Diamond Cut disappointing...

I

imported_phareous

New member
I tried out Diamond Cut with my PC on 5 using an orange pad and also a yellow pad.



It does a fantastic job of getting out swirls...but it doesn't touch anything else. Even faint scratches I could not even feel would stay there...



Am I doing something wrong or is this as aggressive as it gets? What should I do with acid rain spots and faint scratches? Should I try the rotary with diamond cut, or try wet sanding, or rubbing compound, or what?



Also I tried out meguiar's scratch X on some faint scratches and it didn't do anything either...seems kindof worthless to me
 
It sounds like you are trying to remove damage that polishing isn't going to touch. If Diamond cut didn't take them out then its time to move up to a Rotary and a wool pad because it doesn't get much more abrasive than Diamond cut.
 
I've stayed away from wool since it does microscratching and heats up fast...but you think I should give it a go? What about those 3M waffle pads...are they any good?



And if I go with the rotary, should I try diamond cut or doing something lighter? I tried DACP with the rotary and an orange pad and didn't get much result
 
phareous: A wool pad doesn't heat up as fast as a foam pad. Technically, a foam pad's cell structure builds up heat a lot faster than a wool pad...



As for Diamond Cut, I prefer Menzerna Power Gloss Compound over it for heavy jobs... Diamond Cut is quite strong, around 2 notches higher than Meg's Power Cleaner...



I find it hard to visualize a rotary job with DACP not producing much result... I've used AIO with a polishing pad and a rotary and it removes most light scratches and swirls...



How are you using the rotary? What speed?
 
I had it around 1500 RPMs or so. I am sure it did *something* just didn't help the stuff I was targeting... acid rain damage, bird damage, and sap damage. Is wool the only way to go? Also is wool on a PC a good choice? I would only use the rotary for the roof and hood since I'm not that experienced and don't want to burn the paint
 
I see... If you're concerend about deep etches, I'm afraid wool is your best route with an orbital otherwise it'll take you forever, the orange pad doesn't have much bite in terms of severe etches...



Why not try spot compounding by hand? Grab a soft cloth, and use a good heavy cut compound and just rub the edges of the acid rain etch then polish with an RO to remove the marring?
 
I got some of that green turtle wax compound...is that too strong? I was going to do it by hand with that scratchx but it didn't seem to do anything. Any suggestions for a good hand product?
 
The green TW compound doesn't seem that strong to me. At least, if used on a damp pad/cloth as per directions. Diamond Cut is probably one of the strongest products I imagine. It probably works by hand as long as you really work it in.
 
Green tub isn't that strong, but the red one is... so far, I like using Eo Scratch remover (jar) by hand... works ok for me.
 
phareous said:
Also I tried out meguiar's scratch X on some faint scratches and it didn't do anything either...seems kindof worthless to me
Click to expand...

I'm truly perplexed by this, phareous. I've used ScratchX on some really nasty, scary scratches, and it has been a miracle product for me. What did you use to apply it? (I used soft cotton) How much pressure did you apply? (I used a fair bit.) Did you wait for it to haze?



I'm not criticizing. Just amazed at how we could have such different experiences, and hoping we can figure out why.
 
Well, I don't know if my technique is Autopianly correct. But I just use ScratchX on specific scratches (never applying it on entire panels, as some folks do -- only on individual scratches). I use a terry towel, starting with little pressure, moving on to heavier pressure if I don't see results. Then wait for it to haze, and buff with my softest MF or an Autopian CBT (DF Towel is equivalent). That's just my experience, FWIW. :nixweiss
 
Part of the problem may be the fact that Diamond Cut 2.0 is designed for the rotary buffer and not the PC. As such, the product was not used the way it was intended and consequently did not perform as expected. Truthfully, if you did not get the marks out with Diamond Cut and a rotary, they will probably not come out. The PC, though an excellent tool, is not a rotary. You could try the PC and a wool pad with the PC. You will need to work the product thoroughly! If this does not work, then it is time for the rotary. As I have said before, the rotary with Diamond Cut is pretty scary! I have had to realize that I need to live with the odd mark rather than risk the clear coat.
 
Definitely use a rotary, a PC doesn't do nearly as much work as a Rotary. Last year I used Diamond Cut on my trunklid to remove deep clear coat scratches. It is an absolute mirracle product and after DACP it made the paint look like glass. I'm considering trying it on some minor acid rain damage on my roof but I need to make sure I have plenty of paint to work with.



If you haven't taken paint thickness measurements definitely do it before attacking with a Rotary and Diamond Cut. Also read up on proper use of a rotary to prevent paint damage.



BTW I used a Meguiars Maroon foam pad, worked liked a charm.
 
Perhaps by hand, try 3m Super Duty RC, use very sparingly and very very lightly because you can actually see and feel the abrasives with your hand. Although the bottle says ok for machine ue, I thinks that's only for body shop work. I wouldn't be surprised if this product is even stronger than Diamond Cut.
 
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