Polishes & pads for soft, extra soft, very soft, super soft, ultra soft paint

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ZoranC

New member
There has been a number of discussions on what to use for very hard clears / paints. However, I don't remember a single one on what polishes and pads are best fit for soft, extra soft, very soft, super soft, ultra soft (you get the idea) clears and paints, and it was a soft clear that was kicking me upside down this weekend.



So, contributions to this subject would be highly appreciated.
 
When I had a fresh repaint that was incredibly soft (ist was RM brand b/c, maybe a week old...#80 marred it something *awful* and #9 wasn't strong enough to correct it) I used Griot's Machine Polish #3 of all things! It was the only thing I had that would correct that paint without marring it. I used it with a finishing pad.
 
Danny318 said:
What happened with the soft clear this weekend?
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I know that my experience still has a long way to go, but as things stand right now it seems BF SRC FP and Danase 5" white CCS pads were still leaving swirls here and there. I was working in shade (under canopy) and car was not hot but day was hot so I thought that could be contributing factor ("Menzerna" is meant for shop environment), that I need polish like M80, but M80 was even worse. I completed car with BF SRC FP but now I want to learn the lesson for next time.
 
Accumulator said:
When I had a fresh repaint that was incredibly soft (ist was RM brand b/c, maybe a week old...#80 marred it something *awful* and #9 wasn't strong enough to correct it) I used Griot's Machine Polish #3 of all things! It was the only thing I had that would correct that paint without marring it. I used it with a finishing pad.
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Accumulator, thank you for the valuable pointer. Do I remember correctly you were suggesting 1Z MP PRO for soft paints? If yes is PRO version same as consumer one or they are different?
 
Polishing isn't an exact science. You have to experiement to see what works best with what you are dealing with. That is the exact same advice I just read in a foam pad kit that I got from Autogeek. The important thing is to check your work frequently. I have a pair of 500 watt halogen lamps that I use to check my progress. Don't go to the next panel unless you are satisfied with the work you have done on the one before. You shouldn't be getting done with the car and then realizing that you haven't made nay progress. If what you are doing isn't working, or if it is making matters worse, then you need to find that out sooner rather than later. If the pad and polish combo that you are using isn't working, then change it up and see what works better. There are just an infinate number of combinations to work with and it isn't a question that anybody is going to be able to answer for you. All we can do is tell you what has worked under entirely different circumstances from what you are working with. No two jobs are the same even though the same process might work well for multiple jobs. Sound confusing? Like I said... it's not an exact science. :)
 
ZoranC said:
Accumulator, thank you for the valuable pointer. Do I remember correctly you were suggesting 1Z MP PRO for soft paints? If yes is PRO version same as consumer one or they are different?
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The differences between the Pro-Line MP and the consumer stuff are a) Pro has a little more cut and b) Consumer has more wax (carnauba as well as the sythetic that's in the Pro).



Another option would be their WaxPolishSoft.



Note that these 1Z polishes leave stuff behind that could do some concealing.
 
The super soft stuff for *me* simply doesn't work using a DA polisher. They all seem to leave the little "hook" in the paint from the pad action. Oddly enough, the rotary was the answer. Nice finishing polish, rotary and that white pad should take care of you.
 
SpoiledMan said:
The super soft stuff for *me* simply doesn't work using a DA polisher. They all seem to leave the little "hook" in the paint from the pad action..
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Yeah, I've heard that and it might be a real PIA for people with just a PC. It doesn't seem to be a problem with the Cyclo, at least with the products I've used.
 
Accumulator, I'm talking paint so soft (jet black Bimmers) that if you simply apply light pressure with your finger you have to polish away the marring that will remain. That stuff is unforgivingly soft.
 
My black 39 Ford has soft soft paint I use RMG. If I need a little more cut I will mix VM and RMG or maybe YM and VM. I also use my PC and Blue or Black pad. I also can use 85rd on white or blue and reduce the amount of pressure to just the weight of the machine for the final passes.
 
SpoiledMan said:
Accumulator, I'm talking paint so soft (jet black Bimmers) that if you simply apply light pressure with your finger you have to polish away the marring that will remain. That stuff is unforgivingly soft.
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You are talking about newer ones right? My jet black '03 has really hard clear.
 
SpoiledMan said:
Accumulator, I'm talking paint so soft (jet black Bimmers) that if you simply apply light pressure with your finger you have to polish away the marring that will remain. That stuff is unforgivingly soft.
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Guess I didn't realize it was *that* soft. My heart goes out to you pros who have to deal with such [nonsense], if I had a car that was that soft I'd simply get rid of it; it'd drive me nuts.



Sounds like BMW went from one extreme to the other, sorta like they did with some other aspects of their cars (the same company that sold the original M3 now installing i-drive in everything).



DennisH- the Clearkote stuff is a good idea. I didn't try it on the soft-paint issue I mentioned because I only had VM on hand and it was too soon to put a "wax" on it.
 
Funny, just as I was typing, I had a customer call me with a new 3 series with problem soft paint. He said a qd is smearing and marring the paint.:nervous2: I will be doing that Saturday doing a full correction and I will post up that job.
 
Jngrbrdman said:
Polishing isn't an exact science. You have to experiement to see what works best with what you are dealing with. ...
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Yes, I agree. Please notice I wasn't looking for solution. I was looking on recommandation of polishes and pads that I should get to experiment with. You can not experiment with something suitable for soft paints when you do not have polishes that would be suitable for soft paints, you need to get them first.



Which ones would be good fit for such purpose in your opinion?
 
Accumulator said:
Yeah, I've heard that and it might be a real PIA for people with just a PC. It doesn't seem to be a problem with the Cyclo, at least with the products I've used.
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I wasn't getting hooks, it was more like small line here and small line there. Funny thing is I switched from PC (well, UDM) to Cyclo with white Cyclo pads and results were bit better but still no complete success.
 
My '05 Subaru Legacy GT had the softest paint I've ever worked on. Poorboy's SSR2 followed with SSR1 on a blue Edge 2000 pad always did the trick.
 
This might not be a popular view here, but I like something with some filling for super-soft clears. Why spend an extra hour or two polishing with an oil-less polish when the marring is going to be re-introduced before the fillers even get a chance to wear off?



I quite like 1Z MP for soft paints, VM does a pretty good job too, as does M66. Meguiar's #66 is actually a real gem for super soft paints - it's saved me pretty good before. Make sure to use it with a DA on the soft ones - it'll fill enough to hide its own holograms if you use a rotary.
 
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