handz get in here.

[FullThrottleStangs]

hey broskis i got my detailing stuff today (thanks justin at obsessive detail). i got on my roof first to try it out, got ALL the scratches out, but there are these little dots, i dunno what to call em, and they wont show up on a camera. but they wont go away no matter how much i polish. im thinking a harder cutting pad? :dontknow:

 

[GREG@SN95]

Sounds like a case of etching...

If you can feel them with your fingernail you may need to wetsand. If not you should be okay. Etching can be a bitch to fix and usually requires some aggressive polishing or compounding...

Are you using an orbital buffer? You may need one...
What products are you using as far as polishes and compounds?

Just a quick explanation for ya too... Etching is caused usually by acid rain. The acid rain falls on the paint and in sunlight, begins to evaporate. The darker color the car, the hotter the paint gets, the faster the process progresses. Now while the water is evaporating the acidity of the remaining water increases until the water is gone. Usually, acid rain is contaminated with small levels of sulfuric acid (sh*t inside a car batt) which will actually break down the paint.

Unlike waterspots that can usually be wiped off with a quick detailer and lay on the surface of the paint. Etching will actually form craters in the paints surface. The deeper the crater, the more difficult it will be to fix it.

 

[FullThrottleStangs]

thats exactly what it feels like. little bumps that my fingernal can catch up on. ugh i DO NOT want to wetsand that stuff scares me. besides if i mess up on that im screwed.

today i had my porter cable. using a mix of megs 105/205 and ultimate compound just to see some results.

this isnt everywhere on the body, but mainly just on the roof.

 

[mustangmike98gt]

what pads are you using??????? the orange pad from obsessive detail and ragshack isnt course enough to use with the m-105 and i had problems with it when i first got it, try getting a red meguiars cutting pad, or a wool pad, it works much better than the pads from obsessive... p.s. ur gonna have to wetsand like rebelyel said.

 

[FullThrottleStangs]

god dammit i dont wanna wetsand its too easy to mess up. WET SANDING IS MY LAST RESORT.

i went ahead and thought for myself and ordered the 9 pack of hex cutting pads from chemical guys. theres a grey one in there thats a "very heavy cut" pad.

 

[SRT Handz]

I use orange pads and M105 all day long....I barley ever have go use the yellow pad.

.... I think you need to work the product more, M105+Orange pad is pretty damn strong.

 

[GREG@SN95]

I use orange pads and M105 all day long....I barley ever have go use the yellow pad.

.... I think you need to work the product more, M105+Orange pad is pretty damn strong.

You should be able to do just that... Just put pressure on the polisher and work the compound as good as you can... if this doesn't work, maybe a more aggressive pad or a heavy rubbing compound (like poor boy's SSR3) will help but I kind of doubt it... Odds are you'll need to wet sand.. just depends on how chewed up the clear is... I can't really say for sure with out seeing it... Post up as many pics as you can and maybe I can help better...

If you can't fix it with out wet sanding... I highly recommend you DO NOT try to wet sand this yourself... Take it to a reputable body shop and have them wet sand it... Stay away from detail shops, most detailers can't wet sand...

 

[FullThrottleStangs]

I use orange pads and M105 all day long....I barley ever have go use the yellow pad.

.... I think you need to work the product more, M105+Orange pad is pretty damn strong.

with my porter cable, i put some on the orange pad, spread around first with the polisher off, then put it at 2. spread around, then go to 5 for a few minutes. then i go back to 3 for a few more minutes.

it worked on everything else, but not this. i was applying moderate pressure yesterday to try it out... but i didnt want to put too much as to not burn the paint.

also, handz, ive always noticed how you get the PERFECT picture of the stratchy side vs. the flawless side after you take the tape off. i never can seem to get it. its there, but i guess its my paint or the lighting that doesnt let it show up in the picture. any help?

 

[GREG@SN95]

I use orange pads and M105 all day long....I barley ever have go use the yellow pad.

.... I think you need to work the product more, M105+Orange pad is pretty damn strong.

with my porter cable, i put some on the orange pad, spread around first with the polisher off, then put it at 2. spread around, then go to 5 for a few minutes. then i go back to 3 for a few more minutes.

it worked on everything else, but not this. i was applying moderate pressure yesterday to try it out... but i didnt want to put too much as to not burn the paint.

also, handz, ive always noticed how you get the PERFECT picture of the stratchy side vs. the flawless side after you take the tape off. i never can seem to get it. its there, but i guess its my paint or the lighting that doesnt let it show up in the picture. any help?

Its very hard to burn up the paint with a dual action / orbital polisher... Keep the speed set on a lower speed, be aggressive and add a good amount of pressure and keep the polisher moving... DO NOT stay in one spot... Its gonna take quite some time to get out deep imperfections like etching with a dual action polisher as oposed to a rotary buffer... But with a rotary you need to really know how to use the buffer and be careful with speed and pressure etc cause its VERY easy to burn up the paint and you can do it in the time it takes to blink your eyes...

Use the heaviest compound you have and a yellow pad... spread it across the paint like you have been... keep the speed low (under 1500rpms)... and apply heavy/aggressive pressure... Keep the polisher moving, do not sit in one spot, but move slowly... Be very careful that your pad has material on it cause a dry pad could burn up the paint... and make sure to work in small sections so that the compound you spread around doesn't have time to dry before you have a chance to polish it...

Keep working like this. If you don't have any results your 5th time around then give up and go to a reputable body shop. They have heavy rubbing compounds and use rotary buffers that should fix the problem... They also know how o properly wetsand... Or maybe handz can refer you to someone he knows from one of his detailing forums that live in your area...

Like I said before, etching is very difficult to fix. If you succeed buy yourself a case of beer cause its not something that anyone short of a professional can usually accomplish once its reached the point that you can actually feel the etched/missing paint...

 

[FullThrottleStangs]

thanks for the write up.

maybe thats where ive been going wrong. as soon as i spread the polish around, turn the polisher on at 2, and spread for a few seconds. then go straight to 5 with moderate pressure applied.

ill get out tomorrow and try this out on some of my heavier scratches and on the roof.

 

[SRT Handz]

since you have M105 and an Orange Pad, You should really try the Kevin Brown Method.

Good "Kevin Brown Porter Cable" and you will get alot of info.

Here is a video on what i am talking about

http://www.autopia.org/forum/machine-polishing/125074-porter-cable-xp-sanding-kevin-brown-method.html

 

[FullThrottleStangs]

ill look into it.