How many layers of polish to remove your clearcoat???? (Ron Ketchman)

How often would I need to use a porter cable, with a yellow pad and 3M F-II to remove my clearcoat?



Just wondering, is it something silly like once a week, 8 layers for 15 years? Or something scary like once a month for 2 years?



Anyone know?



Ron K?????
 
Don't be a zippa head guys.



The post isn't meant ONLY for him but I know he does this stuff for a living so I just wanted to catch his eye with something in the title.



If anyone of you people know I'd be more than happy to listen.



:bounce
 
I would think there could be no scientific answer here. Way too many variables. I will list some variables:

- Clear thickness at start

- PC speed

- PC pad I know you listed one but the condition as well.

- Pressure on pad.

- Duration of PC use.

- Brand of clearcoat.

- Existing scratches size shape and depth.

- Location on car

- Manufacturer of car

- Age of clearcoat

- Condition of clearcoat



This would be difficult at best to answer.



But I will say more than once?
 
How about:



"what is the least amount of time" or is it still too broad of a subject.



I just wanted to half an idea instead of being in left feild with the lights off playing indoors when the guy at bat hits pop fly and it's coming straight for my face and WHAM, no teeth, can't see which ones are on the floor, I step into dog crap and then step on my teeth. Pick them up, they smell kinda funny, the dentist's put's them back and I have bad breath for the rest of my life, jeepers creepers for crying out loud, that'd be a big mess now wouldn't it?



:bounce :bounce :bounce
 
I will now, good thing I've been reading just about everything on this fourm. I am going to go for one polish application per year. I don't need more since the car is hardly used.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Don2000g [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Showroom, it would be a shame if Ron K. stopped visiting and posting here. The man knows his stuff! [/b]</blockquote>
Don, I couldn't agree with you more.:( It's a such a shame.


RON, PLEASE COME BACK!!!!!:(
 
Joed,

It is next to impossible to take to much of the clear with a PC. It becomes a concern when you are using a Rotary. The PC is a good random orbital saving you alot of time and energy from applying the products by hand. So as long as you are not using a rubbing compound you have little to worry about. In fact in the early days of this forum many of the members were polishing monthly using non abrasive polishes followed by Carnuba's that would last 3 to 6 weeks. The PC is super safe and with the polymers available today you will only be polishing 2/3 times/yr anyways.
 
Joed,

It is next to impossible to take to much of the clear with a PC. It becomes a concern when you are using a Rotary. The PC is a good random orbital saving you alot of time and energy from applying the products by hand. So as long as you are not using a rubbing compound you have little to worry about. In fact in the early days of this forum many of the members were polishing monthly using non abrasive polishes followed by Carnuba's that would last 3 to 6 weeks. The PC is super safe and with the polymers available today you will only be polishing 2/3 times/yr anyways.
 
I wouldn't make PC's sound <em class='bbc'>that[/i] safe, personally. Polishing monthly is certainly not recommended, and a "polish" is by definition abrasive. If you polish too often or with the heavier compounds (FI-II or worse) or push too hard on too high of a speed you can remove a significant amount of clear.

I wouldn't polish my car more than 1-2 times a year, before applying Klasse again. And I personally would be cautious with the abrasives people throw around in here, you are removing paint every time you use it...

I suppose it does depend on how long you want your car. If Every Little Detail only wants to keep his cars for a few years before selling, then s/he may not be concerned about removing too much clear.
 
We all know that we have .3ml of clear to work with before we have removed to much and risk clearcoat failure. This scared the s#*@ out of me so about 3 wks ago I had a post to Ron re: How often could you polish with a rotary? The result was Ron asked me to call him as it was to complex a question to answer in the forum. The reason I was asking him is that I use a rotary with most of my customers cars 2/3 times/yr with a mildly abrasive polish. Some clearcoat cutting compounds can remove .1ml with each application and although I was not using such products I was still concerned. Ron's answer was that even with a rotary unless I was using a cutting compound I was maybe taking .01 to .02 of clear provided I was using the machine correctly i.e. speeds not exceeding 1500rpm, keeping the pad moving and flat and never dry polishing.

Making a long story short Ron said what is really happening when using a product for correcting minor swirls and paint imperfections is a burnishing effect (heating the paint up to a safe level which softens the clear enoug for the removal of these various imperfections). I would be able to polish a vehicle 15 to 30x using a rotary correctly.

The PC doesn't have the potential to produce any significant heat or friction so it is next to impossible to damage the clear unless you are using the wrong products. If you are using non abrasive products or even mildly abrasive like 3M FII with the PC it is not possible to damage your clear the machine just doesn't have the potential.
 
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