RockPick or Boss 429 & Everybody,
I'm doing the clay bar thing on my truck and the next step is a cleaner.
This is a '96 Ford F-150, my all-purpose hauler/puller & do it all truck so it has scratches in the paint. Can ScratchX be used as a cleaner on the whole truck in place of a cleaner like Deep Crystal cleaner? Which do you think would do a better job for my situation? There seems to be lots of light scratches when you look close as well as regular old scratches that you don't have to look close to see. And it hasn't been cleaned/polished/waxed for a long time. What do you think?

GradyJ

 

Well, the ScratchX can be used on the entire truck, but you might find it difficult to do by hand. If it were me, I would use the DC cleaner on the whole vehicle and then use the ScratchX only where necessary.

If you had a PC, it would be a bit different story.

 

OK Boss.....Thanx for the quick reply. You told me exactly what I needed to know. Thanx for the help.

GradyJ

 

I agree 110%!

 

I just used ScatchX all over a scratched hood, using my PC. I can't see that it does much of anything. I then did a couple sections using rubbing compound, and kit scratch remover.
I don't see much effect from either remover brands.
Chris

 

Hi Chris...

You mention that you utilized your PC to apply the product. Can you describe your technique and how you 'worked' the product?

RP

 

Orange 'cutting' pad, surface clean, apply ScratchX to pad. Apply pad to hood. Start PC (running about 4) move in slow sweeping motion about a 18-24 inch swathe. Make a trail back and forth, then crossways, then diagonal both ways. About 8 minutes total time on a two-three square foot section. Then did another, different pad, with Kit scratch remover (yellow bottle, says good for OB use. No one who has looked at the hood can tell where I used either the ScratchX or the Kit stuff. The front section I did with Turtle rubbing compound (had it in the garage). That looks a little less scratched.

The scratches on this hood range from faint car wash scratches, to bad scratching from it's hard life as a toad, and it's trips off road in about 20 states. The new and worst scratches were just put on by a hand carwash, using rags that had beach sand on them. So with a huge selection of scratches ranging from almost invisible to gouges, I figured I would see some results on at least some of the scratches with ScratchX, etc.

Again, the only parts that look any different were where I used the rubbing compound. There I did just small damaged areas, about ten inches on a side.

The PC uses less wax when waxing I notice, and I like using a finishing pad to remove the wax. No work and it's fast.

The 9 or 10 pounds of PC (counting the holder, pad, wax, cord) adds up pretty fast. My muscles in my lower back tell me I spent too much time with it, at least till I toughen up a little Nice workout. That’s going over a whole vehicle about six or so times with the PC on two days.

Naturally I am practicing with it before doing my F-150. Although, I don't see how you can damage the paint with it, unless you drop it on the hood...

Chris

 

You're right Chris... it's a very safe tool but, when used incorrectly, it can cause more problems than it can help. Long story short, use common sense and correct procedure and you can probably do pretty well...

As for your Scratch-X experience... not sure what to say although I've heard that it's a difficult product to work via PC due to it 'gumming' up and thus making it difficult to work with...

Did you experience any gumming of the product?

Also, I really wouldn't recommend utilizing a pad to remove wax... You can always utilize a nice MF bonnet over the pad but, pad alone really isn't a good idea.

RP

 

The instructions I got said to use the finishing pad. Live and learn.
What is the downside to using a pad vs. a bonnet, if that's something that can be easily explained?

I have no bonnets, but can fabricat one rather easily with a microfiber towel.
Chris

 

Rather than fabricating one, I'd just use good ole fashioned elbow grease. Honestly, I prefer removing by hand versus machine any way as I think I do a better job and I'm not having to wrestle with a bonnet loading up all the time. Also, I find it easier to control dusting by hand.

As for using the pad, it's probably not a horrible thing to do but, it's not intended for that purpose. My hunch would be that the pad would be far more abrasive than a nice MF bonnet or towel and thus, using it dry on paint would certainly have more of a chance of the introduction of swirls back to the paint.... which makes me wonder if you used the Fin. Pad with the S-X that you're not seeing the reintroduction of swirls because of the pad... It's a long shot...

RP

 

I would agree. Lot's of "grease" in these ole elbows!

Sometimes a little QD, or Spray & Wipe on the MF helps with removal.

 

I have three different types of pads. These are the Lake Country pads
http://www.topoftheline.com/lake-cou...sher-pads.html

The cutting pad that I used with the ScratchX is orange, you really can't mix them up. They don't feel the same to the touch either. The black pad, which is a final finishing pad is super smooth, not as rough to the touch as a terry cloth.

From the site
black pad; Designed for final surface protection products. Use with waxes, glazes, paste waxes and polymer sealants.

I see what you are saying about dry paint, so I will use a bonnet.

I have no swirls at all, the small scratches are all in the motion you would make with a wash rag large sweeping curves, short straight lines.

They happened all at once, when the car was washed with buckets that contained beach sand. Pismo beach sand to be precise...

The toad was clayed and waxed before the trip, and there were a lot of scratches from it's hard life, but no small scratches, as it has been hand washed since new, using the two bucket system, and always clean towels.

Then after the car wash the scratches were not to be ignored. All over, everywhere these guys touched it. You would not have to know anything about cars, paint, etc to see them. Think dip a wet rag in beach sand, then enthusiastically drag it over the paint... which is what they were doing.

As to final wax removal by hand, I have always done it that way, but the makers of my final wax recommend doing it by machine, so I plan on at least this once going by their directions. I will see how it turns out.
Thanks for all the help
Chris