Used polish compound on clear coat

[sleepy weasel]

So it was my product and/or applicator that caused the scratches and not my technique? Was it just a matter of using the wrong product for the task at hand? Or possibly the condition of the applicator? I was assuming that something about my technique, i.e. too much pressure, side to side method of application, rush and impatience in not fully working product in, etc., was the cause of the marks on my finish ...

[sleepy weasel]

And would it be correct to say that I should use as much pressure as possible while still being able to move the applicator across the finish? I assume I must use at least some pressure to smooth away the marks that I have previously made, but I imagine being able to exert quite a bit of force while holding the applicator with my palm, and I am fearful of causing more damage.

[Murr1525]

This thread has a pic of what finger marks tend to look like, when you work the applicator with your finger tips, which would be bad technique.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...l=1#post507166

And this one has a pic of using a scothbrite type pad:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...l=1#post105051

So it kind of seems like you are closer to the damage form something being very coarse, either product or applicator.

As far as something being wrong...I would say yes. It can be a little hard to pinpoint exactly just typing without seeing things and working on them, but pointing you to a good applicator that you can get a couple of, and then 2 products that are a mild cleaner and a strong cleaner, we should be able to move in the right direction. None of those 3 items would cause swirls on their own if just used with common sense (work clean, no finger tips, dont put a lot of pressure in one little spot), so that starts to narrow things down and see what might fix it.

Pressure is probably the hardest thing to talk about online. But yeah, you have to be able to move the pad around with some speed, to work the paint, and some pressure. Like if you bog down a machine buffer, you have pressure, but the pad isnt spinning, so nothing is really going to happen. You have to keep the pad moving.

So just for me, while you can think about trying to 'rock the car on its springs' with pressure, it also seems the more pressure I put on a pad by hand, the slower I have to move it, or it starts grabbing, and sliding out of my hand, etc. I would have to go to my finger tips to hold it, which is wrong, so have to back off.

Also keep in mind you can start off gentle, and build up pressure if needed.

[sleepy weasel]

Yes, i see the results of the fingertip application. Luckily, I either wasn't using my fingertips, or not supplying extreme pressure, as I managed to escape the fingertip "cheetah" mottled effect. My marks seem more akin to the second link. Which caused me to reexamine the applicator I used originally. It is not foam. It appears to be either terry cloth or microfiber. I have found some foam applicators in a store near my house, though they are not the Meguiar's ones, which I have not been able to locate yet. And I have purchased some microfiber towels, though once again I was not able to find the Meguiar's ones mentioned.

Once again, thank you for your valuable insight regarding pressure and technique. I think I am gaining a firmer grasp of what needs to be done in the solution process. I think it may take a little trial and error, but I plan on erring on the side of too little pressure, and then checking the results and adjusting accordingly. Armed with the correct tools, I think a situation that I considered bleak and hopeless may be salvaged.

[Murr1525]

Terry cloth is generally a bad sign these days.

I think the Meguiars pads often end up being an online purchase.

Yeah, just do like a 8inch or so square test spot with the mild product, then the strong one. Varying pressure along the way, checking progress. You might also put a tape line down an edge to give you a line to compare with.

[ffboy]

Try using milder pressure while working the product a bit loger instead of going at it once with too much pressure and use foam applicators for correction. With foam applicators, you can get away easier with applying too much pressure since it also cushions any excess pressure.

[k.hall]

I just bought a 2012 Ford Edge with the WHITE PLATINUM TRI-COAT METALLIC paint. When we tried to polish out a scratch on the back bumper that my dog left, we used the above mentioned TW compound. Now it feels different where he rubbed the compound, even though he followed it with a high quality wax. The spot is about the size of a quarter, so it probably is not a big deal, but, since it's new, it just really bugs me. Is there a way to restore the tri-coat paint? Do we use the same products as listed in the above entries? I have never detailed a car before, but I love the way this car looks and would like to try a little of this "therapy" that I am reading about in your forum. But first, I just want to fix this quarter sized spot that does not feel as "slick" as the rest of the car.

[Murr1525]

You dont want to go too crazy on a small spot. Focusing a lot of energy on a small spot is how you go through the clear coat.

But yes, you could try something like the products above, or just ScratchX 2.0 if this is the only thing you will do, and work about a 6" square of an area and see how it goes.

And using a good applicator and towel. If just staying simple, I have had good luck with the Target brand towels.. and then finding a smooth foam applicator. Dont want anyting coarse as noted above...

[Michael Stoops]

Wow, maybe we should create a "sticky" thread on how to fix the issues created by using this competitor's product!

We'd like to reiterate that, technically, there's nothing wrong with the competing products used, they just aren't really the best fit for a modern clear coat finish. We could say the same thing about some of our older products as well, though, and if you hand applied them you probably wouldn't be overly pleased with the results either. But products like our M84 and M85 aren't as readily available as the products used here, so the risk of a consumer finding them and having problems with them is minimal.

That said, for any of the cases cited here, the fix is the same: use an abrasive liquid that won't scour the paint, use an applicator that won't create any haze or fine scratches, and above all use good technique. Ultimate Compound is just such an abrasive liquid, and a foam wax applicator pad is the pad of choice to remove the defects created by the other products. But as has been mentioned, avoiding fingertip pressure points is critical or you end up with that "cheetah spot" effect, even with Ultimate Compound. Again, that's not really the fault of the compound, but a function of poor technique.

[sleepy weasel]

I have been working on correcting my car over the past couple of days, and it is slow going. And a lot of work. I am finding that I have to go over each section twice with Ultimate Compound, and the second time applying nearly as much pressure as I can while still being able to use proper technique. Perhaps I have hard paint. Regardless, I am seeing results. While the hood is not showroom perfect, it is much better than it was; I believe I have corrected most if not all of the damage I had previously inflicted. There are still swirls, which probably existed before i purchased the car. And I think maybe some holograms? (I am not entirely sure what these are) in direct sunlight. The side-to-side scrapes I applied using the Turtle Wax compound and incorrect applicator are gone. For now, the remaining defects will have to wait until I gather my strength for another go at them, or I break down and get a DA, which I am sure would have made this job easier and quicker. I am posting a picture of the trunk taken on my terrible camera phone; hopefully some improvement can be seen given the low quality. Again, thank you to all who posted with helpful suggestions/links/tips; there is a definite and noticeable improvement.