Working with AIO right now...got a few Q`s

[White95Max]

Here`s the deal: I`m removing oxidation on my dad`s 94 green Voyager. It`s washed about once a year, and sits outside all the time. It may have been waxed once.

This has been my process:

1. Wash

2. Dry

3. AIO by PC w/ LC light-cut pad on spd 6. As far as how fast I`m going, the center of the pad moves maybe 2 inches in 5 seconds.



The oxidation is definitely less, but it doesn`t look as clear as I expected.



Am I going to too fast / too slow?

Do I need to do several applications of AIO?

When it dusts, does that mean I should stop working it?



There are lots of swirls in it (I plan to go over it with 3M PI III MG by PC after AIO) so that might explain a bit of cloudiness in the paint.

I`ve gone over half of the door 3 times at the same rate to see if it improves at all...it doesn`t seem to. There is definitely improvement in the area that I have done compared to the area I haven`t done.

[TW85 HHI]

If it were me, I would decrease the speed to 4-5 to allow the product to work longer. AIO is a great product but it really can only do so much depending on the paint condition. Do not continue working AIO if it starts to dust. I would stop working it just as it starts to become almost invisible.



Seems to me that you could skip AIO for now and go straight to a polish, and then AIO after removing the swirls (it`ll also remove oxidation). If you`re going to follow AIO with SG or another sealant, you need the AIO base.



Is the LC light cut pad the equivalent of Sonus` blue pad?

[White95Max]

Originally posted by TW85 HHI



Is the LC light cut pad the equivalent of Sonus` blue pad?

I don`t know about the equivalence to the blue pad.



I followed the AIO with 3M PI III MG because I thought with AIO / light-cut pad it might leave some new swirls. Would a light-cut pad leave any new scratches or swirls? If not I`ll definitely use the 3M polish before AIO.

[imported_memnuts]

I would 3M first with light cutting pad and follow with AIO and a polishing pad. You may even want to do a 3-step process since you have some GEPC. 3M(light cutting pad) > GEPC(polishing pad)> AIO (finishing pad). JMHO.

[TW85 HHI]

I`ve always used a swirl remover with a cutting pad followed by AIO with a Sonus blue pad. Haven`t found any swirls or marring to date by AIO being my second or third step.

[White95Max]

So I should remove any swirls first with the orange light-cut pad, then use AIO with a polishing pad?

If I used GEPC after AIO, wouldn`t it remove the AIO? Both will make the paint glossy, but what would be the advantage of using AIO and GEPC?



BTW, what speed should I set the PC to for applying AIO with the polishing pad?

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by White95Max

So I should remove any swirls first with the orange light-cut pad, then use AIO with a polishing pad?

Yeah. If the PI-III MG/orange leaves any micromarring, follow up with PI-III/milder pad. *Then* use the AIO. Get the paint as nice as you want it to be polishing-wise before using the AIO.

If I used GEPC after AIO, wouldn`t it remove the AIO? Both will make the paint glossy, but what would be the advantage of using AIO and GEPC?

The idea was to use the GEPC *before* the AIO since the GEPC has a little (very mild) abrasive. Then use the AIO. But I`d just skip the GEPC myself and rely on the PI-III MG to prep the surface.

BTW, what speed should I set the PC to for applying AIO with the polishing pad?

I usually use 5 . Probably nothing wrong with using 6, just watch that it doesn`t "flash"/dry too fast and become hard to buff off. I don`t work AIO until it`s dry, I buff it off while it`s still a little wet. It`s not a product that needs to break down.