Quote:
Originally Posted by mcpp66  Would detailing clay work for that as well? |
Well...
"You never know what you can do until you try"
That said... not really. When something imparts itself onto your car like paint, it's usually during a moment of extreme rubbing under pressure and the imparted substance tend to almost become one with your car's paint, as in it's stuck on the paint like glue...
For this reason, clay won't usually work...
In most cases you need some kind of "chunky" abrasive, that's why I referred to the XMT #4 as it's a traditional rubbing compound that feels like sand in a bottle and it works great for removing paint transfer, the problem is after you finish with the #4 you MUST do some kind of follow up polishing as it will leave it's own scratches behind.
In a situation like this that should be expected as removing paint transfer is usually a process, not a single step. The idea being removing the offending paint because it's unsightly makes accepting instilling a few light or shallow scratches acceptable knowing afterward you just have to remove the scratches instilled from the removal process.
I actually had about 5 products on hand to test out and used the least aggressive product that did the job because I was following the philosophy of,
"Use the least aggressive product to get the job done"
Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion is non-abrasive and that's where the microfiber applicator pad comes into play, the nap "can" be used as a gentle type of abrasive when used with pressure, the key is to balance your pressure so you apply enough to remove the paint transfer without applying so much pressure that you and your fingertips together with the nap instill scratches or marring in the process.
This is why if anyone reading this is into detailing cars, even if it's your own car, then it's helpful to have a few different products in the garage to draw from for situation like this.
Products, and by this I mean compounds, polishes, glazes, waxes, sealants, etc. are like tools in your tool chest. I would never attempt to remove the heads off an engine without having enough of the right tools in my tool chest first.
Paint transfer is pretty common on the front and rear corners of passenger cars as people will accidentally pull to close to a pole in a parking lot, or a fence post, or some kind of structure they're parking next to and a little rubbing under pressure and you have paint transfer on your car's finish.
I used to not like using overly abrasive products like the #4 Heavy Duty Rubbing Compound but to be truthful it's pretty hand to have in the your tool chest or arsenal of detailing supplies just because once in a while it comes in real handy. The scratches and swirls it leaves behind are easily polished out using a less aggressive product.
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