Need some beginner advice - product choice and polish/compound required?

[Zelfiris]

With the picture that out of focus, and still being able to see the swirls, I`d say there are pretty deep. 1x1` area and test with 105.

Hi Dan,



I currently own Optimum Hypercompound Spray and M205 but not M105. Are you suggesting me to buy 105 for a test run?

[Accumulator]

I have tried to sample a spot with my hood with a purchase of halogen light....Any ideas? lol

I used the compound with orange pad and M205 with white pad. It was warm weather in the evening when I did it. Under the halogen light it look like I removed a lot of swirls, but next morning under the sun light I saw all the swirl marks again. Maybe its actually scratches but still lost what I did wrong.

You need to get your inspection lighting sorted out so you can properly evaluate your progress as you go.

My steps:...

4. Prep`ed orange pad by soaking the pad then remove excess water with polisher on low speed

Don`t do that. Prime the pad with *product*, not water. Using water with non-diminishing abrasives is a specialized technique that you don`t need to do.

6. spread compound over 2x2 section at low speed, then applied 6 passes really slowly 3 up/down and 3 left/rights

Don`t spread products with non-diminishing abrasives; just start polishing in the area where you first set down the pad. Spreading these products just wastes part of the already-short working time.

7. spritz orange pad with ONR QD one time before 2nd section

Huh? I`ve never done that and don`t think that you should either. CLEAN the pad between sections to get the used polish and cut-off clear out of the foam.

8. 3rd section I added more compound to the pad, another spritz for the 4th section. I divided the hood into 6 sections

Only add product after cleaing the pad out thoroughly. No spritizing of anything. I myself like to work smaller sections that that but that`s just me.

9. washed and dried hood to remove compound

Buff off the compound as you go. When you finish compounding it might have a little residue and/or some residual polishing oils but not much.

10. performed similar method with white pad and M205

Again, change the technique to what I described earlier- no spreading, no spritzing, lots of pad cleaning, minimal additional product. Plus, with M205 you need to work harder to remove the residual polishing oils- use at least IPA, preferably something like TOL`s PrepWash.

11. paint looked amazing at night under halogen light

It was still coated with polishing oils and I`d bet that your inspection lighting/technique wasn`t optimal (I don`t mean that as a slam, inspecting such progress can be very challenging).

At some point I think I should have used ISP.. it took basically 3.5 to 4 hours to do the Hood for me

I wouldn`t worry about that, I`ve done this stuff since forever and I can still spend ages doing a single panel. It takes as long as it takes (I spend about as much time inspecting as I do polishing) and things *will* speed up with experience (which includes getting the proper products and using them optimally).



I would use a more aggressive product for the initial work, with a MF cutting pad. Then switch to the OHC/orange combo and use that until things look basically perfect. Then switch to the M205 for the final polishing.

Maybe the products don`t work well together.. or the fact I did it outdoor (no garage) but in the evening so no direct sun light. I did noticed a lot of dusting with hyper compound spray though it should not be dusting

Those products will work OK together; I`ve done that progression with good results. BUT the OHC is pretty gentle for a compound, more like an aggressive polish.



Sorting out the technique can make a HUGE diff, especially with non-diminishing abrasive products. Check out anything on this topic by Kevin Brown, well worth the dreaded SEARCH as he explains it all very clearly.



Gotta get that inspection lighting sorted out. Working outside is tricky for various reasons but you gotta do what you gotta do, huh?

[Zelfiris]

Thank you Accumulator, I always love your detailed responses lol



How do you suggest for me to clean the pads in between sections? Would this work on my Griot`s random polisher? The Edge Foam Pad Conditioning Brush



I learned the spritzing technique from one of Junkman`s videos but he used Adam QD instead. I figured diluting ONR as QD would work as a replacement



Maybe I should switch over to a compound more beginner friendly. I`ll look up Kevin Brown`s infos. Thanks again

[Accumulator]

How do you suggest for me to clean the pads in between sections? Would this work on my Griot`s random polisher? The Edge Foam Pad Conditioning Brush

That brush will work fine for "brushing the pad clean", but IME that doesn`t always get all the stuff out. Worth having though.



Wiping the pad with a towels (cotton or MF) and some "clean" QD (I use Meguiar`s M34 Final Inspection) can work well.



My favorite method is to blow the pad clean with an air compressor, but of course you have to *have* the compressor This works incredibly well with MF pads.

I learned the spritzing technique...

Not to diss anybody`s technique, but I just wouldn`t do that.

Maybe I should switch over to a compound more beginner friendly. I`ll look up Kevin Brown`s infos. Thanks again

Well, IMO the OHC is very user-friendly, it just doesn`t cut all that aggressively, nothing like M105 and not as well as Uno either. Uno is also very user-friendly and cuts OK with MF disks. M105 is the aggressive one, but it`s not the most user-friendly stuff in the world..not *bad* but not as easy as the others. I use M105 when I need it, but switch to Uno or OHC as soon as I can (like after I get the really deep stuff pretty much out).

[pwaug]

How do you suggest for me to clean the pads in between sections? Would this work on my Griot`s random polisher? The Edge Foam Pad Conditioning Brush

I just use a Denture Brush from the Dollar Store along with a cotton terry towel. The brush works great and doesn`t damage the pads.

[Barry Theal]

Accumulator for the win:dance:

wetsanding should be an absolute last resort IMO. On a daily, I don`t see the need for it, don`t worry about getting it perfect unless it`s a show car. Get it the best you can for your own eyes, and that will tell you what needs to be done.

I would disagree with this! Wetsanding shouldn`t be a last resort. Todays papers are a lot nicer then some compound and more forgiving. Im not suggesting that the original poster resort to this. I`m just simply stating how I feel. With sanding you can see what is being done. It also runs cooler paint tempatures then most compounding. I`d prefer 3000 or 4000grit for leveling anyday of the week vs going at it with a heavy compound.

[Zelfiris]

I just use a Denture Brush from the Dollar Store along with a cotton terry towel. The brush works great and doesn`t damage the pads.

Thank you, that will save me a couple of dollars

[Zelfiris]

Got a friend to look at my lighting while we were doing some work on the car. He agreed the 500W halogen lights were not bright enough to see imperfections since he owned the 1000W version of the same lights.



Thank you Accumulator for pointing it out. The next step is to hunt for inexpensive lighting I can use outdoor. Saw some reviews of detailers owning $300 set of lights but that would be overkill for me. Anyone have a good suggestion?

[umi000]

Looks like Accumulator has gone through most of your issues - only thing I`d like to mention is that you might be seeing diminished performance from your polish because of the use of ONR QD on the pad. Remember that ONR is a product which works by encapsulating dirt and grit. I would suppose that it isn`t too far from the realm of possibility that it would have a similar effect on the abrasives in your polish, to the detriment of said polish`s cutting ability.



Francis

[chrisguga]

That`s true, Barry.



One heavy compounding set with polish will remove more clear than sanding with 1500, 2000, and 3000 combined in my experience and the experiences of others I have read about.

[Accumulator]

Got a friend to look at my lighting while we were doing some work on the car. He agreed the 500W halogen lights were not bright enough to see imperfections since he owned the 1000W version of the same lights...

It`s not just about brightness; a big part of it is *contrast*. The whole "inspection lighting" subject can get complicated.

The next step is to hunt for inexpensive lighting I can use outdoor. Saw some reviews of detailers owning $300 set of lights but that would be overkill for me. Anyone have a good suggestion?

I`d be less concerned about overkilling it and more concerned about finding something that`ll work for you. But heh heh, it`s easy for me to spend your money No idea what to use outdoors as I do all my work inside :nixweiss

[Accumulator]

On the subject of wetsanding, I too will often do some *very gentle* wetsanding instead of very aggressive compounding. Trouble is, people botch it up. I`ve lost count of the threads here that go "I was wetsanding and everything was fine right up until....". And too often, people think everything`s OK as long as they don`t go *through* the clear, which isn`t the case at all. Eh, it seems that it`s just too easy for people to overdo it.



OTOH, when using a DA/RO polisher, IMO most newbies are more likely to give up before they attain full correction than they are to go too far. Though stuff like M101, or even M105 might make overdoing it a bit more likely than it would be with milder products.

[Zelfiris]

Hi everyone I gave it my second attempt today and I want to give a big thanks to everyone especially Accumulator for all the advices



My results were pleasing to me although not perfect but substantial correction.



This is what I changed

1. Purchased IPA @99% + distilled water for polish wipe down

2. Stepped up from 500W halogen lights to 1000W

3. No more ONR QD spritz in between sections, only extra product

4. Washed down the nozzle and tube for OHC.. couldn`t spritz before but now its not an issue



I have attached sample photos below.. didn`t get to finish the car, got the passenger front/back fender done, side mirror and the beam over the door and it already took me 4 hours into the night



Before:









In progress:

Left section was 4 up/down passes with OHC, middle is no correction and right section was 3 up/down passes.. I found the 3 up/down passes was better finish





Fender completed with OHC:



(I guess the deep scratch will required wet sanding.. )



Completed with M205 polish:





I guess my next step will be to learn how to wet sand and finish up the polish properly for a better shine.. and ultimately jewel effect

[Thomas Dekany]

Awesome work!

[Accumulator]

kouyo- Glad things are going better, and yeah that looks good :xyxthumbs



Regarding that scratch, I would recommend that you *NOT* wetsand it. I`d live with it and do a little more compounding of that area each time you do a full detail on the car (which I hope won`t be more than once every year or two...or four ). By the time you realize you overdid it (the metallic aspect of the blue will look "lighter, whiter, and brighter") it`ll be too late. Don`t fall into the "Curse of Autopia" where you think every car can/oughta come out perfect. Once you get the whole car done, isolated issues like that won`t be readily apparent; all people will see will be a "really shiny car".