Advice on removing scratches / swirls

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Advice on removing scratches / swirls

Be sure to re-read through this and make sure you're not making any of the very common mistakes people new to machine cleaning often make.


How To use: G110 - G220 - G100 - PC/Porter Cable - UDM
If you're moving up to machine polishing, be sure to read the below thread before starting...
Tips & Techniques for using the G110, G100, G220 and the PC Dual Action Polisher
(These are all similar tools)

[swamper8]

Re: Advice on removing scratches / swirls

Well, I don't appear to be doing anything wrong. I did thouroughly read that article before I started, I didn't want to make any rookie mistakes. I worked only a small area with overlapping passes. I used speed setting 5 as well. Almost all of the hood and fenders came out excellent, so I'm not thinking my technique is off. I just think some of the scratches on my car are too deep. It's a severely abused finish. I will try and take some pictures to illustrate.

Beyond that, what is the next more aggressive step? Last night I tried applying UC by hand, 3 - 4 applications and that didn't appear to do anything to the deeper scratches. I then went to 5-6 applications of scratchX (by hand) and that also doesn't appear to have done anything!

So, I guess I need to know where to go from here. Apparently I need to go more aggressive. I don't know if that means a rotary buffer and a cutting pad (suggestions welcome) or possibly there's another compound I can apply by hand to see if the results are better.

I've already watched paintucation's color sanding/buffing video but definitely do not want to go that aggressive unless I absolutely have to!

[xantonin]

Re: Advice on removing scratches / swirls

swamper8, are these single scratches or series of them?

Maybe wet sanding is the way to go. I'm not sure. I trust myself more with sand paper than I do with a rotary buffer haha.

Got any pictures?

[swamper8]

Re: Advice on removing scratches / swirls

I will work on the pictures, it may take a day or so. The scratches will catch my nail though so they have some depth to them.

I had thought that if I color sanded, maybe 1500/2000 or 1000/1500/2000, wouldn't I then need to use a rotary buffer anyway to get the sanding marks out? I thought I had read that you really can't get sanding marks out with a DA, I would need the rotary buffer intermediate step regardless....... I think it was a Meguiars youtube video actually.

But I wonder if my final wet sand was something ridiculous like 2500 or 3000 grit, could I then go directly to my DA...

[xantonin]

Re: Advice on removing scratches / swirls

When you were using the compound by hand, where you going across the scratch, not with it?

Either way, regarding sanding, you want to always finish with the highest grit, so 3,000 is recommended to finish. I've heard people having problems removing 1,000 grit. Some refuse to even start with 1,000 and will just keep working from 2,000 or above.

But really if the scratches are that deep they may be down to the base coat?

[swamper8]

Re: Advice on removing scratches / swirls

When I worked on the scratch by hand I was going in circular motions across the scratch. I then moved to back and forth across the scratch. Never with the scratch. I then moved to what I thought were less severe scratches and did the same thing. Those came out a little better, but not much. It took at least 5 applications before I even began to see a change.

In regards to the color sanding, if you finish with 3000 grit, what is the next step after that? could I go to a DA with ultimate compound like I was doing?

Seems my Nissan has a pretty hard clear coat. I just wish I knew if it was on the thin side or not. I'm not sure how to determine if a scratch is through to the base coat, how do I determine that?