg



I used BASF base and clear. I mixed the paint like I always have for every car I have done. I have never had problems before.



However, for some reason, the paint on his hood seems to have cured REALLY soft. 2 nights ago, a cat got on his hood and scratched it pretty good. So, he called me and asked me if I could get them out. I agreed and he came over. Well, I have had problems with the hood in the past. When I painted it, a gnat flew into the last coat of clear.:mad: So, after it dried, I wetsanded it out and brought out the roatary and wool pad with some compound and then finished it up with my PC and polish. But, some light vertical scratches remained runnign up the hood. We let it go at that.



So, yesterday, I started out with OP on a LC orange light cutting pad on my PC at 5. It worked for the most part. It got rid of the cat scratches, but it didn`t tough the scratches that were already there.



I then moved to OC on a LC orange light cutting pad on PC at 5. This is where things went horribly wrong. After I worked the polish in for a long time and then wiped it off, it looked like I lightly rubbed a brillow pad on the hood. It looked similar to this...



http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/sixty7mustang22/Random/DSC00097.jpg



I dunno what happened. I suppose the compound was to harsh for the clear???



So, I brought out the same polishes and pads I used to correct this...



http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/sixty7mustang22/Details/Merc_006.jpg



I used a XMT #3 on a LC orange light cutting pad and then moved to on to XMT #1 on a LC white polishing pad on PC at 5. It really cleared the hood back up. But, it only got the hood about 80% swirl free. Under halogen, it still looked kinda bad. Not terrible, but not perfect either.



So, what should I do? What would be my best course of action? Apparently, stronger compounds and pads make things worse. I have NEVER had this much trouble on an car before I I detail cars as a profession.



Here is a list of things I have to work with...



Complete XMT line

Meguiar`s #2 Fine Cut Cleaner

Meguiar`s #3 Machine Glaze

Meguiar`s #9 Swirl Remover 2.0

3M Heavy Duty Rubbing Compound

3M Microfinishing Compund

Optimum Polish, Compund and Hyper Compound

PC 7424

Craftsmen Rotary (Borken:mad: )

Full range of 6.5" LC pads

Full range of 4" LC pds

wool pads

sandpaper



Apparently, using the OP with a slightly aggressive pad worked the best. It just didn`t have enough cut. Do you think moving up to a LC yellow cutting pad and OP the working my way back down through the pads would be the best option? Would that have enough cut?



I dunno, I need more advice. Sure I could keep trying different things, but but this isn`t my car. I can`t just practice on his car. I need to get this fixed. I need to hear some opinions and maybe some experience on this type of work.



Everythign I have learned in my detailing career has been thrown out the window with this paint.



:help:

[SubyDude]

so right now you are at about 80% cleared up? I think I would go with a different final polish than the XMT #1. I have the #1 and it is just ok. Try some poli-seal or some FPII or maybe 106ff and see if that gets the rest out. Wouldn`t go with anything harsh at this point. Start with a good final polish and see if that works out. IF you got to 80% with XMT i think you can clear it up with a better product.



good luck man! Hope it works out.

[joshtpa]

Definately try some FPII. That should help you clear them up.

[sixty7mustang22]

Hmm. I might have to purchase some then. I would like to take care of it with the products I already have, but if need be, I will buy the FPII. I`m sure I could probably use it anyway.



Anyone have a clue why the OC screwed the finish up so badly?

[SubyDude]

Anyone have a clue why the OC screwed the finish up so badly?



Well you mentioned you worked if for a long time. Perhaps a little too long? I`m not doubting your abilities or anything but perhaps you worked it too long, didn`t have enough product, did you prep the pad? Just a few things I can think of.



I have never had a problem with OC. It is an aggresive compound so it may leave you with some maring. Easily removed by OP and poli-seal, or menz products.



So no telling what caused it. Try using the OP on a white pad again if you don`t want to pop for a new product. I can get a great finish with that combo (better than 80%). But a good final will be that much better.

[velobard]

Is there a chance your friend waxed the paint job after you painted it? BTW, how long has it been since this paint job?

[sixty7mustang22]

Well you mentioned you worked if for a long time. Perhaps a little too long? I`m not doubting your abilities or anything but perhaps you worked it too long, didn`t have enough product, did you prep the pad? Just a few things I can think of.



I have never had a problem with OC. It is an aggresive compound so it may leave you with some maring. Easily removed by OP and poli-seal, or menz products.



So no telling what caused it. Try using the OP on a white pad again if you don`t want to pop for a new product. I can get a great finish with that combo (better than 80%). But a good final will be that much better.Nah, I didn`t work it to long. One thing though, instead of to little product, I might have used to much if I go back and think about it. Maybe it didn`t break down right.



Well, this wasn`t your typical compound maring.



I might have used it wrong. I haven`t used Optimum for very long. This is only my third time useing it.




Is there a chance your friend waxed the paint job after you painted it? BTW, how long has it been since this paint job?

There is a chance. Which is why I think it might have not cured right and is soft which is what I think you are getting at. I told him not to until spring, but he might have.



Well, let`s see, we painted it in Novemeber...so that makes it about 4 months. It should have cured correctly by now.



At any rate, if he did wax, the damage is done and the clear is soft. I still have to correct this problem on soft clear.



Maybe I should try Meg`s #9 on a polishing pad? Would that finish finer than XMT #1?

[SubyDude]

Nah, I didn`t work it to long. One thing though, instead of to little product, I might have used to much if I go back and think about it. Maybe it didn`t break down right.



Well, this wasn`t your typical compound maring.



I might have used it wrong. I haven`t used Optimum for very long. This is only my third time useing it.





There is a chance. Which is why I think it might have not cured right and is soft which is what I think you are getting at. I told him not to until spring, but he might have.



Well, let`s see, we painted it in Novemeber...so that makes it about 4 months. It should have cured correctly by now.



At any rate, if he did wax, the damage is done and the clear is soft. I still have to correct this problem on soft clear.



Maybe I should try Meg`s #9 on a polishing pad? Would that finish finer than XMT #1?





its possible it didn`t break down right. but I don`t think that would cause the maring. If you use too much it just won`t take out what you want it too.



I don`t recommend #9. I am sure some here will. But #9 is a cleaner and filler. Megs states it has no abrasives and that it will fill in. They call it a swirl remover when in fact it is a swirl hider. That is not what you want. You want to correct the problem. IMO go back over with the OP and white pad. Honestly that should do it. If not something else is wrong and I am out of ideas.

[sixty7mustang22]

its possible it didn`t break down right. but I don`t think that would cause the maring. If you use too much it just won`t take out what you want it too.



I don`t recommend #9. I am sure some here will. But #9 is a cleaner and filler. Megs states it has no abrasives and that it will fill in. They call it a swirl remover when in fact it is a swirl hider. That is not what you want. You want to correct the problem. IMO go back over with the OP and white pad. Honestly that should do it. If not something else is wrong and I am out of ideas.

Thanks for the advice.

[SubyDude]

Thanks for the advice.



no prob. hope you get it worked out. the paint job on that car looks nice by the way. GTi is a fun little car too.

[sixty7mustang22]

no prob. hope you get it worked out. the paint job on that car looks nice by the way. GTi is a fun little car too.

I`ll get something to work.



Thanks. I love painting cars almost as much as I love cleaning them.



Yeah, he has stage II REVO software. It isn`t the fastest thing on the street, but man can it get you into some trouble. Quick cars.

[RyanDe680]

Please post up what works and what you end up resolving this with.

[velobard]

Consider trying Megs #80. Not sure what pad to tell you to use, but it looks like it might help you in this case.



Also, if you`re dealing with soft paint you might also consider VM. It has abrasives made to break down by hand, but can be used by machine. Just an idea, but perhaps that would allow you to give some decent correction on such a soft surface.



One other thought. I was tossing the idea around here several days ago that perhaps if you chemically stripped the paint clean that perhaps the paint could continue curing. I`m not sure how well that would work after this much time, but you might toss the idea around yourself and see what you think. I first thought perhap a full chemical decontamination, but Accumultor voiced the opinion that he`d rather use something milder on new paint. Use your own judgement uf you go in this direction. You can always use #5 to offer a bit of protection and shine safely, of course.

[jtford95]

Did you try asking your paint supplier? Maybe he has some insight on what happened and how to resolve it. Maybe to an aggressive sandpaper and compound combo?:wall :nixweiss :hairpull

[Zet]

I don`t recommend #9. I am sure some here will. But #9 is a cleaner and filler. Megs states it has no abrasives and that it will fill in. They call it a swirl remover when in fact it is a swirl hider. That is not what you want. You want to correct the problem. IMO go back over with the OP and white pad. Honestly that should do it. If not something else is wrong and I am out of ideas.



Huh? Where did you read that about #9? It`s very wrong. Meg`s defines #9 as a cleaner/polish, and as such it contains diminishing abrasives, as opposed to their pure polishes (e.g. #7). It won`t "fill" the swirls, but it does contain polishing oils that can tend to "hide" swirls - until you wipe of the residue, as you would with any other polish.



But I do agree on trying OP on a polishing pad after OC. #9 is probably to mild for this, and would work better as a finishing polish.