fins&chrome said:
So, just to make sure I got this straight. On my SSpaint I would start off with 1) M-80, then follow this with either M-205 or M-09. Right?
Correct.
It could be that after the M80 the paint will look so nice that you can go straight to your choice of LSP.
If you don’t already have a Brinkman Xenon Light you might consider getting one. This flashlight will expose swirls and things like micro-marring to your eyes better than normal garage lighting. It’s a handy tool for checking your results to make sure you’re getting the results you want so you don’t waste your time. It’s also a handy flashlight to have around the house.
Last time I was in Pep Boys the had the exact Brinkman Flashlight you want to get for around $30.00
Here's what you're looking for...
Be wary... the
Xenon Flashlight aka
The Swirl Finder... is a
Cruel Master
fins&chrome said:
What about M-82 after M-80 —*or is M-205 still the better choice as a follow up?
Again, M80 might finish down really nice on your car’s paint system and you won’t need to do second polishing step but you won’t know until you do a little testing and then inspecting in good light. On softer paints, the M80 can leave some very light micro-marring or tick marks. Applying a wax over them will conceal them and for some people that’s okay, for others they want perfection before applying a wax or paint sealant so that’s a choice you’ll have to make and the Brinkman will help you to see what’s taking place at the surface level.
If you do see some micro-marring then following M80 with a less aggressive product and pad will remove it. M82, M09, M205 could all work but again, you won’t know until you go out into the garage and do a Test Spot.
Originally posted here,
How to do a Test Spot
Before going over the entire car, see if you can make just one small section look good, that is apply the product you're planning on using over the entire car to just one small section about a foot squared or so. Work it in and then wipe it off, then apply the polish, work it in but not as much as the compound because now you're not trying to remove paint, just spread the product out, then immediately wipe it off, then apply the wax and let it fully dry and then wipe it off.
Now inspect our results. Make sure you can make one small section look
GREAT before going over then entire car. If you can't make one small section look GREAT you won't be able to make the entire car look GREAT.
Make sense?
It should look like this,
And if you're having any problems, the post back here after the test section and we'll help you tweak your technique to insure you get it right.
fins&chrome said:
Second question...and perhaps a most important one: What will I see after my first pass of M-80? Just want to be forewarned so I don’t panic. Will it be hazy?
“D-hazed“ and confused!
Thx.
Depends upon how much oxidation you have but single stage paints after your choice of pad and the diminishing abrasives chew off all the dead paint and expose a fresh base the polishing oils will gorge the paint and bring out the full richness of color. You'll be happy.
scary bill said:
As long as you work the polish correctly, ie-slow overlapping passes until polish goes clear- then the paint may look quite nice.
Just don't buff to a dry buff. When you buff to a dry buff you lose lubrication and friction increases and you could start to mar the finish.
Usually with M80 you want to work a section about 2 feet squared or less, (never larger when removing oxidation), and then make anywhere from 4 to 6 pases. A pass in this context means going over the section you're working with overlapping passes one time. So 4-6 passes would mean going over this section 4-6 times if that makes sense. You always want to see a wet film on the surface as you're working the product. If the paint becomes dry and shiny as you're buffing you've buffed too long.
Sure would be fun to help you with you and show you this all first hand as it's a lot easier than most people think and just a little hands-on training goes a long way to reduce the learning curve.
Also, as you finish one section, be sure to overlap into this section a little when you move onto a new section so you don't have strips of paint between sections that didn't get as much attention as this can show up as a splotchy tiger stripe effect. So overlap your sections a little. The goal with any paint correction process no matter what kind of paint, products or tools is UMR
UMR = Uniform Material Removal
scary bill said:
If the paint is on the softer side then you will probably see some small light tick marks all over the paint, it will look slightly hazy under certain lighting as well.
If it is hazy, never fear. It would just mean that you need to follow up with a less aggressive polish and/or pad.
Correctamundo...
scary bill said:
After the M80, M82 or M09 ( 205? too)) would both work OK on a finishing pad to add more gloss/clarity to the finish.
M80 doesn't usually finish down very well with a soft finishing pad, stick with a polishing pad and if you find you need a second step then switch to a softer finishing pad with your next step product. A cleaner/wax like ColorX also works well with a finishing pad to remove the tick marks. The question some will ask or challenge is, won't the wax in the cleaner/wax fill or mask the micro-marring or tick marks instead of removing them and yes of course that's possible but correctly used, key word here being correctly, the cleaner/wax will remove the tick marks and then leave a protective coating. Just a different way to reach the same goal. If you're into perfection then opt for a less aggressive polish and create a show car finish with polishing and wait to apply your protection product after you've polished the paint to perfection.
scary bill said:
On SS paint M09-->M07--M26(paste wax) is wonderful. I had a 1970 Mustang that was a S orange and that combo was what got me into detailing today.
M09 is a very light cleaner/polish but also for light oxidation a very effective cleaner/polish and it will work really good on single stage paints. You can increase the cut or decrease the cut by using different pads too.
M07 has been around since probably the mid-1920's and I've been told the formula has been unchanged all these years. M26 has been around since the mid-1980's and is very popular for single stage paints and clear coats.
With a car as big as a 1957 Chevy, you might want to just tackle a panel a day otherwise you might get burnt out. That's a lot of real-estate to restore, tackling just a panel a day or a couple of panels, (like a door and the hood), and working all the way through the process is very doable in one day and will give you the encouragement to stick with the project over the course a few weekends.
Pro detailers have to do everything in a day or two and that's a lot of work by yourself.
).
