I need more cutting power !

Firewalker

New member
I have a black lexus, it is a great car but the PO did not take care of the finish. So, I purchased a PC with the full Menzerna line of polishes. Initially, I used Menzerna's Intense Polish with an orange (lake?) pad. it removed some light surface scratches and possibly some swirls but for the most part, left me uninspired. There are still many swirls, bird pooh etchings and light surface scratches. When not viewed under bright light the car looks great, under flourescents or bright sunlight I can see all of the marks that I want to remove. So, my question(s)
Should I switch to a more aggressive polish or
switch to a more aggressive pad (more cut?)
I went over the area 3 times, letting the product break down each time to clear and I applied approx 10-15 lbs of pressure to the PC during the process. The Intense polish dried quickly, before breakdown, forcing me to wet the disc to bring it back to wet so I could continue breaking the polish down. I am a newb, I am certain I probably did much wrong, but could someone give me an idea of a more aggressive combination. Thanks in advance for those that reply....Jeff
 
I feel your pain with the Black vehicle. Such is life for us that love the color.

With that said, you can do all of the things that you mentioned. More aggressive polish or more aggressive pads. It is a trial by error situation.

The one thing that I do when detailing my vehicle with Menzerna products is use a small amount of product and work in smaller areas. Checking my work often. I try very hard not to use water to extend the working time since water is an abrassive as well as the product that I am using. I did not say that I do not use water. I said I *try* not to use water when making corrective passes.

You did not mention what speed that you used but for corrective purposes do not be afraid to turn the speed up to 5 or 6.

It is a grueling process but when you get the results that you are satisfied with the resulting look will instill great pride in your own pesistance to get the look that is satisfying
 
I agree with everything mentioned above and also own a black vehicle, so I know the pain you're feeling. One thing I would suggest is not to apply too much additional pressure on the PC while buffing. I would let the polish and the pads do the work. I've never used the Menzerna line, so I can't give you any brand specific advice. Good luck with the swirls!
 
audiboy said:
I agree with everything mentioned above and also own a black vehicle, so I know the pain you're feeling. One thing I would suggest is not to apply too much additional pressure on the PC while buffing. I would let the polish and the pads do the work. I've never used the Menzerna line, so I can't give you any brand specific advice. Good luck with the swirls!


That's the first thing that jumped at me was the pressure that you are using....the PC requires very little.....in some cases I hold the end of the handle so that it floats over the car and gets a good spinning action going...This is part might be the reason you are not getting the results that you are looking for....Lastly on your black car and using fluorescent lights is a killer they show everything..with a PC trying to perfect the finish is going to be real hard...especially looking at that under those lights...IMO...you have to come to realize what you can do with the PC and live with some imperfections....I have on my black BMW
 
I thought IP was a little strong for PC use? Am I wrong? I used it with my rotary and finished with FPII on the PC.
 
Thanks for the replies...I went back over the vehicle again, this time with Mezernas Final Polish II....wow, that stuff rocks. While the intense polish removed some of the swirls and surface scratches, I guess I expected too much. The car looks amazing after applying the final polish and the Mezerna's glaze. I have since stopped using pressure on the PC, makes it easier on me and the PC and leaves less hazing. At some point I may get a more aggressive pad/polish combo to try to get more of the imperfections out, but for now, the car looks so much better, I will post some pics when I figure out how....Thanks again for all the replies, you guys/girls rock!
 
I am a bit surprised to read posts suggesting that little to no pressure other than the weight of the PC is required for defect removal. I have found over the years that without appreciable amount of external pressure being applied, little to no defect removal can be attained. Even when polishing for gloss purposes only, I still apply some pressure. Iif applying a glaze or sealant/wax then the weight of the machine is sufficient.
 
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