Does ScratchX have fillers?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

[Patman]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

Great testimonial based upon your real-world experience, maybe copy and paste this to create your own dedicated thread?

Sometimes a post like this is worthy of being it's own thread as it can get kind of buried in a thread.

I'll do it right now Mike!

I put it in the Dual Action Polisher section, hopefully that's a good spot for the topic! (if not, could you move it to the most appropriate section Mike?)

[tcb 57]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

After washing my car on the weekend, i noticed a neighbours cat has climbed across the bonnet ( hood ) and left heavy scratches !!!


Gave the car, in total, three applications of Meg. Scratch X .


Each application, the scratches became less noticeable,...until completely gone.


After the last buff, finished off car with NXT Wax. back to new.


Now, I'm going to go kill the cat !!

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

I am a HUGE fan of Scratch-X! I've got a black Corvette, and my usual method of removing swirls and light scratches with my DA has been to use either #83 or #80 first (depending on the severity of the area) then following it with #9 to get rid of any micro-marring, then finishing it off with my LSP (I'm now using NXT 2.0, but last year I was using #21)

But on the advice of another black Corvette owner, he told me to try out Scratch-X with my DA instead and it does a fantastic job! The Corvette's clear coat is pretty hard, so usually one pass with any product doesn't do much, but when I make one pass over the car with Scratch-X (on my UDM set to speed 5, with a white LC polishing pad) it makes a major improvement in my finish! And not only that, but it leaves the finish shiny with no micro-marring, so I don't need to do anything except go straight to my LSP! I also love how easy Scratch-X buffs off, it saves me a lot of time! I can now get better results in 90 minutes (including putting on the LSP!) than I used to get in three hours!

So if you guys haven't tried using Scratch-X over your entire finish with a DA yet, I urge you to give it a try, this stuff works like a charm!

Great testimonial based upon your real-world experience, maybe copy and paste this to create your own dedicated thread?

Sometimes a post like this is worthy of being it's own thread as it can get kind of buried in a thread.

[Patman]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

I am a HUGE fan of Scratch-X! I've got a black Corvette, and my usual method of removing swirls and light scratches with my DA has been to use either #83 or #80 first (depending on the severity of the area) then following it with #9 to get rid of any micromarring, then finishing it off with my LSP (I'm now using NXT 2.0, but last year I was using #21)

But on the advice of another black Corvette owner, he told me to try out Scratch-X with my DA instead and it does a fantastic job! The Corvette's clear coat is pretty hard, so usually one pass with any product doesn't do much, but when I make one pass over the car with Scratch-X (on my UDM set to speed 5, with a white LC polishing pad) it makes a major improvement in my finish! And not only that, but it leaves the finish shiny with no micromarring, so I don't need to do anything except go straight to my LSP! I also love how easy Scratch-X buffs off, it saves me a lot of time! I can now get better results in 90 minutes (including putting on the LSP!) than I used to get in three hours!

So if you guys haven't tried using Scratch-X over your entire finish with a DA yet, I urge you to give it a try, this stuff works like a charm!

[V8Caprice]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

Note that I was polishing white paint, and a pro detailer told me it was single stage. (it looked single stage to me too) Apparently white paint is very hard paint, and so it is very difficult to polish. (however, he cleaned up my mess very quickly with a rotary, as I said) I have a clearcoated car now and I might give the ScratchX another go out of curiousity. However, I also now have a rotary polisher and I want to spend most of my time learning how to use it!

Greg.

[Jossy92]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

I've briefly tried ScratchX myself.... I polished a tiny little area....

Thanks for that info. I have been doing a foot square area. I need to switch to "tiny" as it is too much work given the results and so I need to focus that energy on a smaller area to first perfect the technique for my situation.

Also, I used a terry pad thinking it would help, but, it just absorbs the product and masks the "feel". I think.

p.s Just btw, this thread wasn't "my post", if that's what you meant - I didn't start it.

I realized that when it was too late. Hoped no one would notice. But then.......

that's what detailers do. duh

[Thriller]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

Hi gang. I certainly don't have the answers, but I see words being tossed around, perhaps not entirely as intended. The Socratic method starts out by defining your terms. It is something I've struggled with a bit, but we need to distinguish between words like cleaner, polish, wax (or LSP if you'd prefer).

As I understand it, ScratchX falls under the category or cleaner. With the Meguiar's 5 step system of paint beautification / protection - http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...ead.php?t=2409 - are you not skipping a step by going directly to a LSP after ScratchX? I'm not saying it is wrong (so long as you don't harm your paint, you aren't doing anything wrong), but you may see better results incorporating a polishing step as well.

I'm far from an expert with ScratchX, but my thought on using it on a car is to use ScratchX on the worst / most visible defects by hand, then use another cleaner (Fine Cut Cleaner as one example) to work the rest of the car, then a polish, followed by wax / LSP. Mind you, my perspective is working on my Buicks...they are large cars and if I attempted to do the entire car with ScratchX, it would take me a week and I'd never move my arm again.

I hope this has been helpful, rather than muddying the waters further.

[Tim Lingor]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

Arguing is not allowed and I understand that this forum has Meg-Ninjas with trained buzzards capable of hitting vehicles from hi altitudes.

I have not been called a Meg-Ninja before...time to get the buzzards out again...

Tim

[V8Caprice]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

I am going to bail out of here and go back to the 101 forum. ScratchX takes a lot of work and I still see scratches, however they are slowly lessening. I don't feel anything is being hidden. I feel I am being protected from taking too much off too aggressively.

I've briefly tried ScratchX myself. I was using a ROB for the first time, with a swirl remover polish (not ScratchX) and I was only making things worse. Out of sheer frustration, I bought some ScratchX, and attempted to undo the damage I had done, by hand. I polished a tiny little area inside the damaged area. Low and behold, I could slowly see the surface being restored. I never achieved a glassy finish, but it was definitely better. I wondered how much of the improvement was "real", and how much was due to any residue sitting in the scratches/marring, because I never bothered to do an "IPA wipedown" or anything like that. (I only used a mist & wipe type of product). However, this patch of shininess lasted through multiple washes, which I thought was cute. It really did work.
(I then took the car to a professional, and he quickly and easily polished the whole area with a rotary.) So yes, in my brief experience with ScratchX, I haven't noticed any significant degree of sinister filling.

Greg.
p.s Just btw, this thread wasn't "my post", if that's what you meant - I didn't start it.

[Jossy92]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

If we really really want to know what the surface of the paint looks like, without anything being hidden at all, then we could very thoroughly clean the surface.....
Greg. (a newbie too)

I aggree. But the answer was "no, ScratchX doesn't contain fillers" any more (as you point out) than an LSP does.

However, the title of your post suggests that it is an issue when it just might be one of definition: A "quibble" .... an argument over words. Arguing is not allowed and I understand that this forum has Meg-Ninjas with trained buzzards capable of hitting vehicles from hi altitudes.

Maybe we are not using the term "filler" in the manner used by the pros here and that is where the confusion lies. Also, it was suggested more research in the forums....a gentle way of suggesting a solution.

I am going to bail out of here and go back to the 101 forum. ScratchX takes a lot of work and I still see scratches, however they are slowly lessening. I don't feel anything is being hidden. I feel I am being protected from taking too much off too aggressively.

I remember reading about having a purpose and then finding the best solution. And when you share your solution you are doing "each one, teach one." I just am so new that I didn't/don't see your purpose and why is it important. Maybe that is why I am confused.

I fear I am one of the those cut and paste masters, so back I go to Detailing 101 as the more I talk the less I learn. But, thanks for clarifying.

[V8Caprice]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

I am confused, is this a new thread about "filling effects" instead of ScratchX having fillers? I am a newbie and am trying to follow along.

Why did you change your question? I am lost.

Respectfully,

The question "changed" when it was mentioned that one can go straight from using ScratchX, to waxing. This was mentioned in passing, but I picked up on it. Sorry.

Anyway, it's my understanding from what Mike has said that ScratchX does NOT have anything in it for the sole purposes of "filling", however, it does have lubricating oils which are required for the product to work, and those oils do have the side effect of "filling". If we really really want to know what the surface of the paint looks like, without anything being hidden at all, then we could very thoroughly clean the surface after having used ScratchX. However, ScratchX is part of a system, and in fact helps to prepare the surface for the application of a Last Step Product (wax or sealant etc). So, all we need to do in most situations is wipe off the excess ScratchX, and then wax. And the wax acts as a "filler" as well.

I'm assuming that even if an IPA wipedown were done after using ScratchX (and wiping off the excess normally), that in most cases the difference would be very subtle. (has anyone ever noticed a big difference?)

Greg. (a newbie too)

[Jossy92]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

.... due to a filling effect....

I am confused, is this a new thread about "filling effects" instead of ScratchX having fillers? I am a newbie and am trying to follow along.

Why did you change your question? I am lost.

Respectfully,

[V8Caprice]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

No.

This comes from Zaino people, you must have read this on some other forum.

Ok, thanks. Yes, I think it was mainly Zaino advice that had led me to believe this. I have also been blurring two things: inspecting the surface after paint correction, and simply having a surface which is ready for a LSP. It seems that if you trust that the paint correction has been done successfully, there is no need to remove every last bit of polish residue before applying the LSP, and in fact this may even be detremental when using the Meguiars system. However, if you do want to be absolutely sure (perhaps for educational/training purposes, or customer assurance) that the results of the paint correction are being inspected without ANYTHING being hidden due to a filling effect, then a suitable cleaner (such as isopropyl alcohol) should be used. And if this is done, polishing the surface afterwards may be even more important, before applying the LSP. Does this sound reasonable?

There are two threads in Hot Topics that address this, (posted years ago). Maybe take it up as a challenge to see if you can find them and post the links to them here.

I've been doing a lot of reading, but I forgot that you had actually asked me to post the links. However, I am sure this link is one of the two:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4831

Greg.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Does ScratchX have fillers?

Given that ScratchX contains lubricating oils, shouldn't they be washed away before waxing?

Greg.

No.

This comes from Zaino people, you must have read this on some other forum.

There are two threads in Hot Topics that address this, (posted years ago). Maybe take it up as a challenge to see if you can find them and post the links to them here.

Keep in mind, our chemists understand the process. They make the waxes that go on after ALL the other products. One of the threads that addresses this in the Hot Topics forum uses our Mold Release Technology in an analogy and if anyone knows anything about the costs involved if you "Stick a mold", then they would understand that if it were necessary to wash off any pre-wax products we would have certainly been recommending this since 1950 when we introduced M08 Maximum Mold Release Wax.