Is it worth buffing.

**AccurateWayz** · 10-31-2013, 08:18 PM

Hey again its kind of mutli-question question but ill give it a shot. I have seen a bunch of similar questions without definitive answers for obvious reasons but i`m hoping for some sort of understanding. Here it goes.

I am trying to figure out if my light scratches are shallow enough to be worth trying to buff out. when its said "if you cant feel it with our fingernail" how correct is this. is it just feel? catch? or even the most slightest feeling that is one there.

I am trying to grasp how much clear coat it taken of more percent rather than measurement. Now i understand all of the scenarios changes everything from what compound or polish to speed to thickness or clear coat. But basically how can I grasp what how much i`m taking off and it worth it over using fillers.

For all I know i`m taking off only a 1/100th of the clear coat and worried about hitting base coat or I could be almost at paint but think i have a lot further to go.

I understand this must be a hard concept to learn with experience but is their any kind of help to give some sort of reference on to what is going on such as you could use a rotary buffer at 1500 rpm`s at medium pressure with compound for 45 minutes in the same spot before hitting base on your average factory clear coat.

Any kind of reference would be great! Oh BTW

**Addicted2Bling** · 10-31-2013, 08:21 PM

Go shoot some pictures and come back and show us. No one is going to be able to give you their expertise on the matter without them...

**AccurateWayz** · 10-31-2013, 08:25 PM

I will do that. But scratches aside how can i learn how much clear coat it being removed when buffing

**Stokdgs** · 10-31-2013, 08:28 PM

And it is impossible to tell you how much clearcoat you are removing unless you have a paint thickness measuring tool...

If you want accuracy or at least pretty good accuracy, you need the tool...

Regarding your scenario above - run the Rotary at 1500, etc, medium pressure, 45 minutes, etc..., I hope you never do that to your car or anyone else`s car either....

You never answered my questions on the other thread you started, so I am assuming you have no experience at all, and you have a Rotary, is this correct ?

Dan F

**ec90** · 10-31-2013, 08:31 PM

If you feel the scratch with your fingernail. Now that doesn`t mean you can`t lessen it because the scratch likely isn`t uniform and is deeper in some places and shallower in others.

**AccurateWayz** · 10-31-2013, 08:36 PM

yes stokdgs i have zero experience and have a rotary. I`m sorry i didnt answer your question i thought i went back and checked my threads. And also the scenario i know was ridiculous just an example of what i was trying to ask.

**Stokdgs** · 10-31-2013, 10:11 PM

Perhaps if you tell us where you live, there might be a great Detailer out there close by that you can talk to and get some tips?

If you live in the Seattle, WA., area, I live in Issaquah, which is a little south and east of Seattle off of I-90 Exit 17... I would be glad to show you how a Rotary works..

I have a paint thickness tool also, so you can see how that works..

Dan F

**Todd@RUPES** · 11-01-2013, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by AccurateWayz

Hey again its kind of mutli-question question but ill give it a shot. I have seen a bunch of similar questions without definitive answers for obvious reasons but i`m hoping for some sort of understanding. Here it goes.

I am trying to figure out if my light scratches are shallow enough to be worth trying to buff out. when its said "if you cant feel it with our fingernail" how correct is this. is it just feel? catch? or even the most slightest feeling that is one there.

If you can feel them (drag, catch, texture) they are likely too deep to remove completely in a SAFE manner. Your clear coat is about as thick as a sheet of paper. Yes you can catch a scratch, just barely, and remove it completely in most cases (assuming the clear coat hasn`t been overly thinned from previous polishing) but you could remove too much clear coat and reduce its UV effectiveness.

I am trying to grasp how much clear coat it taken of more percent rather than measurement. Now i understand all of the scenarios changes everything from what compound or polish to speed to thickness or clear coat. But basically how can I grasp what how much i`m taking off and it worth it over using fillers.

No way to answer that because of an immeasurable amount of variables. You can likely "final" polish MOST paint systems 50 times without significantly removing clear, but you might only be able to compound it 3-4 times.

For all I know i`m taking off only a 1/100th of the clear coat and worried about hitting base coat or I could be almost at paint but think i have a lot further to go.

You usually have more then you think, but that is what keeps the paint on the car.

I understand this must be a hard concept to learn with experience but is their any kind of help to give some sort of reference on to what is going on such as you could use a rotary buffer at 1500 rpm`s at medium pressure with compound for 45 minutes in the same spot before hitting base on your average factory clear coat.

Not really. It depends on the compound, the thickness of the clear coat and so on. I have polished the same car (2 or 3 times) and still had plenty of clear, as measured by a device, to play with. However, with a daily driver, you want to maintain as much paint on the vehicle as possible. One full correction every couple of years and a light touch-up polishing every year, and you will be fine.

Any kind of reference would be great! Oh BTW

I`m sorry that I don`t have a more definitive answer, but the fact you are asking this questions shows a great concern, which is the best thing a car owner can have.

**AccurateWayz** · 11-01-2013, 04:18 PM

Thanx very much guys for the reply`s I had a feeling that the variables do make an answer to the question impossible and Stok wish I could come visit you from 2000 miles away