UC - Great colour but still lots of scratches

[76Celica]

I just bought a DA220. I have a repainted 1976 Toyota Celica and am trying to get rid of the scratches. They are not deep and are not affected by a fingernail. I am running the DA at 5speed and making several passes with the UC. I am using a soft foam 2.0 cutting pad. It is barely moving the scratches at all. Where am I going wrong? I am in Australia so the choices of compounds etc are extremely limited.

[Murr1525]

Re: UC - Great colour but still lots of scratches

Pics of the surface could help.

Are you certain that you are not removing scratches? If you look closely when using it, you are not 'moving' the swirls around, causing new swirls, marring etc?

What happens if you do a test spot by hand?

[76Celica]

Re: UC - Great colour but still lots of scratches

It's dark here now. I have a test light to get the pics. Would that work or should I wait until morning to take pics?
Not sure if I am causing more problems as I didn't notice nearly as many scratches before I started.
Will do a test spot at first light.
Thanks for questions!

[Murr1525]

Re: UC - Great colour but still lots of scratches

Whatever gives the best lighting, not like your thread, or the swirls, are going anywhere...

You are using a very strong combo, and repaints are often softer that normal. You may be causing more problems, and the combo may be too strong.

So try something gentler, like working by hand, milder products, etc.

[76Celica]

Re: UC - Great colour but still lots of scratches

I went and took some pics and tried a different pad. Looks like a harsher pad works well on the backend of the car. Still having problems with the bonnet. If is like the scratches are underneath the clearcoat? Haven't tried the 'lighter' option yet.



Looks ok under full light.



One of many scratches in different angle of light.



More scratches.



Another one.



With the wrong pad.



Better with another heavier pad second time round.

[Murr1525]

Re: UC - Great colour but still lots of scratches

Hmm... yeah, those are too isolated to be from the DA, and you are not causing any marring it seems. So lighter isnt the answer. You would have more of them all over if the DA was causing them. So thats good. They could be tracers from a bad wetsanding job, and could be pretty deep.

Under the clear is possible being a repaint. Did you have it done, or bought it done? They certainly look like you would feel them a hair, esp those side ones. Not going to be able to tell where they are from a pic I dont think.

Dont want to tell you to go super agressive without a paint thickness guage, and that sort of thing. You could try applying by hand with foam pad or terry.... it may allow you to focus more energy right on the scratch than the DA will allow.

[76Celica]

Re: UC - Great colour but still lots of scratches

Well it's good that I am not causing more problems! I bought the car about a year ago and I presume whom ever did the paint job roughed her up a little. I will try by hand to see how she responds tomorrow.
Thanks a lot for your help!

[Michael Stoops]

Re: UC - Great colour but still lots of scratches

No, those are definitely NOT from anything you're doing. Even with horrible housekeeping you'd never see a DA polishing inflicting straight line scratches.

What's a bit disconcerting is that some of those scratches seem to be showing white, which generally means you're into the primer but you mention that you can't feel them. Perhaps it's just the light and the angle then.

Make sure you're applying a good bit of pressure to the pad, almost enough to stop the pad from rotating, but not quite. And don't move quickly over them either, you need a bit of dwell time as it were to let the product work.