Polishing downside?

[Murrayhe]

I`m gong to have to use my PC + SMR again tomorrow (my second time since a year ago) to get out these damn swirl marks left by a "car detailing shop" who installed my bodykit. I told them specifically to not wash it TWICE but those monkeys did it anyways. :rolleyes:



Now, every time you polish a car, you`re physically taking a thin coat of clearcoat off of your car. Is it bad to do this too many times? How many times is enough you think?

[Murrayhe]

Btw, I used the yellow and white pads last time. Will do the same this time. Nothing too drastic.

[LouisanaJeeper]

It will not be a problem, especially since you are using such a mild polish, SMR. I would say up to 4 times a year is acceptable.

[Murrayhe]

How much of the clearcoat am I rubbing off each time I do it? Put it another way, how many times can I do this before the clearcoat gets worn out?

[raymond_ho2002]

Originally posted by LouisanaJeeper

It will not be a problem, especially since you are using such a mild polish, SMR. I would say up to 4 times a year is acceptable.



4x a year for how many years? Is 8x ok in one month (or even a week) acceptable, as long as you don`t do it again for the next two years?

[togwt]

Quote: Polishing downside?







~One man’s opinion / observations~



I offer this only as a guide, how long/many times you could polish with X grade abrasive is far beyond my capabilities:



It is preferable to polish 2-3 times to restore the paint film surface than to use an unnecessarily abrasive paint compound. Most modern vehicle paint film systems comprise; Colour coat 1-2 Mils (0.001-0.002 “), clear coat 2-3 Mils (0.002-0,003�) thickness, removing >10% of the paint film surface thickness (3 Mil - 0.003�) will cause premature paint system failure, and would require repainting.



As a point of reference a sheet of copy paper is 3.5Mil (0.0035�) thick





~Hope this helps~







Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*

[Accumulator]

There`s really no way to say what is/isn`t safe for a given person`s application. Sorry, but there are just too many variables. I`m usually cautioning people to take it easy with all the polishing, to err on the side of caution.



I`ve read that removing more than .1 mil of clear will cause premature failure. A strong abrasive, that`s still considered appropriate for "clearcoat paint correction" (like AutoInt`s Paint Correction Cream or Meg`s Diamond Cut) can cut this much off in no more than 4 or 5 applications (even faster if not used properly- all those imponderable variables again).



But Oggle, what you`re doing with the SMR is a LONG way from that sort of aggressiveness. Wash-induced swirls are almost ALWAYS shallow enough that they can be removed safely. In fact, *I* would get MORE aggressive and use something like DACP or at least 1Z Paint Polish or 3M`s PI-III MG (pn 05937), maybe even something stronger than that. Get rid of the marring you have and then wash/dry carefully so you don`t have to repolish very often.