Help: Rubbing Compound Tips

[Esebueno]

Just bought a new car and paints in decent condition....no chips or anythin....just needs a good detailing job (mod. oxidation on the rear hatch and some hazing areas)

i tried searching, but couldnt find anything on rubbing compound and was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to use it because I DONT want to screw up the paint by doing TOO much and removing the clear coat/damaging the paint.

Just currious what some basic guidelines are for using it!

Thanks!!



(currently using: Claybar, Rubbing Compound, Meguiars GoldClass wash, ScratcX, ColorX, Yellow Wax, Polish and of course NXT)

[rickindy]

Pictures would help.

Failing that, are you sure you need rubbing compound? What kind of rubbing compound do you have? Are you using a PC?

Always good to start with the least aggressive product that will do the job.

[joburnet]

A good polish or even swirl remover should easily take care of and moderate oxidation. If your doing this by yourself and by hand I would try wash with Dawn to see what your working with, clay, polish, glaze if you want, and NXT. That should make pretty much anything look good but it won`t take out many swirls or scratches if your working by hand.

[jasonatv22]

The ColorX has been used already? It is a cleaner/sealant and should remove all the oxidation.

[Esebueno]

nothings been used yet

Cars comin out of the shop on friday (gettin a new reman and new turbos...)

sorry...no pics yet, cant get to the shop.

as for the rubbing compound...im not 100% sure i NEED it, i was just told i do.

thought id ask the pros before i did anything :D

[Esebueno]

Originally posted by joburnet

A good polish or even swirl remover should easily take care of and moderate oxidation. If your doing this by yourself and by hand I would try wash with Dawn to see what your working with, clay, polish, glaze if you want, and NXT. That should make pretty much anything look good but it won`t take out many swirls or scratches if your working by hand.



I have dawn and meguairs...



if not by hand (using some good ole elbow grease)....then should i get a rotary?

[joburnet]

if not by hand (using some good ole elbow grease)....then should i get a rotary?



It really depends on what your paint is like. If your paint is in very good condition with not much swirling or scratching then you can get by with just some elbow grease. If you do have swirling and scratching then you are really going to need a machine to get it out. If you want a cheap machine then you can get a chicago electric rotory for about $25 from harbor frieght and a megs polishing pad for around $10-12 and use that with some DACP and you can make a serious difference.



A lot of people warn about using a rotory if you don`t know how to use one but if you use this machine on the lowest setting and be careful then there is a pretty low chance of doing any real harm.



If you want to be safe and have some extra money then go with a PC and some DACP and you can get the same results.



I`m pretty new to this and you may want advice from more expirenced detailers but I have been very impressed with the results that I have gotten with this process and if your careful I think a rotory is pretty safe.

[jasonatv22]

Put the dawn under the sink in the kitchen and leave it there. :D



One thing that gets me a little about this thread is the term rubbing compound. It`s an old term. Makes me think of Turtle Wax Sand In a Jar. :down



Use a cleaner on it first. Then evaluate. :D

[Esebueno]

Duplicate posts merged and moved to Autopia University. -- Tort

Sorry if this is a repost...but i cant find my old one!?



Anyway....tips for using rubbing compound to remove mild oxidation and/or alternatives. dont wanna remove the clearcoat or damage the paint but hoping to make the car shine again :)

sorry no pics



(added: using Claybar, Meguair`s GoldClassWash, ScratchX, ColorX, Polish, Yellow Wax, and NXT)



history: bought a car w/ so-so paint. no scratches or anything...just wasnt well-taken care of....some oxidation on the rear of the hatch and a lil of the shine`s goin on the rear quarter panel. otherwise in good condition. color seems fine...clear appears to be fine...just needs some good elbow grease!



should i use a rotary tool? i dont want swirls or anything like that...nice good finish :D

[wash-girl]

"Compound" is probably harsher than you need to go for "light" oxidation. I`d try a chemical paint cleaner first, like MPPC, AIO, or SEC. If that doesn`t do the trick, maybe try some SFP, #66, or DACP.

[Esebueno]

its more moderate than light

[wash-girl]

You`ll find that the Rule of Thumb is "Always use the least abrasive method first." It`s a good rule to follow. "Light," "moderate" or "heavy" I`d still recommend you try one of the chemical paint cleaners, then the SFP (or #9 or #66), and then DACP, before moving into the realm of "compounds."



Good luck!

[Esebueno]

k thanks (as u can PROB tell i dont know too much bout rubbing compounds)

any good brands for chem. paint cleaners

[Buick_guy]

AIO.... It takes oxidation right off. Check out www.eshine.ca They have some good before and after pics of AIO. They also have Wolf gang there, anouther great product.

[BillNorth]

Try AIO. That should take care of the oxidation. I`ve seen it handle some pretty bad cases. And the best part about it is that it is a chemical cleaner and not an abrasive polish. The difference between the two being that chemical cleaners will not abrade any clear coat.



As for the rest of your paint, it all depends on what your goals are. Do you have swirl marks? If so, do you want to remove them? If yes, then you will need to use an abrasive polish. The level of abrasiveness will depend on the severity of the swirls. Do you want to smooth out the surface? If so, you will also need to clay.



Let us know what your exact goals are besides oxidation removal and we can assist in formulating a plan of attack as well as provide some usage tips.



Bill.