Hey--
I just washed (MEg.'s Gold class wash/shampoo) and used the polish on the hood and only got finished with the left side before it got too dark to continue. (I don't have worklights, and holding a flashlight while trying to polish would be a pain...)

As it got dark, I realized that the polish actually had a ngeative effect on the swirls I had been trying to get rid of. It was Meguiar's Step 2, with the foam NXT applicator pad (from the tech wax box).

I followed the directions of those who use various cutting abrasives...work in to paint until it's almost clear, then wipe off with a MF towel.

Perhaps I understood something wrong, or maybe the paint has a fatal flaw (doubtful), or maybe it was just the low-light conditions. (When I got out a flashlight, I could see no swirls, but with low light, it looked like I used sandpaper to polish.) Either way, please advise me ASAP of the following things:
-Whether I did something wrong
-What I did Wrong (and also how to do it right)
-What I need to buy to fix it
-How to fix it


Thanks for your help in this matter.

 

What did you polish with?

I don't think Megs Deep Crystal #2 Polish is very abrasive, I may be wrong though as I haven't used it in a long time.

Do you have anything finer to go over it with. Maybe go for a drive to a parking lot with some bright lights and check it there.

You could try some #82 by hand and see if that helps, what else do you have to go over it?

 

Meguiars step 2 pure polish contains no abrasives. Meguiars step 1 is the paint cleaner which contains very light abrasives.
I think your problem is micro marring. It looks like a bunch of tiny microscopic scratches, making the panel look dull (like you used sandpaper).

It happens from using a pad that's not clean or working in a paint cleaner too long/too short. Check your applicator pad tho, the Deep Crystal system is hard to go wrong with.

I doubt it was from the towel you buffed it off with cuz that'd just leave scratches if it was a crappy mf.

I might've even been that dust settled on the paint, and you used the pure polish which caused what you're seeing.

To get rid of it, use Scratch X and do what you did with the polish.
Use a clean foam applicator pad, work the cleaner/polish in till it breaks down to a light film, then buff it off with a quality mf or terry right away.

 

Awesome. Thanks. I guess I'll have to go with the scratch-X...I havent' ordered the #82 from ADS yet (along with the myriad of other goodies that will come wiht it...)

Yeah, I figured it was a total screw-up on my part...juust couldn't figure out where... Thanks again. (BTW--do you think that step 1 could get rid of any of this? I really would like to save the scratch-X for the harder-to-get type scratches, especially at $( per tube with hardly any in it (although it does work wonders.)

Again, I appriciate your input. You guys are lifesavers.

 

Step 1 may remedy your situation to a certain extent but, I believe that the first step is more of a 'filler product' than a 'remover' product.

As was mentioned by AZ, the second step is polish to the core. No abrasives. I think it may have a touch of fillers but, very very very light. In short, what probably happened is that you had many of the swirls previously filled and you managed to remove that 'fill' thus revealing them again.

The best way is, obviously, to remove the swirls but, filling definitely has it's place within the detailing realm as well. In fact, on a well maintained (waxed frequently and such), I actually prefer to go that route from a simplicity standpoint.

You're fine... no worries. Nothing has gone wrong to a point that it can't be fixed... It's just time to get the new stock o' goodies in your hands and time to bite off the G-100. Scratch-X, for the time being, will almost certainly solve your ills.

A tip with S-X, don't press down overly hard with it. Normal downward hand pressure should do the trick.

Just out of curiosity -- you did mix the Gold Class to the proper dilution didn't you?

RP

 

Yep. Followed the instructions to the letter (about the GC wash).

I guess it's time to make my order to ADS... And in the mean time to break out the S-x.

Thanks for all your help. Now that I've had it in the light again, I see way fewer swirls than at night. Anyone know why this is? (Granted there's still more than before...)

 

I have no idea about your working conditions but, my hunch is that you were working under 'white' light in a garage or similar?

Fluorescent bulbs are actually what I intentionally use in my garage for just that reason -- they are RUTHLESS!

I'll even close the garage and turn on the overhead lights during the daytime so that I'm getting a true view of the problems.

While sunlight has all different realms of light, concentrated white light (like that from an Osram Sylvania tube -- made in Versailles, Kentucky and one of my clients -- sorry, shameless plug) will reveal more of the problem.

=RP=

 

Actually, as much as I would LOVE to be able to work indoors, I have no garage space. seeing as it's easier to steal a motorcycle and race bikes (ie:like Lance Armstrong rides), I generally keep the motorcycles, race bikes, mountain bikes, SCUBA gear, etc. in the garage, which limits me to outdoors. On if you're thinking to just move it all out, it wouldn't help, anyway. Courtesy of retarted homebuilders, my garage is just long enough to barely fit it inside, much less get around it to wax. But, I do my best to wax when it's not hot outside, ie: at night or at least dusk.

I found, though, that under direct sunlight, the swirls are less noticable, whereas under low light conditions, it's horrible. But even with a super bright LED flashlight, I saw virtually no swirls...makes me wonder about spectrum to paint color interactions. Maybe I can arrange for the sun to release the right rays to always mae my truck look swirl free and shiny!!! lol


Thanks for your help, though. I am going to borrow a friend's DA for the day and utilize the scratch-x or at least # 1. I'll keep you guys posted.

BTW--what's your take on color-x?? worth the time/money???

 

It's not so much the light spectrum but more of an angle thing... all of the swirls, as you know, are scratches. It's just the angle at which the light is being refracted I believe... White light reveals them in a more prevalent manner though...

 

Color-X... pretty good cleaner wax. I've used it several times.

 

Awesome, 'cause I just bought some. I figured that if I bought it and you all said it sucked, I'd return it... guess I'll keep it to use on my parents' vehicles since they have a dull look to the color. and while I'm at it, I may try it on my own...