Light Scratch Removal

[melissa809]

Hey everyone.....



I frequented these boards alot this past summer. I was advised to go out and buy a rotary polisher....but I never bit the bullet. I think I was scared to put power tools anywhere near my new car.



Anyways.....I`m wanting to do one last detail before the winter sets in and was going through my products.



My plan is to wash...clay...wash....and then this is where I get lost.



My car is a 2012 and has those faint circular scratches.....I have Meguiar`s Polishing Compound as well as Meguiar`s Ultimate Compound



Which one should I use??? And this will be by hand. And again...this is to address those faint circular "scratches" I can see under streetlights.



THEN...after the "polishing" step....I plan to use 3M hand glaze and then Collinite Wax.





I`m not sure if it`s necessary to add that my car got hit in September...body shop did a perfect job (boyfriend`s family owned...lol)...new door skin...no body filler



Anyways....any advice would be greatly appreciated

Melissa

[Paul2011]

I wouldn`t recommend buying a rotary polisher if you have never used 1 before, instead go with a DA Polisher if anything, they are more user friendly and really easy to learn over a rotary polisher. Your right about the Wash,Clay part then you would use Megs Ult Compound and after that use the Polish, removing those scratches by hand might be harder then you think depending on how deep they are, then your right on with the glaze and wax.

[melissa809]

Thanks Paul..actually, it wasn`t a rotary polisher that was recommended, but regardless I`m nervous about using any power tools around my car....for now....lol



I`m wondering if I should skip the compound and see if just the polish gets the scratches out? Again, these are those very faint circular scratches that you can really see under a street light at certain angles.



And also, I will be doing this all by hand.....(which I actually did this summer and it was a LONG process....lol)

[pwaug]

It is very difficult to damage your paint with a DA if you just do a little reading and watching a couple of videos. Harbor Freight has a new Random Orbital for $60 and with a 20% coupon you can get it for $48 so not too big an investment. Then you need a 5" backing plate ($15) and a few pads ($28 for 5 packs or $35 for 6 packs). You could just use something mild at first like Megs Ultimate Polish or HD Polish until you get the hang of machine polishing. Once you try it you`ll say "Why did I wait" and you`ll never go back to hand polishing and waxing.



If you`re intent on doing this by hand you might want to try one of these Car Polishing Pad - HD Duo Pad for Polish & Wax | 3D Products The orange side might make the polishing go a little easier and the red side is great for applying wax or sealant.

[melissa809]

Okay....I may be making a trip to Harbor Freight. Let me ask you this, as well. I just got finished buying my boyfriend`s Christmas gift on Auto Geek and picked up some paint cleaner for myself....Sonus....which says it gets out light swirl marks.



With that being said...maybe I should just try the paint cleaner FIRST to see if I can get a swirl free finish????? All these options/steps/ and brands is driving me nuts!!!!! lol



Thanks in advance

Melissa

[Ron Ketcham]

You still got problems with your Ford?

Grumpy

[melissa809]

lol.....NEVER problems with my Ford!!!! Just want her as pretty as possible!!!

[Ron Ketcham]

Thought that was you.

Get a DA, just use fine finishing foam pads, a mild polish, you will be fine.

Have problems, this is the place to get answers.

[Accumulator]

melissa809- The Ford clear is (usually) fairly easy to correct. Try the milder product (the polish) first and switch to the more aggressive one (the compound) if necessary. I`d define "necessary" as being along the lines of "I polished the area several times but I wasn`t making much headway". If you do use the compound, do a follow up (shouldn`t take much) with the polish to leave a nice final finish.