I've come to the conclusion...I'm an idiot.

S

Scott301

New member
Hello all.



I have learned a ton since I've been reading the info on this site over the past several months. However, I've come to the conclusion that detailing paint is beyond me. I can work magic on all of the other parts of the car but the paint always has little scratches.



The reason I am typing this is because I just went outside and tried the new Menzerna polishes from CMA per their instructions with a PC and it doesn't look any better to me. Possibly worse. The paint I am working on is my new black BMW. I ordered a ton of stuff from Clearkote and even after applying VM and MW on an area and then hitting it with their QD, I still see scratches.



I'll sit on the bench for now and keep watching the results you guys get.



Brad
 
Come on Brad, don't give up.



Those Menzerna polishes aren't that agressive on scratches. A couple of weeks ago I tried to remove some fine scratches from my hood with a rotary and a compound foam using the Intensive Polish, 3 passes and the scratches were there.

Then I used another compound foam and Menzerna's Fast Cut, one pass and goodbye scratches. You don't have that product there, replace it with the DACP or Fine-Cut from Meg's.



You should consider using something more agressive on areas where you have those hard-to-beat scratches, and then follow with the IP and 2 or 3 x the FP.



It's well worth the efort.
 
Thanks jgv. I really like detailing but when it continues to not go my way I get really stressed. Kind of like how I previously played gold but then realized that was the cause of my stress so I stopped.



Is there any way I can get fast cut by Menzerna shipped to me in the states? I would be willing to pay someone to send it to me.



Thanks,

Brad
 
I heared you can buy it there, don't know where tho. Email Menzerna and ask.



If you're not successful I can ship it to you but I only have access to 1L bottles.
 
Swirls are tough, and sometimes probably shouldn't be removed... At the very least, you can minimize their appearance or at least minimize the new swirls you add while keeping your car shiny and protected. Don't give up. The main thing is that you enjoy it.
 
BradNC- What Aurora40 said :up . Some scratches can only be removed by taking off too much clearcoat. I too find it hard to remove swirls/scratches from some cars, it's like you polish FOREVER and they're still there. The only two solutions are to live with them or use a more aggressive pad/product combo. You might want to try the more aggressive route once (carefully) and see if it makes a worthwhile difference.



BTW, it seems that black BMW's are a real challenge for many people. As ejant said, you're still WAY ahead of the crowd, even most "car guys", so I wouldn't beat yourself up too much.
 
Brad said it's a new BMW so it must not be so bad, he is using a PC, not a rotary, and some very safe polishes!

He deserves the pleasure of seeing is car scratch free, or at least give it a try with more appropriate products.
 
I emailed Menzerma to see if anyone in the US has Fast Cut. Time will tell. I like the Moose stuff but need to get out the scratches first.



Brad
 
Well, I was going to offer some pithy sounding piece of encouragement, but I think ejant and Aurora got all the bases covered! :xyxthumbs



Time to get back on the horse, and see if you can at least hide them with a glaze or something in the mean time. :)
 
Don't be discouraged, many of us are still learning!!!



I bought my Passat as a Certified Pre-Owned VW, and although in pretty good shape it was far from perfect, finish-wise. And I have added the occasional scratch from not using proper technique or rushing (which thankfully SMR or Scratch-X has been able to remove). But my car still looks 10 x better than most of the BMWs, Volvos and Jags where I live! (It may not be a Bimmer but it gets treated like one! )



My car is black too! Seems like everything stands out on it but boy when it's just detailed with P21S and Klasse it's beautiful.



I figure it's my experimentation/daily driver car for a couple of more years. Then when I buy my next car (hopefully a brand new A4 or A6) I'll be more experienced and ready!!!



:o
 
Hey Brad don't give up. All of us had to go through the same process. With some perseverance and patience, you'll get there.
 
Ok folk...



I got some DACP and Swirl Free polish and some orange power pads from CMA. I worked on the hood for a VERY long time (hours) applying, looking, etc. Swirls are still there if you look at it in the sun. The car is a jet black BMW. I guess I should just live with it and cover it up with something. Anyone else have this problem? I don't think the pads or the products are the problem....like computer issues....it is normally the user. : )



Brad
 
The really brave break out the 1500 grit and the flatting block, follow up with Diamond Cut then something a little less abrasive.



I wouldnt recommend it tho :p



DACP is pretty harsh and should do the trick, are you using enough ?



I'm not familiar with CMA pads, I use the Megs Purple ones and those combined with DACP or DIamond Cut will remove anything thats going to come out short of the 1500 grit route.



What you CANT get out can easily be hidden by a good glaze, topped off with whatever your choice of wax/sealant is.



When its all done right you should only see a VERY few scratches, if any.
 
Infamous said:
IS S100 SEC a glaze? I was planning on using that
Click to expand...
No, but from what I understand, it's close enough and also improves the appearance the same way a glaze does.





BradNC, are you applying any pressure when you do your polishing? Some people apply a lot of downwards force when they polish and while I don't think PC advocates doing this it probably helps.
 
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