Heat while polishing?

[Bluedog]

today was my first time using the Plexus plastic polish/cleaner. i used it for my front head lights and my rear signal lights, as well as the plastic that encloses the guage cluster and plastics on my head unit.



first impression was very good when i sprayed it on my front head lights. i picutred the product to be wet and liquidy, something like the basic glass cleaner u spray on and wipe off. but to my suprise the stuff it sprayed out was actually a tiny bit pastey, a good thing.



now that i sprayed a bit on the plastic, i buffed it with a normal cotton towel and wiped it with a dry cotton towel afterwards.

and thats it...



results: made the plasitc noticeably cleaner and clearer to a pretty big extent. left the surface super smooth like i just claybared and used ppcl. very staisfied:up same results appeared on all the plastic peices i used. i love this thing!



over all im very happy i got this thing. one can will last me a very long time since i barely use it since theres not alot of plastic on my car and a little goes a long way. highly recommend it :up

[vettefan67]

Hey Ng,



Were there any scratches there to begin with? If so, what did Plexus do to these? There must have been minor rock `dents` and stuff on your headlights for this stuff to work on.

[Langley Interior Car Kare]

both inside and out...its great for the instrument panel and radio stuff...also the running light covers.....everything i know about it is thats its like 303...but for plastic,acrylic,and fiberglass type stuff.....it doesnt fix anything(scratches..etc)...it cleans/polishes..protects.....i think the can said something about `filling "in minor scratches...but i think thats like a Z5 kinda thing if you know what i mean....if the scratch is that visible than Plexus aint fixing it....IMHO....so i mainly use it for protection and cleaning...it never streaks....to be honest....i started using it for the instrument panel 2 yrs ago mainly....i hated when my other car got a tiny scratch there....i had to look at it all the time...oh.thats annoying...so thats why i got it...i dont spray it on...i wipe it on...let it set up for a few secs...then wipe off....Ng good job...:up

[Bluedog]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by puterbum [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>Hey Ng,

Were there any scratches there to begin with? If so, what did Plexus do to these? There must have been minor rock `dents` and stuff on your headlights for this stuff to work on. [/b]</blockquote>
like it was said, it isnt made to really fill in scratches and hide them. it does help reduce the appearance of fine scratches though. which all adds up to a cleaner smoother look to all the plastics i used it on. most of the stuff i used it on had very very minor scratches if any.

[offcenter]

Nice review Ng. I agree 100% with your findings. I also like it because of the "controlled" circular spray pattern that Plexus leaves, a nice ring of material and it doen`t spray all over the place. Another product worth trying is Brillianize, also a one step plastic cleaner polish but it`s a spray pump not aerosol.

[Don2000g]

I`m a huge fan of Plexus. I like to use it on the instrument panel and on tinted windows. Great results.

[imported_Brian_Brice]

I was curious to know what everyone`s take is on heats role in correcting paint?

You hear a lot of mixed opinion on the topic and my purpose of starting the thread is to share back and forth and ultimately come to a universal opinion through our thoughts and experience on the matter.

Before I moved down to Tampa I had a few body shops I did hourly work for. I sanded and buffed a lot of fresh paint in those 3 years. The nibs and junk were initially sanded down by the helper or body guy until I grew tired of chasing "chasers". Many times these bothered me to the point of trying to get more out of polishing passes than chemically and physically possible, which lead to an abundance of heat on more than one pass.

As odd as it seems, the more heat I would generate based on touch alone, it seemed the less defects would be taken care of. Deeper scratches laughed at the higher rpm, slower rotary movement. The polish was always a pain to remove as well, you either wipe it off quick while the paint was hot and vulnerable to the point the softest of towels would marr the finish, or let it completely cool down and risk the residue bonding more.

Fast forward 5 years, once again I am sanding and buffing a few cars a month for an auto restorer. His body guy suggests there is a certain amount of heat needed to correct paint. Come to find out that wasn`t exactly scripture, it just so happened that every time he polished a car he increased the temperature considerably.

I had come to the conclusion along with many of you I`m sure, that heat is an unwanted bi product of pad to paint friction. It`s not even a necessary evil in my opinion. The last time I witnessed ample heat induced while polishing was the first time I saw the flex in action 3 years ago. Regular pressure, pretty slow movement by the operator and an orange lc pad. He heated that paint so fast it seemed you could pull it off like a fruit roll up, when he wiped the panel he marred the heck out of the paint with a fresh microfiber.

I don`t often feel the temp after polishing but I never notice any amount of temperature change. I know there is one due to the mechanical action taking place on the surface, but it doesn`t even register on bare skin.

My theory is this, If heat was a key component to paint correction why don`t any of you mention what temp to raise the paint to during initial correction? If it is needed to fix damage then wouldn`t a yellow lc pad generate more heat than a finishing pad because it is far more dense not to mention the cell structure? What temperature should the paint be during final polishing? These seem like very important questions if heat is such an contributor to our success. If not, I think we are giving heat a little too much credit.

[RED JEWELL SS]

This should be interesting, I will watch to see whats shakin on this thread,
Heat softens by nature and causes expansion, cold ,just the opposite,causes contraction and things to be more brittle, the warmer the paint is ,the more mills will be removed....or can.

[imported_Brian_Brice]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and getting the ball rolling SS.

[imported_Brian_Brice]

the paint is ,the more mills will be removed....or can.

So wouldn`t this theory suggest the least amount of heat required to level the defects at hand? So shouldn`t the goal be to keep it as cool as possible. Once again, if this is in fact FACT if you know what I mean.

[imported_Flash Gordon]

What your saying makes since to me. However, I don`t know any other way unless you throw ice packs on the paint

[imported_Brian_Brice]

What your saying makes since to me. However, I don`t know any other way unless you throw ice packs on the paint

Many detailers on this site are second to none. If a cool pack would keep more material on the car I am sure we would be seeing them in every write up. The temperature of the surface is never on my mind, like I said earlier the temp. change is never that apparent. This is why it is my belief it is merely a bi product and not a need. Others don`t agree with this, and I`m not saying they are wrong at all, just want a conclusion to this topic.

[imported_Flash Gordon]

Many detailers on this site are second to none. If a cool pack would keep more material on the car I am sure we would be seeing them in every write up. The temperature of the surface is never on my mind, like I said earlier the temp. change is never that apparent. This is why it is my belief it is merely a bi product and not a need. Others don`t agree with this, and I`m not saying they are wrong at all, just want a conclusion to this topic.

Hey, I`m with you. I will be watching this thread, but I doubt it will get much response as ppl will be scared there answer may make them look like a hack

[imported_Brian_Brice]

Hey, I`m with you. I will be watching this thread, but I doubt it will get much response as ppl will be scared there answer may make them look like a hack

That`s a shame if true. I don`t think a member here would judge another detailer based on what his reasoning was. Not to mention the information involved in this industry changes often, and I`d be surprised to hear anyone here say they didn`t learn at least a piece of what makes them what they are today from the internet. What makes this any different?

[RED JEWELL SS]

That`s a shame if true. I don`t think a member here would judge another detailer based on what his reasoning was. Not to mention the information involved in this industry changes often, and I`d be surprised to hear anyone here say they didn`t learn at least a piece of what makes them what they are today from the internet. What makes this any different?

Heat is a very interesting topic, and really think about it, what is burned paint ?
Its caused by friction and heat....loaded pad, which will happen quickly if the paint softens by the heat....it wont hurt at all to pick the bones clean on this topic....:StarWars: