#80 w/finishing pad @ spd 6?

[NVCobra]

Hi, im still fighting micro swirling under halogen lighting. Ive worked #80 every which way but loose and still getting slight micro marring. My definition of micro marring is swirl scratching about 1/16in , that can only be seen a few inches away but there not as dense as the hazing after #83, just smaller and more sparse. The best thing ive been able to do is use #80 on the black Sonus finishing pad @ speed 6 and working it dry, and I mean dry to where there is hardly anything to wipe off. Ive read about working it till it changes color or leave it with the wet egde and or let it sit and cure 10 - 15 mins. What is this indicating about my paint? #80/finishing pad @ spd 6 working till dry?? PS by dry do we mean literally till there is absolutely no filming left at all? Some times I think we are all using the same words but describing different things. Thx

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

Meguiar's does NOT recommend buffing any of their products to a dry buff as this in itself may introduce micro-marring back into the surface. A product like #80 needs to worked until the product breaks down to a light residue and then wiped off.

Again, since I only use Meguiar's buffing pads, I can not say for sure what the problem you are having is being caused by. I would suggest using a Meguiar's W-8006 Polishing Pad with the #80 and a W-9006 Finishing with the #82. Again, this pad choice will vary depending on the finish achieved from previous steps and from experience. But if you have hazzing from the #83, I would suggest using the #80 with the polishing pad first.

I would also suggest that you do not go higher than speed 5 on the PC as this can be really hard on the pads.

Keep at it! You will remove the micro-marring and achieve a swirl free finish!

Tim

[NVCobra]

Hey thx 2hotford, maybe Im just being to picky??? By "swirlfree" do we mean absolutely no micro scratching whatsoever? Because Im sure at the microscopic level there will still be marring thats not visible with the eye. I can see them under halogen lighting but I have to be right up on the paint to see them. My thinking is that Im losing that extra overall "pop" due to these because more light is being refelcted back ever so slightly. Sorta like regular hazing after 83, when you stand back you cant really see any one single scratch but an overall dull lighter color of your car.Is this right? Mines a black car and Im trying to get its "max potential" or have I just come down with the sickness??? lol

[cheapthrills]

NVCobra, i think we have the same sickness. But honestly, isn't everyone going for perfection? thats why we are all here, we want it to look perfect!

perscription for sickness: after using #80, run to the fridge and grab a cold beer, in my case 2-3, the haze goes away, well at least till the next morning.

[Lt1Corvette]

Originally posted by cheapthrills
NVCobra, i think we have the same sickness. But honestly, isn't everyone going for perfection? thats why we are all here, we want it to look perfect!

perscription for sickness: after using #80, run to the fridge and grab a cold beer, in my case 2-3, the haze goes away, well at least till the next morning.

That works wonders on a lot of things, why do you think my grandpa always thinks his car looks better after 5pm.

[NVCobra]

lol,Im so sick Id probably just see twice as many!

[cheapthrills]

LOL, i'm a beginner also, and have come up with the same results, from what you are describing. but we will figure it out, and become more experienced and knowledgable.

[Scottwax]

I work #80 until it looks it begins to clear. Works great that way. I do use the PC on 6 and Meguiars polishing pads.

[jays]

does that remove marring or fill in swirls?

[Teak]

NVCobra,
Maybe you need to step down in abrasiveness to #82.
What kind of vehicle are you working on?
Do you have pictures of the marring you are describing?
What color is the vehicle?
Are you applying any downward pressure on the PC?
What other prep has been down to the vehicle?

jays,
IMHO, #80 cuts more than it fills.

Eric

[dnoraker]

Re: #80 w/finishing pad @ spd 6?

I've had similar problems with the micro-marring using #80 and a polishing pad, so I stepped down to #82 with a finishing pad and it helped a little, but didn't completely get rid of it. I noticed after buffing a co-worker's car that it didn't have quite as much reflectivity as another Audi nearby. It was very close, but the one I buffed was just slightly more dull.

I've tried everything, and I own the video on how to use the PC and I've tried everything. My technique has improved, but I still get the marring. It seems to be the worst on softer paints, like my '97 S-10. It still looks better than just about any car in the parking lot, but not what it could be. It just doesn't look like the cars on the showroom floor.

It seems that many people don't say that they have this happen to them, but are they really just overlooking it? I've seen people post pictures of what we're describing, and it's exactly what I see after #80 and a polishing pad on any car I do, no matter how I clean the pads, length of time I work the product, etc.

Now, when I use Scratch X by hand with a foam pad, I get the crystal-clear finish I'm looking for. It just seems to break down even finer.

[Coupe]

Re: #80 w/finishing pad @ spd 6?

I have this EXACT same problem.
I have to use #82 with a sonus blue finishing pad to fix it. No matter what i do i cant get #80 to finish down to a LSP ready finish. #82 working time takes forever to break down. Talk about a pain!
I have the whole story on autopia.org, i will post it here, give me a minute.

[Coupe]

Re: #80 w/finishing pad @ spd 6?

Found it!

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=77602

[Mike Phillips]

Re: #80 w/finishing pad @ spd 6?

Different paints react differently to any product and pad. Hard to believe how fast time flies when you're having fun and by this I mean it's been over three years now that we've been teaching our Saturday Detailing classes coordinated through our discussion forum and over these three years we've polished out hundreds of cars, all types of cars with all types of paint and rarely if never do we have the type of problems being discussed in this thread, that's where technique comes into play.

Besides all of the normal things when it comes to machine cleaning and polishing, there's the little things like lessening your pressure at the end of your buffing with any product to make what are referred to as cover passes. These are the final passes you make to enable what's left of the product to be worked in combination with the foam pad of your choice and the action of the machine to end with a less aggressive polishing action.

This can help especially if you're working on soft or very scratch-senstive paints.

Another option is to make your finish passes with a cleaner/wax like M66 or ColorX; these two product use both chemical cleaners and diminishing abrasives and when used with a finishing pad enable you to work out very fine defects when you use good technique.

On a personal note, I've never experienced a paint where the 6.0 setting was necessary or beneficial for the final polishing step to work the paint up to it's maximum potential before application of the LSP.

[dnoraker]

Re: #80 w/finishing pad @ spd 6?

Maybe I'll try the cover pass technique with the DA and #82 on my truck. I tried it again today and had the same problem as usual, and I worked it for quite awhile with a clean pad.

I bought a rotary today and ended up buffing my whole truck with #80/8006 pad. It left very slight holograms, but not as annoying as the micro-marring from the DA witht he same product and pad combo.

I followed up with #82/9006 pad on both the rotary and DA and got the micro-marring with the DA, but next to no holograms visable in full sun with the same combo on rotary on my first try!

So, I know my pads aren't dirty, because that would show up with the rotary as well, and I've worked the products for a few minutes straight before without them drying out, and I've cleaned my pads sometimes between each application but still have micro-marring. Like I said, the only thing I can figure at this point, seeing as I'm getting consistant results regardless of my process, is that I should try the cover pass. It's a '97 apple red S-10 and seems to scratch if you look at it the wrong way!

BTW, the rotary ROCKS!!!! I splurged for the Makita 9227cx3 package and I can't believe what I was missing!