XP7224 w/chem guys med-heavy pad instead of light
- Thread starter Matth3w
- Start date
It almost came out with the light cutting pad, so you're saying the medium-heavy one isn't different enough?
danlc95
Member
How much polish are you applying to your pad? How much pressure? Are you using the green or white?
I don't typically use the green pad for anything but super heavy cutting, but I have on occasion used it successfully with Ultimate Polish, which is like M205, to get moderate scratches out.
Try playing with the amount of polish you put on the pad. I start out with 4 drops around the outside edge of the pad, and begin working the area at speed 4.5 with really light, but firm pressure. I may "dwell" over an area that needs more attention. If I need more cut, I go to speed 5. With M205 or Ultimate Polish, I'm starting this process with the Blue Hex Logic pad.
If that doesn't work, I move to the green. If that doesn't work, I use Ultimate Compound, or M100 on the green pad. I haven't anything withstand that combination.
I don't typically use the green pad for anything but super heavy cutting, but I have on occasion used it successfully with Ultimate Polish, which is like M205, to get moderate scratches out.
Try playing with the amount of polish you put on the pad. I start out with 4 drops around the outside edge of the pad, and begin working the area at speed 4.5 with really light, but firm pressure. I may "dwell" over an area that needs more attention. If I need more cut, I go to speed 5. With M205 or Ultimate Polish, I'm starting this process with the Blue Hex Logic pad.
If that doesn't work, I move to the green. If that doesn't work, I use Ultimate Compound, or M100 on the green pad. I haven't anything withstand that combination.
Stokdgs
dansautodetailing.com
Until we know a little more information and exactly what your Process is using that combo, it is hard to give you the most accurate feedback...
Make of car, year of car, color of paint is ??? General condition of paint where the scratch is ????
Break down what you did, machine speed, pressure, how many passes, did you work the product until it was gone, or what ??
Were you doing this outside in the sun, or what?
Did you wash and claybar/rubberized towel/ etc., the car or what?
Dan F
Dan,
I have a 2016 Mazda Miata in Ceramic Metallic (white/grayish). The paint condition is pristine, minus the scuff mark. I put a cross of ultimate compound on the orange chemical guys pad ("light cutting pad"). I buffed as described on a video from Mike Phillips (sorry you will have to Google, I found the video through Google but it links to a competing website which I was told I couldn't post). I started at a speed of five like he describes, it lightened but didn't completely take out the scuff. You cannot feel the scuff at all with your finger nail. I never noticed it before, it looks like someone rubbed up against the car or took a suitcase out (which I don't have suitcases that fit in the car, so that's not it haha). So I moved up to a six, as recommended. Still did not take it out. I put enough pressure on it that I had to let up because too much and the pad just started vibrating not rotating. I have a sharpie mark on the pad to easily tell if it's rotating.
So instead of a light cutting pad I bought a medium/heavy cutting pad but haven't used it yet. I planned on used that pad but with the ultimate compound I used with the light cutting pad in hopes that the upgrade in stiffness of the pad itself will be enough to remove the scratch.
I have a 2016 Mazda Miata in Ceramic Metallic (white/grayish). The paint condition is pristine, minus the scuff mark. I put a cross of ultimate compound on the orange chemical guys pad ("light cutting pad"). I buffed as described on a video from Mike Phillips (sorry you will have to Google, I found the video through Google but it links to a competing website which I was told I couldn't post). I started at a speed of five like he describes, it lightened but didn't completely take out the scuff. You cannot feel the scuff at all with your finger nail. I never noticed it before, it looks like someone rubbed up against the car or took a suitcase out (which I don't have suitcases that fit in the car, so that's not it haha). So I moved up to a six, as recommended. Still did not take it out. I put enough pressure on it that I had to let up because too much and the pad just started vibrating not rotating. I have a sharpie mark on the pad to easily tell if it's rotating.
So instead of a light cutting pad I bought a medium/heavy cutting pad but haven't used it yet. I planned on used that pad but with the ultimate compound I used with the light cutting pad in hopes that the upgrade in stiffness of the pad itself will be enough to remove the scratch.
Stokdgs
dansautodetailing.com
Matth3w -
Thanks for the great reply -
To be clear, you are working on a mark on the back (?) of the car - is that mark on a Plastic part or Metal part of the car ?
Does the mark look like it has lines in it that are all pretty straight either horizontal or vertical ?
Looking at the mark in very good light, does it appear that the mark is not on the top part of the paintwork but instead deeper in the paint ?
If you are working on a plastic part of the car, you have to be mindful of the fact that plastic does NOT release Heat very quickly, and too much rubbing to get it really hot can damage the paint enough to even require repainting..
There might be less paint on the plastic parts too, so another reason to be careful..
What size backing plate and pad are you using to work this mark ? 6", 5", 4", 3", 2", 1", ?
You are doing the right process to carefully work from mild to more aggressive pad and compound - that is really good...
The biggest thing to remember when using something not direct-drive is that you need Pad Rotation to work the product with the pad against the paint..
I just went to that site and read up on Quantum Physics Hex Logix Pads - what a bunch of marketing hooey nuttiness !
I know nothing of those brands of pads; actually hate any pad that has dimples, holes, edges, etc., cut into the foam that do not let you use the full surface of the pad unless you are pressing down hard enough to compress it..
Are you using enough product - Ultimate Compound, etc., to have a moist layer of product on the mark the entire time and keep working it until the product disappears ?
Dan F
Thanks for the great reply -
To be clear, you are working on a mark on the back (?) of the car - is that mark on a Plastic part or Metal part of the car ?
Does the mark look like it has lines in it that are all pretty straight either horizontal or vertical ?
Looking at the mark in very good light, does it appear that the mark is not on the top part of the paintwork but instead deeper in the paint ?
If you are working on a plastic part of the car, you have to be mindful of the fact that plastic does NOT release Heat very quickly, and too much rubbing to get it really hot can damage the paint enough to even require repainting..
There might be less paint on the plastic parts too, so another reason to be careful..
What size backing plate and pad are you using to work this mark ? 6", 5", 4", 3", 2", 1", ?
You are doing the right process to carefully work from mild to more aggressive pad and compound - that is really good...
The biggest thing to remember when using something not direct-drive is that you need Pad Rotation to work the product with the pad against the paint..
I just went to that site and read up on Quantum Physics Hex Logix Pads - what a bunch of marketing hooey nuttiness !
I know nothing of those brands of pads; actually hate any pad that has dimples, holes, edges, etc., cut into the foam that do not let you use the full surface of the pad unless you are pressing down hard enough to compress it..
Are you using enough product - Ultimate Compound, etc., to have a moist layer of product on the mark the entire time and keep working it until the product disappears ?
Dan F
danlc95
Member
I'm not a fan of the "X". It concentrates polish on the center of the pad, where the lines intersect. What happens is that during the buffing process, the compound or polish naturally migrate toward the center of the pad, saturating it, where typically more heat is generated.
I would try maybe slowing down your arm speed, and increasing pressure. I like as much rotation as possible, to work the abrasives across the paint. You might also want to try speed 6.
If you have the green pad, try that. The stiffer pads usually require a lot more pressure than I like to use. I like the green because it's surface had a more fiberous, coarse feel to it. I don't use pressure as much as I use pad rotation.