beanbag
04-25-2004, 12:24 AM
So you know how I keep mentioning that my car`s paint has this very fine textured look to it even though it is polished smooth? I`m starting to think that this is due to tiny pores in the paint. It manifests itself as a non-specular haze around reflections of lights at night.
I remember polishing the top of my car with 3M SMR, then #7, then 2 layers of MPPP, and it looked glassy smooth for at least 2-3 months or so, but eventually the texture came back.
Recently, I cleaned off a section with MPPC and then applied 3M IHG, to try to "fill" these pores. It didn`t work very well, coz when I put UPP over it, it made no difference in reducing the haze. Maybe the UPP has enough cleaners/solvents in it to undo the oils.
Today, I tried a similar test, but I used 3M SMR (for light cars) instead, thinking that the SMR had solid fillers instead of oil only. When you initially apply SMR, it feels gritty, but after a while, it seems that you are only pushing oil around. Anyway, this first application made the haze go away a bit. A second application made it go away by some more. If it were oils only, then the second application shouldn`t have made a difference. Thus I think each time you apply, you are jamming more of the solid fillers into the pores. Ok, so now I put a layer of UPP over it. Yay, the haze did not come back. I don`t have my camera with me, but you can see a huge difference in the haze between a SMR-filled and non-filled section.
So then I gots to thinkin, wouldn`t this be a good test to see how long a wax lasts? Coz if the wax gives out, the fillers fall out too and the haze comes back. So now, what I`m going to do is try to keep the section "topped up" with either UPP or S100, and see if the haze comes back or not. If not, then I think we may have a good test here. Also, it would mean that 2 layers of MPPP only lasts about 2-3 months.
I remember polishing the top of my car with 3M SMR, then #7, then 2 layers of MPPP, and it looked glassy smooth for at least 2-3 months or so, but eventually the texture came back.
Recently, I cleaned off a section with MPPC and then applied 3M IHG, to try to "fill" these pores. It didn`t work very well, coz when I put UPP over it, it made no difference in reducing the haze. Maybe the UPP has enough cleaners/solvents in it to undo the oils.
Today, I tried a similar test, but I used 3M SMR (for light cars) instead, thinking that the SMR had solid fillers instead of oil only. When you initially apply SMR, it feels gritty, but after a while, it seems that you are only pushing oil around. Anyway, this first application made the haze go away a bit. A second application made it go away by some more. If it were oils only, then the second application shouldn`t have made a difference. Thus I think each time you apply, you are jamming more of the solid fillers into the pores. Ok, so now I put a layer of UPP over it. Yay, the haze did not come back. I don`t have my camera with me, but you can see a huge difference in the haze between a SMR-filled and non-filled section.
So then I gots to thinkin, wouldn`t this be a good test to see how long a wax lasts? Coz if the wax gives out, the fillers fall out too and the haze comes back. So now, what I`m going to do is try to keep the section "topped up" with either UPP or S100, and see if the haze comes back or not. If not, then I think we may have a good test here. Also, it would mean that 2 layers of MPPP only lasts about 2-3 months.