Is this too harsh?

Ocean Winds

Ocean Winds

New member
Hello everyone,
i received a Porter Cable from a very nice member on this site. I ordered an orange pad and green one. (5.5"). I have a red Miata that is water spotted and probably permanently etched. I just want to get the paint any percentage better. Tonight I used the orange (Lake County) and Meguiars rubbing compound that says it`s safe for clear coat. I`m pretty sure my paint is a one Stage paint. When I polished, there was no red residue on the pad so that`s good. Is this too harsh to use?
Thanks so much!
 
Ocean Winds said:
Hello everyone,
i received a Porter Cable from a very nice member on this site. I ordered an orange pad and green one. (5.5"). I have a red Miata that is water spotted and probably permanently etched. I just want to get the paint any percentage better. Tonight I used the orange (Lake County) and Meguiars rubbing compound that says it`s safe for clear coat. I`m pretty sure my paint is a one Stage paint. When I polished, there was no red residue on the pad so that`s good. Is this too harsh to use?
Thanks so much!
Click to expand...

If you didn`t see any "color" transfer to your pad it is probably a 2 stage paint. The clear doesn`t show transfer to your pad where a single stage red would. When you say rubbing compound which product are you specifically referring to? Most would not start buffing with a traditional rubbing compound though this term is thrown around a lot describing many different polishes. Compounds (old school) are typically reserved for paint in the bad shape. Remember the old saying don`t use a cannon to kill a mosquito. Start by using light or medium grade polishes and see first if these will accomplish the task you wish. If not you can adjust to a polish with more bite or a firmer pad. The orange pad is considered a light cutting pad and may be just the ticket but with an aggressive compound will remove more of your finish than is necessary to correct many problems. Remember there is only so much clear coat on there. If you aren`t seeing color and then begin seeing color you have gone to far. I obviously have no idea what you are using but my gut is telling me you might be using a heavy cut polish.
 
Ahh....I see....okay, thanks. I have a lighter grade polish, I think it`s Meguiars Ultimate compound. I`ll stick with the orange pad. The paint is shiny but scratched up a bit and water spotted. I always thought Mazda used a one Stage paint for its red, black white and a certain blue....but, I`m assuming! I`ll lighten things up tomorrow and try again. Thank so much!
 
Most cars since 1992 ish have used Base/Clear except for their Whites but I think the majority of whites now are also clear coated.

That being said, Meguiar`s Ultimate Compound is a pretty heavy compound. There is a scale on the forums somewhere but I cant find it right now.
 
Hey Ocean Winds, if you could post a few pics of the damage your trying to fix, you will get great advice from some very good people on this forum.
 
If you have it / can get it, try Megs Ultimate Polish on the softer pad first, then go up from there. If you end up having to do a compounding step with the orange pad, you will likely have to follow up with a light polishing step to get rid of compounding haze. (throwing that in so if/when it happens, you aren`t surprised by it.)

As others have mentioned, the idea is to start less abrasive and work your way up. This will help prevent too much clearcoat being removed to achieve the results you want.

Also remember, some scratches and defects are just too deep to completely remove without a repaint. Don`t stress if you can`t get them all.
 
I have tried several times, both on my IPad and laptop, to upload photos and I just can`t. It`s etched water spots over years, and I know I won`t be able to get all of those out. I also have Meguiars Wax/polish. I tried that, but little effect. MCKee`s recommended their 360. I was trying to use what I have because money is extremely limited right now. Maybe I should just use the polish wax and go for shine than repair. ☹️
 
nickclark08 said:
As others have mentioned, the idea is to start less abrasive and work your way up. This will help prevent too much clearcoat being removed to achieve the results you want.

Also remember, some scratches and defects are just too deep to completely remove without a repaint. Don`t stress if you can`t get them all.
Click to expand...

Well let`s start with expectations ... a PC will only do so much correction and repair no matter what pad and product combo you put together, especially when first using

OK OK Yes, " some" people can actually get extreme results with a PC ;)

Next .. water marks don`t come out with compounds, scratches come out with compounds and then you use a polish to clear and brighten.

Water spots are chemical reactions to the finish and you need to use a chemical polish to repair not wear away your clear coat.

and as stated by Nick some scratches , watermarks and defect are not going to come out, especially with a PC
 
Ocean Winds said:
I have tried several times, both on my IPad and laptop, to upload photos and I just can`t. It`s etched water spots over years, and I know I won`t be able to get all of those out. I also have Meguiars Wax/polish. I tried that, but little effect. MCKee`s recommended their 360. I was trying to use what I have because money is extremely limited right now. Maybe I should just use the polish wax and go for shine than repair. ☹️
Click to expand...

We all understand working within a budget. Can you list what you have on hand and maybe we can come up with some combos you may not have considered. Sometimes you can get great results thinking outside the box by pairing up more aggressive pads with lighter polishes and vice versa. You won`t know until you try.
 
You guys are so awesome.
I have Meguiars Mirror Bright Polishing Wax, Meguiars Clear coat safe rubbing compound, Meguiars Ultimate Compound.
Then I have 2 paint sealants, Wolfgangs and Klasse and Mothers Carnuba wax as toppers.
 
Ocean Winds said:
You guys are so awesome.
I have Meguiars Mirror Bright Polishing Wax, Meguiars Clear coat safe rubbing compound, Meguiars Ultimate Compound.
Then I have 2 paint sealants, Wolfgangs and Klasse and Mothers Carnuba wax as toppers.
Click to expand...

What pads? (and size) and what machine?
 
Oops.....5.5" pads, Lane County orange, green and a purple `wool` one. I think the Porter Cable is an entry level model (just got it from a member) with an upgraded backing plate. It`s variable speed.
 
Ocean Winds- A belated Welcome to Autopia, and best wishes regarding your health challenges.

Some sorta-random thoughts follow:

With the 5.5" plate/pads the PC is close to the limit regarding what it can use effectively. That means that too much pressure will bog it down and it will only jiggle (the pad doesn`t spin). SO...you have to press more lightly than one might like and that means it`ll take longer.

With no pigment transfer to the pad using the compound, you have basecoat/clearcoat paint.

Meguiar`s makes a lot of different compounds, and all are said to be clearcoat safe (that doesn`t really mean much of anything these days, it`s just product-fluffing talk). Some break down during use, and others remain abrasive and/but just dry out during use. Each type calls for its own technique (primarily related to how long you can/should work them).

After the compound, you should use a milder product (e.g., Meguiar`s Ultimate Polish) to refine the finish.

Don`t overwork the product(s). Those should be buffed off before they`re dried out.

I usually use speed 5 or 6 on that machine.

Note that as compounds and polishes are used, the pad will load up with cut-off paint and dried up (or broken-down) product. It`s very important to clean that out of the pad. If you only have a few pads, you might want to work in sections as cleaning/drying a pad takes a while.

Which Klasse product do you have? Their All In One ("AIO") or their Sealant Glaze ("SG")?
 
Ocean Winds- Ah, OK...the trick to using that stuff is to apply it *VERY* thin, like so thin you can barely see it on the surface. For the Miata, it`ll take *FAR* less than an ounce to do the whole car (I never used an ounce to do a Suburban).

I`ve never used the KSG without first using the KAIO. Better make sure the paint is perfectly clean (as in, stripped of any oils/etc. from the polishing) first. Or just use one of your other products, but that KSG *is* good stuff, at least if you apply a few coats so it lasts a long time.

Anyhow, I`d pick up something like Meg`s Ultimate Polish to use after the compound, and get a panel or two corrected to your satisfaction. THEN apply whatever LSP (Last Step Product, i.e., wax or the KSG).
 
Thanks so much! i got the Klasse Sealant because of our coastal weather and 6-7` of rain per year. Cars here take quite the punishment. I`ve only had the Miata two weeks and she`s now garaged. This is my `life is too short` car. Doing the paint is a challenge which I love!!
Thank you so much for your guidance and advice!❤️
 
Ocean Winds- So glad to hear you`re finding it enjoyable!

With any luck, you`ll be enjoying that car for a good long while.

I would consider picking up some of the KAIO. The two products work great together, and KAIO is very user-friendly. Just don`t expect it to do any correction (it`s functionally nonabrasive).

Do the compounding and polishing, then use something to clean the polishing oils off. Many use Rubbing Alcohol, though I find it only moderately effective, preferring products that are *made* to strip the oils. No, the KAIO, while a great paint cleaner, doesn`t strip the oils IME.

If you want to just skip the whole oil stripping thing, do the correction and then use the Mothers wax; waxes aren`t very finicky about needing a perfectly stripped-clean surface. You could always revisit the LSPing step later; just doing the correction and getting something protective on there might be enough for now and I want you to start driving the wheels off that thing :D
 
Poorboy said:
Well let`s start with expectations ... a PC will only do so much correction and repair no matter what pad and product combo you put together, especially when first using

OK OK Yes, " some" people can actually get extreme results with a PC ;)

Next .. water marks don`t come out with compounds, scratches come out with compounds and then you use a polish to clear and brighten.

Water spots are chemical reactions to the finish and you need to use a chemical polish to repair not wear away your clear coat.

and as stated by Nick some scratches , watermarks and defect are not going to come out, especially with a PC
Click to expand...

Pro Polish, Steve?
 
Ocean Winds said:
You guys are so awesome.
I have Meguiars Mirror Bright Polishing Wax, Meguiars Clear coat safe rubbing compound, Meguiars Ultimate Compound.
Then I have 2 paint sealants, Wolfgangs and Klasse and Mothers Carnuba wax as toppers.
Click to expand...

You have some good products on hand. The rubbing compound is the one in the maroon bottle? If it is that one is not intended for machine use. Ultimate Compound which works well can be used by hand or machine.

If you can, you can get some M205 or ultimate polish locally to refine the finish after compounding. If you can not get it, try using the polishing wax. I am not sure if you have the liquid version or not but the Mirror Bright polishing wax contains SMAT abrasives in it so it should work on a polishing pad to refine the finish after compounding. The liquid version is easier to spread onto the pad versus the paste version. It is actually a pretty good cleaner wax/sealant.

The MB Polishing Wax is stated to last up to 5-6 months.
 
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