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desgnr

New member
I have a 2010 Mercury Milan,Tuxedo Black Metallic.

I just saw a couple light scratches on the door.

I tried Dupont Polishing Compound.

It didn't completely remove them.

I now have a Dulled looking area where i used the compound.

What should i do to fix this ?
 
Use a milder polish to remove the hazing. Meguiars M205 with either a white or black lake country flat classic pad if using a machine like the PC 7424 or Meguiars G110v2.



If working by hand try some Meguiars ultimate compound.
 
gmblack3a said:
If working by hand try some Meguiars ultimate compound.
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This works very well by hand. I have a video coming out this week on how to remove a bird dropping by hand or machine using Ultimate Compound and you would use the same technique for removing the scratches you instilled with the Dupont Polishing Compound.



Most compounds say they won't scratches clear coat paints but in reality they do... I point this out because it's VERY easy to put scratches into clear coat paints and hard to get them out without the right products and "good technique".





Stick with SMAT products and you'll do alright...



http://www.autopia.org/forum/autoge...anted-know-about-meguiar-s-smat-products.html





http://www.autopia.org/forum/autoge...s-order-smat-products-might-surprise-you.html







:)
 
Just for fun, and because this will likely work very easily, try Blue Magic metal polish, or Flitz metal polish on t-shirt material. Stretch the t-shirt material over your finger and put a dab of polish about the size of a pea on the cloth and rub first one direction then across and finish with a circular motion and wipe off the residue with clean part of the cloth. Check to see the difference and do it again till you get most the original damage out.



You won't hurt anything and there's a very good chance the result will be much better than you expect. This is a very old school method but it still works.



Robert



PS, those metal polishes are recommended for hard plastic which is very similar to modern paint.
 
WhyteWizard said:
Just for fun, and because this will likely work very easily, try Blue Magic metal polish, or Flitz metal polish on t-shirt material. Stretch the t-shirt material over your finger and put a dab of polish about the size of a pea on the cloth and rub first one direction then across and finish with a circular motion and wipe off the residue with clean part of the cloth. Check to see the difference and do it again till you get most the original damage out.



You won't hurt anything and there's a very good chance the result will be much better than you expect. This is a very old school method but it still works.



Robert



PS, those metal polishes are recommended for hard plastic which is very similar to modern paint.
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:nervous2:
 
WhyteWizard said:
There's nothing to be nervous about.
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...either way, I would stick with Mike's recommendation so he will have the right products on hand to tackle future paint blemishes should the need arise. Even though I have several polishes in my cabinets, I still keep a few tubes of products like Scratch-X around. It works well by hand and I find it great for spot corrections on the go (I usually keep a bottle in each of my cars). It's nice when I'm helping someone (friend/colleague/family member) because I’m using an OTC product they can easily acquire themselves and they realize they can duplicate the results on their own.
 
WhyteWizard said:
Just for fun, and because this will likely work very easily, try Blue Magic metal polish, or Flitz metal polish on t-shirt material. ...You won't hurt anything..
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IME even the softest 100% cotton t-shirt material can mar automotive paint. Sure messes up Audi clear, absolute horror-show under magnification and you can usually even see the damage with the naked eye. Even the softest plush cotton is often not appropriate for final polishing, even if it does work well for the more aggressive steps.



Also, the metal polishes I'm familiar with don't finish out nearly well enough on paint for a ready-to-wax finish.



I suppose this sounds all :argue but I'd rather somebody who's new to this stuff use products/materials that are designed for the job and geared towards the layman. Less chance of disappointment (like the disappointment from using that Dupont stuff, which AFAIK is pretty much unchanged since the days of old-school paint).



Per usual, I agree with Mike Phillips and gmblack3a: Meguiar's Ultimate Compound or maybe even just their Scratch-X v2.0, applied, worked, and buffed off with a nice soft microfiber cloth.
 
I don't suggest something unless I know it's safe and effective. The reason for the cotton t-shirt material is to add cut to the polish. Lighter pressure at the end will leave a very good finish on a small area. Some of the car polishes that have been suggested are significantly more abrasive than Blue Magic or Flitz.



Remember, we're talking about trying to remove the marring caused by Dupont compound which is pretty much rocks in a paste. Have you ever tried what I'm talking about? Do you have Blue Magic or Flitz on hand?



The other reason for the t-shirt material instead of microfiber is that it's not as plush so it won't get down into the scratches as much so it applies the cutting where it should be, at the top surface, not in the scratch.



When people show cars, they often get hit by bags, touched by people with rings, rubbed up against with rivets from jeans, and we can't be breaking out a polisher every time something like that happens. Blue Magic or the like followed by wax is how a lot of people repair those small problems.



I just got home and I'm a little tired, I think I'll take a nap now, lol:faint:
 
So you are saying Blue Magic will remove the haze from the compound ?

Because after i applied Turtle wax polish i still see the haze spot.



I went to Blue Magic website & didn't see the polish products.

What is the name of the product you are suggesting ?

Flitz only shows Metal Polishes.
 
Try using the T-shirt material first, then do it again using microfiber and you tell me. A sample size of Blue Magic or Flitz is all you'll need.



I'm saying this will work. If it doesn't I'll reimburse you for the cost of the polish.



Robert
 
desgnr said:
Are you saying Blue magic is better than Meguiers Scratch-X or Ultimate compound ?
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....nothing against WhyteWizard but I would suggest sticking with Mike Phillips advice. He is very knowledgeable and a well respected member in the detailing community (so is Accumulator for that matter IMO). I don’t see any reason to shy away from products that are specifically designed for this task. ….in fact, just the opposite. I have several metal polishes in my cabinets I have collected and used over the years. ….but they are certainly not the first thing I think of or reach for when I’m trying to correct a blemish on paint. If you’re going to go out and buy products to do this, might as well get something made specifically for this purpose and that you can use in the future if the need arises.



At the very least, read the links Mike has provided. They are relatively short, well written & very informative. …..after all, that’s what Mike does (Director of training @ Autogeek). He has experimented with a lot of products, tools and techniques over the years and recommends what works.

 
WhyteWizard said:
Remember, we're talking about trying to remove the marring caused by Dupont compound which is pretty much rocks in a paste. Have you ever tried what I'm talking about? Do you have Blue Magic or Flitz on hand?
Click to expand...



Unless the Dupont product line has changed significantly, I'm quite familiar with it; it's been around for decades and AFAIK the last major reformulation was in maybe the early '90s when it got a tiny bit more clearcoat friendly.



With regard to metal polishes of the type under discussion, I'm familiar with Flitz, Simichrome (both red and blue), Wenol, and Maas, which I use for various (non-automotive paint) applications. I see no reason for desgnr buy them (or even use them if they're already on hand) instead of using a product specifically made for (by-hand) use on paint. I don't even use those metal polishes on certain highly-polished metal surfaces lest I instill marring.



Sorry, you and I will just have to agree to disagree on this and let desgnr make up his own mind.



The other reason for the t-shirt material instead of microfiber is that it's not as plush so it won't get down into the scratches as much so it applies the cutting where it should be, at the top surface, not in the scratch.
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If the medium getting down into the depression is an issue (and I hardly ever find it to be so as the product that gets into the depression isn't worked as aggressively due to less direct application of pressure, I'd still use something softer than a cotton t-shirt. A foam applicator pad would be a good choice for situations like that, but I generally just use a regular, plush MF and it's never caused any problems.



This is the sort of spot-repair that I've done literally countless times since the mid-'70s. Just like the advent of modern polishes, the advent of (high quality) MF made it easier for me to get the results I want and I sure don't touch paint with t-shirt material any more (BTDT, and then had to fix it). Foam and MF have almost completely replaced cotton for me with the exception of very aggressive first-pass, by-hand work.



Again, we can just maintain our differing opinions, and let people consider both sides.
 
I appreciate your info & will not be using metal polish.

So tell me when i wax the whole car i used to use 100% cotton t-shirts or cheesecloth.

What do you recommend to wipe & buff the wax off with ?



If you say MF , where should it be manufactured ?

I read that MF from different countries are different.



Any recommendation appreciated.
 
desgnr said:
I appreciate your info & will not be using metal polish.

So tell me when i wax the whole car i used to use 100% cotton t-shirts or cheesecloth.

What do you recommend to wipe & buff the wax off with ?



If you say MF , where should it be manufactured ?

I read that MF from different countries are different.



Any recommendation appreciated.
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To keep the "what MF?" simple, I'd just buy from somebody like Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing, Auto Detailing Supplies, Auto Detailing Equipment, Auto Detailing Products, & Auto Detailing Accessories for all your Automobile Detailing Or see what Autopia member WCD has to offer. Money well-spent IMO.



AFAIK, a lot of "different" MFs, from different vendors, are actually the exact same thing. So maybe somebody here could offer an equally good, but cheaper, alternative to my suggestions. I'm usually not the best guy to ask when it comes to saving money :o



Note that since the MF is softer/more gentle, it'll take a little more elbow grease to buff products off compared to the cotton (and especially the cheesecloth). The starting point there is to apply waxes/etc. *VERY* thinly. Polishes shouldn't be much of an issue as I bet you'll quickly get the hang of how much to use and how long to work it.
 
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