JJ_
01-24-2005, 11:36 AM
Hey guys, i dont know if this is any good to you. But I wrote this up for a few other sites in the U.k. Its a "how to remove scratches." I have also introduced wet sanding, I know that its not really needed, but I tried it on my own and thought I should include it anyway!!
Equipment and Materials :
The stuff that was used included as Porter Cable 7242 Polisher, #80 meguiars speed glaze, #7 show car glaze, NXT tech wax, 1200/2400 grit wet and dry paper, clay bar and car wash.
The reason behind the choice of the products was to promote the metallic flake in the panel.
To cut a long story short, I was mearly testing if wet sanding can be removed completely by #80 polish. And took some pics, then I thought infact Ill just make it a how to.
Panel Preparation :
First off normally a panel has to be degreased, for this I just used meguiars panel degreasant, this removes any grease that the shampoo will not. Next up is a thorough wash this is just a normal procedure, next is the claying, this removes any overspray, oxidisation and contaminants.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/tar-around-panel.jpg
Claying the panels removes marks (tar, tree sap, road paint etc).
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/swirls-around-light-2.jpg
The swirls above are removed by wet sanding if they are too deep to be removed by the polish.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/surface-scratches.jpg
Another example of scratches.
The panel had a few deep scratches and etching, the etching is normally just caused by bird bombs. The wet and dry paper is soaked in the bucket for 30 mins or more prior to use. I used 1200 grit as I know that the polish can removed this with no difficulty, there are other grades but I wanted to try a a slightly aggressive one. The panel was then sanded down, not a lot of force is needed at this stage as the clear coat was very soft on this panel.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/clear-view-of-wet-sand.jpg
This shows the panel just after being wet sanded, notice the marks left afterwards.
Paint Protection :
The paint is now ready for polishing; it is washed again and dried thoroughly. The polish is applied via the polisher, the polish is put on the pads in a cross shape as this helps distribution. The polisher is put to speed 3 to spread the polish onto the panel, then up to speed 6 and some force to remove the swirls. Once the polish is buffed to an almost transparent film it is removed. Inspect your work, if there are still swirls then repeat the above if not then move onto your glaze. This product is used to give a high gloss finish, ideal for car shows! This is simply wiped on and wiped off, no need to let it sit for any length of time. The final stage is a wax, I find NXT is among one of the best waxes to promote metallic flake, this is again just wiped on, north-south, east-west, to ensure even coverage. Finally let the wax Ãâ‚Å“skinÃâ‚Â this will take 15minutes to half an hour depending on the conditions. Finally buff off and thatÃâ‚â„s it finished.
Final Results.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/finished.jpg
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/halogen-glow.jpg
Hope that this helps with any further problems with scratches etc. The polishes can be applied by hand and can be substituted with other products, although the quality of finish will change in proportion to the polish used. I hope this is ok to post in here, I was going to put it in click and brag as I was restoring these panels with a view to sell them.
Its a good transformation none the less??
John. I apologise for the links to my website, I don`t have another one just now that I could link to.
Equipment and Materials :
The stuff that was used included as Porter Cable 7242 Polisher, #80 meguiars speed glaze, #7 show car glaze, NXT tech wax, 1200/2400 grit wet and dry paper, clay bar and car wash.
The reason behind the choice of the products was to promote the metallic flake in the panel.
To cut a long story short, I was mearly testing if wet sanding can be removed completely by #80 polish. And took some pics, then I thought infact Ill just make it a how to.
Panel Preparation :
First off normally a panel has to be degreased, for this I just used meguiars panel degreasant, this removes any grease that the shampoo will not. Next up is a thorough wash this is just a normal procedure, next is the claying, this removes any overspray, oxidisation and contaminants.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/tar-around-panel.jpg
Claying the panels removes marks (tar, tree sap, road paint etc).
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/swirls-around-light-2.jpg
The swirls above are removed by wet sanding if they are too deep to be removed by the polish.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/surface-scratches.jpg
Another example of scratches.
The panel had a few deep scratches and etching, the etching is normally just caused by bird bombs. The wet and dry paper is soaked in the bucket for 30 mins or more prior to use. I used 1200 grit as I know that the polish can removed this with no difficulty, there are other grades but I wanted to try a a slightly aggressive one. The panel was then sanded down, not a lot of force is needed at this stage as the clear coat was very soft on this panel.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/clear-view-of-wet-sand.jpg
This shows the panel just after being wet sanded, notice the marks left afterwards.
Paint Protection :
The paint is now ready for polishing; it is washed again and dried thoroughly. The polish is applied via the polisher, the polish is put on the pads in a cross shape as this helps distribution. The polisher is put to speed 3 to spread the polish onto the panel, then up to speed 6 and some force to remove the swirls. Once the polish is buffed to an almost transparent film it is removed. Inspect your work, if there are still swirls then repeat the above if not then move onto your glaze. This product is used to give a high gloss finish, ideal for car shows! This is simply wiped on and wiped off, no need to let it sit for any length of time. The final stage is a wax, I find NXT is among one of the best waxes to promote metallic flake, this is again just wiped on, north-south, east-west, to ensure even coverage. Finally let the wax Ãâ‚Å“skinÃâ‚Â this will take 15minutes to half an hour depending on the conditions. Finally buff off and thatÃâ‚â„s it finished.
Final Results.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/finished.jpg
http://members.lycos.co.uk/detailcity/halogen-glow.jpg
Hope that this helps with any further problems with scratches etc. The polishes can be applied by hand and can be substituted with other products, although the quality of finish will change in proportion to the polish used. I hope this is ok to post in here, I was going to put it in click and brag as I was restoring these panels with a view to sell them.
Its a good transformation none the less??
John. I apologise for the links to my website, I don`t have another one just now that I could link to.