Very Worried

[roaringlion]

Im about to go dive into the deep end and go the whole hog and do a absalute full detail on the exterior on my car (previously only used soft wash gel/paint cleaner (only the once) and wet-look) and im worried about using ScratchX since ive read a few posts saying its a difficult product to apply properly and the directions on the back of the product can be mislleading etc, can someone help me out and clear it up please, im currently using on a weekly basis

soft wash gel
wet-look polymer sealant

with good results but i have swirl marks and some oxidiation/fading, im wanting to step it up and go

soft wash gel
clay
scratch x
wet-look poylmer (hopefuly thats the order it should be)

Also ive read that you dont wipe of the product with a polish cloth, just work it into the paint? does that damage the paint in anyway? what kind of hand technique should i use? can i use a cirular motion of straight back and forth? and can i get 1 tube of scratch x to last the whole car? (its a 2door coupe)

All the help is much appriciated

[dom0brien]

If you follow mikes directions for using scratchX then you will have no worries and worst case you wont improve the swirls and with clean cloths ScratchX is not harsh enough to do real damage.

Hope this link works

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7011

Hope this helps, let us know if you need more help!

[LiquidBlack]

Check your User CP's at the top.

[Godiva]

Re: Very Worried

Originally posted by roaringlion

Also ive read that you dont wipe of the product with a polish cloth, just work it into the paint? does that damage the paint in anyway? what kind of hand technique should i use? can i use a cirular motion of straight back and forth? and can i get 1 tube of scratch x to last the whole car? (its a 2door coupe)

All the help is much appriciated

Use one of the soft, round yellow sponge Meguiar's applicator pads. Put an "X" of Scratch-X on it and rub it in a small spot, maybe 6" x 6" or 8" x 8". Circular or back and forth doesn't matter. As soon as it seems to liquify, take it off with a microfiber towel. Don't let it dry. Repeat two or three times. AS the microfiver cloth gets clogged with product, refold to a clean spot.

Afterwards, spray with detailer and wipe with a different microfiber towel.

If you don't get good results, you may need to move up to #80 or #83.

The important part is not to let Scratch-X dry on the car. If you do.....apply more Scratch-X to the dried product until they are all liquified and then wipe it all off. Then clean up with detailer.

[LiquidBlack]

We should stress that it is important to work the product in.

I usually smear my product around the area, then work it in up and down motions until the product's diminishing abraisives have broken down.

[Michael Stoops]

I would think your biggest worry, in all seriousness, is how tired and sore you will be if you attempt to de-swirl your car by hand using any product, not just ScratchX. Don't get me wrong, ScratchX is a great product, it's just that doing an entire car by hand can be a real bugger. You might want to spread this project out over several days so that you don't wear yourself out 1/3 of the way through and do an inferior job on the remaining panels.

Just looking out for your best interests!!!

[LAfirefytr]

X??

I have recently used Scratch X on my Nissan Titan. I was sceptical to say the least before I tried it. I had light "surface" scratches all the way down both sides of my truck from small limbs and bushes scrapping my truck. I used X and it removed almost all of these scratches. I still have some deeper ones along w/ swirl marks that previous owner donated to the paint job before he traded it in that I will be tackling w/ 83 and 80 along w/ a G100 next weekend. I was very impressed w/ X and what I was able to accomplish w/ it.
You need to understand though, that it is WORK! It requires "PASSION" behind it. If you are willing to work w/ it, it will work for you. I spread the job over 2 1/2 days because my arm,shoulder, and back were killing me after each session! I simply did about 1/3 of my truck each day. I was dedicated to making it happen though. The tube will be more than enough to do your car as I did my truck and have plenty left over.
I used an applicator like you would use to put on wax ( Meguiars round yellow foam) and made sure I spread the product out over a small area first ( 8"x8") and then proceeded to work it in. You have to spread it out b/c it is a diminishing abrasive and if you put in on in 1 spot and begin to work it in, I will be broken down when you start to move over to a new area. I would work it in until it there was a small film left (not dried though) and I would apply more new product to film and work in more product (2-3 coats) then I would wipe off to see results. This process worked well for me. I would use the entire pad to spread product out, but when I was actually working product in to remove scratches/swirls I used the very outer edge of the pad and it was very effective. Good luck. When/If you can, a G100 DA is the way to go in the long run to keep you vehicle in tip top shape externally!!!!

[roaringlion]

Thing is i only have 2 days off from work a week so i cant really spread it out, i know what you all mean when it comes to tiring you out, what if i

Day 1
wash
clay

Day 2
scratch x
wet-look polish

would that work?

I have both of mikes posts about using scratch x and removing swirls by hand, its just that there were alot of confusing posts that the directions are misleading on the mack of the tube etc, just wanted to be clear on what to do and what to expect, as im still very new to all this also i think mike and murr are alittle perved at me with all these siilly questions

[Michael Stoops]

Originally posted by roaringlion
Thing is i only have 2 days off from work a week so i cant really spread it out, i know what you all mean when it comes to tiring you out, what if i

Day 1
wash
clay

Day 2
scratch x
wet-look polish

would that work?

I would recommend that you at least start the ScratchX on day 1 rather than attempt to do it all in one day. The wash and clay are a piece of cake. Get as much done as you can on day one, then go over the remainder of the car on day two with a QD spray first, then pick up where you left off with the ScratchX.

[LAfirefytr]

If it were me, I would : Day 1- wash, dry, clay, start scratch X.....Do as much as possible, get to a stopping/"tired" point.
Day 2- finish Scratch X, apply Quick Detail Spray on car, wipe off. Your DONE
Some areas will not be as difficult because they may not be in as bad of shape as other areas. I would switch hands quite often. I would even use both hands at the same time, alternating between left hand on bottom, then right on bottom. I was able to do a good bit each time because I was seeing results and that motivated me. I was doing 2 and 3 coats on each area too so I was working EXTRA. UCANDOIT--------

[roaringlion]

Originally posted by Mike-in-Orange
I would recommend that you at least start the ScratchX on day 1 rather than attempt to do it all in one day. The wash and clay are a piece of cake. Get as much done as you can on day one, then go over the remainder of the car on day two with a QD spray first, then pick up where you left off with the ScratchX.

Is it nessesary to use a QD

[LAfirefytr]

QD

The QD is going to clean up the car before you begin Xing between day 1 and 2. You don't want any dirt, dust, contaminents getting between the X and the paint. If you finish Xing Day1 at like dark and don't go anywhere in the car and it is in the garage overnight, you may not have to QD before Day 2 X. I always QD after the final X just to clean up any I may have missed.

[roaringlion]

This is going to end up costing me big $ as i dont have many polish cloths and the products over here a rather pricey

[LAfirefytr]

I used 2 applicators (foam) and 2 MicroFiber towels (13.5" x 13.5") for the X application, so it should be that much.
You would need 1-2 MF cloths for the QD and the QD isn't that much. As a matter of fact, I got the quick clay kit that came with a bottle of QD (which you need to clay) and a MF cloth (13 x 13)

[roaringlion]

All up it wil cost me

$19 scratch x
$34 Clay
$20 for 2 polish towels
$4 for 2 applicators