Holograms on the Merc!!

[Mister B]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Looks great. Glad you found the combination of products that works best with that paint.

[CSI K-9]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Wow, that looks great! Just had to get you past "Grrrrrrr" and on to "Great!" So glad it worked out for you! Very nice job!

Many thanks, Shane!

[CSI K-9]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

That's a money shot baby


It would appear as if this car has really soft paint. The 205 seems, maybe too aggressive.

Thanks!!! That's what I was thinking too...super soft paint. Live & learn

[Fly Bye]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!





That's a money shot baby


It would appear as if this car has really soft paint. The 205 seems, maybe too aggressive.

[CieraSL]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Wow, that looks great! Just had to get you past "Grrrrrrr" and on to "Great!" So glad it worked out for you! Very nice job!

[CSI K-9]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

I took Shane's advice and ordered some Menzerna PO85RD and some gray LC pads for the micro marring I was having some trouble with. Remember, I had tried M205 again, Swirl X, Color X and some M07 and it got better, but didn't take the marring away completely.

Now that I remember, even though I did M105/M205 on the top of the car, below the trim I did only M205 because there weren't many defects and it still micro marred. I love M205, but I think the M205 is just a bit much for the paint and I think this car has some very soft, sensitive paint.

Today I finally was able to get out (better weather/sun) and do some polishing with the Menzerna and I was very pleased. I think the Menzerna/LC gray pad was just the gentle touch the car needed.

This was the micro marring prior to the PO85RD:



The left half done with Menzerna, right half not touched yet:


Door finished:


There's the guy I'm doing this for (my Dad! )


Half n' half shot of the hood:


Another half n' half of the hood:


PERFECT!!!! ('scuse my dust...)


And there she is all done!



Shane ~ I'm in debt to you!!! Thank you VERY, VERY much for your recommendation. As you can see, it worked out wonderfully!

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions!!

[CSI K-9]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

That's why we're here. Hope I've helped you in some way, and I hope you can get your car to where you want it. Don't forget to share some follow-up pictures with us.

Thanks a bunch Shane for your time answering my questions. I've done some reading on the Menzerna and I think I'm going to order me some! I will certainly share pics when I'm done!

[CSI K-9]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Or maybe even M105 on a finishing pad? Hey, you never now?

When I originally did the car, I started with M105 and it hazed quite a bit, so I'm not sure I'd go that route.

[CSI K-9]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Have you tried going over these areas with SwirlX on either a polishing or finishing pad? It has a bit more cut than M205 and it might just do the trick.

I did, along with Color X and M07.

I went out today and tried some Swirl X (x2), with a 2.0 finishing and also a polishing pad, speed 2 and 3, and even 4 and 5. I tried Color X and some M07 (all on different sections). I ended up going over the whole trunk with Swirl X twice with light to medium pressure on the polisher. While the holograms are greatly reduced, they are still visible.....

[CieraSL]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Thanks again Shane

I was doing some reading on the PO85rd. Just curious as to what the difference is and what the advantage is over M205 in my situation. Is it that you think maybe the M205 isn't strong enough, or just the opposite?

On the Meguiar's scale of 1-12, M205 rates a 4. On the Menzerna scale of 1-5, PO85rd rates a 1. So I think they are close in cut but I think PO85rd is perhaps a bit less aggressive.

And the LC pads in comparison with Meg's pads - softer? more aggressive? Again, just curious. I know nothing about Menzerna or LC.

See this thread for comparison: Lake Country vs. Meguiar's Pad Compo Chart. You can read here to see some of the benefits of CCS pads (vs. flat pads). M105 cleared up my original swirls and scratches beautifully on a flat polishing pad (minus some etch marks and RIDS). However, I couldn't get my paint to respond to a less aggressive polish (M205 and Optimum Finish) on either a Meg's flat polishing pad or finishing pad to clear up the micro marring, so I had to move to a slightly less aggressive product and a pad that gave me a longer working time. Then I was able to get the results I was after. This is where you really get the benefit of a test spot. After trying M205 and Optimum Finish on a panel or two and seeing that I wasn't getting the results I was after, I stopped, and didn't do anything else until getting PO85rd and my gray pads. That on speed 5 gave me what I wanted. I tried speed 4 first and then bumped it up to 5. So do your test spot and proceed from there. That's why I have different kinds of polishes and pads - we have 5 cars total (6 counting my sister's car) - 4 Hondas and my Olds. Each car and paint is different, so I have to be prepared to deal with each one separately.

I'm trying to learn exactly what the problem is, so next time I will know exactly which route to take. I have a black 2010 Tahoe to do next...granted, I'll most likely use Swirl X because it's no where near as bad as the Merc was, just some DISO's

Again, do your test spot first before doing the whole thing, especially an SUV the size of a Tahoe. Find out what the paint best responds to, then repeat that process over the rest of the vehicle.

Well, it is a polisher, isn't it?? Don't worry, mine looks the same...especially after all the work today!

Yes, I've followed your detailing work and the work you've done on your car and I must say it's quite impressive. (I'm a big follower of you and Tuck91..) Now, let me ask you, did you even remotely have ANY micro marring present after the PO85rd and prior to the sealant and LSP? Did your car only require one application of the PO85rd, or several? Had you tried the M205 prior to the PO85rd?

Thank you for the compliment. No, I had absolutely no micro marring present after the PO85rd. I was using a Fenix P3D LED flashlight to check my work, and I viewed each panel at different angles under the light and I couldn't find any leftover marring. I had tried M205 prior on both a Meg's polishing pad and finishing pad. On my car, I just worked the PO85rd in for a minute or two on small sections, making several section passes. You'll have to see how long you need to work it in to get results. The nice thing is it has great working time, so that will help save product as well.

Does anyone think that I went overboard by using the M105/M205 method? I did try Swirl X (by hand) and NXT 2.0 prior to using the polisher and it did next to nothing. I had some deep scratches on the front fenders and water etchings all over the car before I began. Is this micro marring something you ultimately have to do in order to do a proper paint correction, or simply a mistake on my end?

No, I don't think you went overboard at all. In fact, that was going to be my process - M105 followed by M205. That changed after I couldn't get the results I was after with M205. Whether or not you get micro marring and how you deal with it is dependent on the machine, pads, products, and the hardness and color of the paint. You may or not get micro marring when polishing. If you get it on a black car, obviously you're going to see it all the time so you want to fix it. If you get it on a white or silver car, it may not even show up under sunlight or artificial light, or if it does probably not to the extent where it's going to matter if it's fixed or not, so you could potentially just leave it. My point is, this is your car. You have to be the one who decides what you can and can't live with. Get it to where you want it, and then use the proper products, tools, and techniques to keep it looking that way. That's the great thing about detailing - you can tailor just about everything to fit you and your needs.

Sorry for all the questions, but all this just has me curious. Thanks again for your help!

Is there anyone else that has had this type of issue, and what did you do to correct it?

That's why we're here. Hope I've helped you in some way, and I hope you can get your car to where you want it. Don't forget to share some follow-up pictures with us.

[Mister B]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Or maybe even M105 on a finishing pad? Hey, you never now?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Have you tried going over these areas with SwirlX on either a polishing or finishing pad? It has a bit more cut than M205 and it might just do the trick.

[CSI K-9]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Thanks again Shane

I was doing some reading on the PO85rd. Just curious as to what the difference is and what the advantage is over M205 in my situation. Is it that you think maybe the M205 isn't strong enough, or just the opposite?

And the LC pads in comparison with Meg's pads - softer? more aggressive? Again, just curious. I know nothing about Menzerna or LC.

I'm trying to learn exactly what the problem is, so next time I will know exactly which route to take. I have a black 2010 Tahoe to do next...granted, I'll most likely use Swirl X because it's no where near as bad as the Merc was, just some DISO's

Pardon the polishing dust on the polisher

Well, it is a polisher, isn't it?? Don't worry, mine looks the same...especially after all the work today!

Yes, I've followed your detailing work and the work you've done on your car and I must say it's quite impressive. (I'm a big follower of you and Tuck91..) Now, let me ask you, did you even remotely have ANY micro marring present after the PO85rd and prior to the sealant and LSP? Did your car only require one application of the PO85rd, or several? Had you tried the M205 prior to the PO85rd?

Does anyone think that I went overboard by using the M105/M205 method? I did try Swirl X (by hand) and NXT 2.0 prior to using the polisher and it did next to nothing. I had some deep scratches on the front fenders and water etchings all over the car before I began. Is this micro marring something you ultimately have to do in order to do a proper paint correction, or simply a mistake on my end?

Sorry for all the questions, but all this just has me curious. Thanks again for your help!

Is there anyone else that has had this type of issue, and what did you do to correct it?

[CieraSL]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

BTW, after using M105 on a Soft Buff 2.0 polishing pad and PO85rd on a 6.5 inch gray LC CCS pad, and I applied my sealant and LSP, this is the kind of finish I got:

[CieraSL]

Re: Holograms on the Merc!!

Eeek! Yeah, that's micro marring from M105. I kinda doubt that's from M205. That's what I was dealing with, although not quite that bad. PO85rd has good working time, so you can work it until the marring is removed. I didn't have any problems with it dusting either. I would get two gray pads though instead of one - I only wound up needing two, and that was cleaning the pad with a toothbrush every so often. By the way, you don't have to buy another backing plate for the 6.5 inch LC pads if you don't want to. Here's a gray pad on the backing plate that came with the G110v2:





Pardon the polishing dust on the polisher. Given, it would probably be better if you had a bit smaller backing plate so there would be more of a safety margin between the edge of the pad and the edge of the backing plate, but the pad is thick enough that unless you're just going crazy and not paying attention it shouldn't be a problem.