Did I over-do it?

[lvalesko]

Just detailed my truck, (by hand), and am not thrilled with the results... there are areas with more marring then when I started and what still looks like oxidation, (areas that just aren`t as shiny as other parts).



I`ve got a white 1996 Ford F-150 and the paint is in fair shape... although most people think it`s newer than it is and I get lots of compliments... I can see all the imperfections!



I used the Sonus gray clay with lube and had to use elbow grease in some heavily grimy spots. I used the clay in a straight back-and-forth motion



Next came 1Z Paint Polish, (the green can), with a terry applicator and again I put some major elbow grease into it hoping to get rid of the oxidation and cob webs. Per the directions on the can I went back and forth first, then swirled.



I finished up with 845 Insulator wax.



I was hoping to get rid of the cob-webbing, light oxidation and minor scratches, but now I`m wondering if I did more harm than good.



Can you over do claying and/or polishing? Is there anything I can do now to fix it?



Thanks,

Lori

[Accumulator]

Sonus gray can cause some pretty severe marring, and it might take more than 1Z PP to fix it.



I don`t think you over-did it, and (as I suggested in the other thread), I`d actually get more aggressive. But then that`s just my thought sitting here, not actually being *there* to properly evaluate things....and it`s hard to diagnose stuff over the internet.

[efnfast]

Doing it by hand is a total waste of time - yes,it can be done, but you`ll need to spend days doing what a buffer and a few hours can do, and even then chances are the quality (i.e., defect removal) won`t be anywhere close to the buffer`s job.



I remember when I spent like 4-5yrs polishing by hand because I believed a manchine was unsafe and a waste of money .... man, was I wrong.

[SuperBee364]

Just detailed my truck, (by hand), and am not thrilled with the results... there are areas with more marring then when I started and what still looks like oxidation, (areas that just aren`t as shiny as other parts).



I`ve got a white 1996 Ford F-150 and the paint is in fair shape... although most people think it`s newer than it is and I get lots of compliments... I can see all the imperfections!



I used the Sonus gray clay with lube and had to use elbow grease in some heavily grimy spots. I used the clay in a straight back-and-forth motion



Next came 1Z Paint Polish, (the green can), with a terry applicator and again I put some major elbow grease into it hoping to get rid of the oxidation and cob webs. Per the directions on the can I went back and forth first, then swirled.



I finished up with 845 Insulator wax.



I was hoping to get rid of the cob-webbing, light oxidation and minor scratches, but now I`m wondering if I did more harm than good.



Can you over do claying and/or polishing? Is there anything I can do now to fix it?



Thanks,

Lori



Yes, you can overdo it with any step in detailing, but I don`t think you did. :)



And there`s also a couple different ways to go about improving the look. The first, and most difficult, is to buy a Dual Action (DA) polisher, pads, and polishes. This will take several hours of research and reading on your part just to know what to buy. Next, you`ll need to spend a few days actually using the polisher and polishes. Polishing paint is much more involved than people think; it`s a real *skill*, and is not something that can just be picked up and done like washing a car (which is another topic entirely, really).



The other option is to cover up the swirls/defects. Wash your car thoroughly, then apply a good covering glaze (do a search here on Autopia for pages of reading on glazes), then top the glaze with a good sealant or wax. This isn`t a real fix, as the scratches and stuff are just covered up, but it is a lot less expensive and time consuming.

[lvalesko]

So if I wanted to try the Meguiar`s Ultimate Compound for the stains and oxidation would I follow it with 1Z Paint Polish, then a glaze and then wax?



What do you think of Meguiar`s Show Car Glaze #7?



I`d prefer doing this by hand, (I can do a portion at a time), so I need to know the best applicators, (I`ve got terry and MF pads), and how much elbow grease to use for each product.



I think I`ll stick with the Clay Magic blue bar or the Sonus green bar from now on!



Thanks guys. :-)

Lori

[efnfast]

I`d prefer doing this by hand, (I can do a portion at a time)



Just so you`re aware, you`ll do a 10x better job in 1/10 the time with a buffer (myself, I used to have an irrational fear about using one many years ago).....

[lvalesko]

I don` have a fear... I just don`t have the desire, time or money to invest and since I only do this 1-2x per year it`s not really worth it. I could totally see if this was a serious hobby or profession.



It`s kind of a Zen thing for me.... go to the park for shade, (away from house, spouse, kids, telephone, computer, etc)... plug in my iPod... spend a few hours doing my own thing AND getting such satisfaction when I`m done. :-P



Now... back to compounds and glazes! :-)

[Accumulator]

So if I wanted to try the Meguiar`s Ultimate Compound for the stains and oxidation would I follow it with 1Z Paint Polish, then a glaze and then wax?



Yeah, that`s correct.


What do you think of Meguiar`s Show Car Glaze #7?



I like it for some applications, primarily on single-stage paint. IMO it`s a bit too finicky to be considered "user-friendly" but if you do OK with it then that`s what counts.



FWIW, I find #3 Machine Polish and especially #5 New Car Polish to be *infinitely* more user-friendly and almost as good looking.


I`d prefer doing this by hand, (I can do a portion at a time), so I need to know the best applicators, (I`ve got terry and MF pads), and how much elbow grease to use for each product.



The terry will be the more aggressive, so use that for the first go around with the Ultimate Compound. Then switch to MF for subsequent UC tries and the 1Z PP.



Stick with MF for everything except the most aggressive work as terry can (not "will", but "can") cause micromarring.




I think I`ll stick with the Clay Magic blue bar or the Sonus green bar from now on!



Those oughta be fine, and once you get things cleared up you can probably just stick with the Sonus green one.

[smokin180]

You could ask some one may live near you and be able to help you out.

[lvalesko]

OK.... IF I decide to get a a buffer, what do you guys think about the Port Cable XP and the Sonus SFX Foam Pad Kit?



I think if I use the buffer I could get by with the 1Z Paint Polish instead of trying the Meg. Ultimate Compound. There is one small area on my truck where I went crazy with the terry pad and 1Z, and it seems to be shinier than the rest of the truck.



I think I will still try the #5 Glaze , though.



Autopia has got the best price plus 20% off this week...



Thanks!

Lori :-)

[Accumulator]

lvalesko- I can`t be as helpful as I`d like because a) I`m not familiar with the pads in question, and b) I`m not sure the PC is the best choice.



Many people buy a PC (though the new XP version oughta be better) only to find it doesn`t perform as well as expected, *especially* when used with pads larger than 4".



IF you`re gonna buy a product, I`d absolutely go with the UC instead of the #5 by a *big* margin; I`d rather do the right polishing and just skip the glaze (I go straight from 1Z PP to wax in almost every case).



I really do think you`d benefit from something stronger than the 1Z PP.



Eh...don`t let me be a wet blanket regarding the polisher; the XP oughta be good, but I really would consider using it with 4" pads (just a matter of buying the right size backing plate and they`re cheap) and also with UC. 4" pads make machines like that capable of a lot more than you can do with larger pads due to the reduced friction.



Now somebody else chime in with how great the XP works for *them* with larger pads....and convince lvalesko to buy the thing :D

[SuperBee364]

lvalesko- I can`t be as helpful as I`d like because a) I`m not familiar with the pads in question, and b) I`m not sure the PC is the best choice.



Many people buy a PC (though the new XP version oughta be better) only to find it doesn`t perform as well as expected, *especially* when used with pads larger than 4".



IF you`re gonna buy a product, I`d absolutely go with the UC instead of the #5 by a *big* margin; I`d rather do the right polishing and just skip the glaze (I go straight from 1Z PP to wax in almost every case).



I really do think you`d benefit from something stronger than the 1Z PP.



Eh...don`t let me be a wet blanket regarding the polisher; the XP oughta be good, but I really would consider using it with 4" pads (just a matter of buying the right size backing plate and they`re cheap) and also with UC. 4" pads make machines like that capable of a lot more than you can do with larger pads due to the reduced friction.



Now somebody else chime in with how great the XP works for *them* with larger pads....and convince lvalesko to buy the thing :D



Gonna have to look elsewhere for that.... I think you got it nailed, as usual.:up

[Dan]

Now somebody else chime in with how great the XP works for *them* with larger pads....and convince lvalesko to buy the thing :D



You rang???? I think a PC is great. Accumulator has been doing this for ages and for him, the PC is a bit slow in the correction department.



What the OP has been doing = butter knife



The PC = a hand saw



Rotary = chain saw



The hand saw can do everything the chain saw can do, it just does it MUCH slower and is much safer. There have been countless posts where people have done full corrections with the PC. It is much slower, by a factor of 3 or 4, however, as a newbie this is totally in your favor.

[dennn]

Doing it by hand is a total waste of time - yes,it can be done, but you`ll need to spend days doing what a buffer and a few hours can do, and even then chances are the quality (i.e., defect removal) won`t be anywhere close to the buffer`s job.



I remember when I spent like 4-5yrs polishing by hand because I believed a manchine was unsafe and a waste of money .... man, was I wrong.



Hehe, yep! It`s a waste of time indeed. I figured that this is why most of the Over-the-counter products designed for hand applications are highly concentrated with fillers to hide scratches.



There are company marketing associates on other forums polishing a completely oxidized vehicle by hand just to showcase what a product could do applied by hand.

[Accumulator]

Heh heh, well...working by hand is a "waste of time" in that it does take forever. But it *can* be done that way, period. And the newer products (e.g., UL, M105, etc.) sure make it a whole lot easier than it was a short time ago.



But *IF* you have the money to "waste" instead, I`d rather spend moeny than time. Money is usually a renewable resource, whereas time is not ;)