1st time polisher...not so good results!

[emaxxman]

Well, I took my first shot at polishing an 8 year old dark green Accord today. The car was never polished or waxed ever but washed carefully regulary. I have a fair number of light swirls all over with ALOT of minor scratches on the hood and roof (would really like to know how the roof got them). The car is a daily driver on the interstate here in NJ - which means it takes a beating.

Steps were:


Wash with foam gun, Megs Gold Class, rinse bucket, Megs chenille sponge
Clay with Clay Magic clay and lube
Wash again to remove all lube residue
Polished car with DACP and orange pad (from autogeek.net)
Washed car again to get rid of streaks from polish and polish dust :-(
NXT wax with grey finishing pad from autogeek.net

I will say that the results are somewhat mixed and more disappointing than anything. I read Meguiars Online forum's guide to removing swirls with the PC and did follow them.

Clay yielded great results. The clay did a great job of pulling contaminants off the paint. I could easily feel the difference on the paint with my bare hands.

DACP - It was about 10:30 to 11 am by the time I started this...the paint was starting to get very warm but not scalding hot. The DACP seem to remove just enough of the surface blemishes to create an even appearance. However, it did dust up very fast and I had to apply more to the pad. I think this caused the polish to leave a heavy layer on the car.

I tried Megs QD with a mf towel to removed the DACP. It was taking forever for the QD to penetrate the DACP. I finally decided that the best thing to do was a thorough soak in Gold Class soap and rewash the car. This got rid of of 99% of polish and polish dust. I buffed the rest by hand.

At this point, I was starting to get worried...even though I only worked 1 sq ft at a time and applied even pressure, it only removed the lightest of swirls and none of the scratches. In fact, the scratches and paint chips were amplified by the dry polish in them.

I tried to buff them out by hand the best that I can. I gave up after about an hour.

I then applied liquid NXT with a grey finishing pad. This was the easiest part...the PC was on 3 and the NXT was very easy to spread around. I let it dry for about 10 minutes and did the swipe test. The NXT came off very easily and the shine is quite nice; good slickness too...the mf towels used to grab on to the rough paint surface before.

So, what did I do wrong?

What should I do differently...I know doing this in full sun affected the results but I don't have a choice...not trees or garage. What are my alternatives?

Should I have kept going with the DACP?

I have #80 speed glaze but didn't use it since the DACP didn't seem to do much.

[ScottB]

http://paintcare-n-detailing.com/video/

[emaxxman]

OK, I viewed the demos and the technique I used was exactly what the instructors in the videos used. In fact, I even used a slower arm motion to make sure the area got polished. Both instructors tell you to work the polish till it breaks down...how do you know when a polish is broken down?

The Meg's DACP still had an oily, hazy look and feel to it but there was also polish dust being thrown around. Was it drying to fast before the abrasives could be broken down?

Based on the videos, I'm thinking that I didn't work the polish long enough; I'm just not sure how to tell when you've worked it long enough.

[joe.p]

For swirl removal and light polishing i would try PB's SSR's.

Killer do you have any experience w/DACP ? maybe it didn't have enough bite to acheive the results he was shooting for.

If you can remember in the video there is a section where they show the polish starting to flash, when you get to this point stop and check your work..

[ScottB]

DACP is one of my fav polishes from the past, only rid it because of its dust and some newer polishes being slightly more abrasive initially but breaking down quite quickly. (XMT, Poorboys, Menzenma) DACP is still well known and a medium grade polish with some fillers, and oils.

I left the video for a reason, the number one issue for a bad buffer experience is not giving the polish enough time to break down. Each panel needs 5-7 minutes of polishing. (dont shortcut) Polish flash cures from a liquid type paste into a cloudy talc when cured. Sometimes heat effects this and can also make a polish flash to soon. (thus need to spritz pad with water, qd, or XMT pad conditioner) . Its not technique that is usually to blame, it is usually time. Rotaries cut faster and need less time to amp the surface, but old faithful the PC is very safe but requires alot more time and effort.

[justin_murphy]

DACP is one of my fav polishes from the past, only rid it because of its dust and some newer polishes being slightly more abrasive initially but breaking down quite quickly. (XMT, Poorboys, Menzenma) DACP is still well known and a medium grade polish with some fillers, and oils.

I left the video for a reason, the number one issue for a bad buffer experience is not giving the polish enough time to break down. Each panel needs 5-7 minutes of polishing. (dont shortcut) Polish flash cures from a liquid type paste into a cloudy talc when cured. Sometimes heat effects this and can also make a polish flash to soon. (thus need to spritz pad with water, qd, or XMT pad conditioner) . Its not technique that is usually to blame, it is usually time. Rotaries cut faster and need less time to amp the surface, but old faithful the PC is very safe but requires alot more time and effort.


Killr is EXACTLY right here.
He knows what he's talking about. Take your time. Meg's products are designed for a COOL surface.

[kellyinkc]

:iagree:
I did the same thing. MUST let polish break down all the way. 83 is very dusty and I have gone to XMT 3. Still like 80 and tried out 82. Main thing is patience.

[Darren F]

How do you know when the polish is broken down?

[kellyinkc]

Till it's almost clear. Comes with experience, I use a timer.

[justin_murphy]

You really need to try #80. It's my main staple right now. Cuts,cleans, and polishes with hardly any dusting. Remember to shake your containers well.....like 2-3 minutes well.

[Darren F]

for someone new to this what is the best way to tell if the polish has broken down

[ScottB]

for someone new to this what is the best way to tell if the polish has broken down

when it clouds a milky white and starts to powder, like talc.

[emaxxman]

You really need to try #80. It's my main staple right now. Cuts,cleans, and polishes with hardly any dusting. Remember to shake your containers well.....like 2-3 minutes well.

Hi Justin,

Since you're a huge Meguiar's fan (I read your postings on Meguiar's Online as well), is there any real difference between DACP (83) and Speed Glaze (80) ?

I bought a bottle of both. I noticed that they both have a very close abrasiveness rating. Is there any real benefit of DACP over Speed Glaze? They seem to be very similar products.

Also, since you use Meg's alot, what do you do when you have to detail a car onsite and there isn't a garage or shaded area available? That was part of my problem I think.

Also, Mike Phillips recommends using a polishing pad. I used the DACP with an orange cutting pad because that's what the description here on autogeek recommended.. (use orange with swirl removers.)

What is the advantage of a polishing pad over a cutting pad for swirl removers?

[blkyukon]

How do you know when the polish is broken down?



Here is what I do with any new polish I use for the first time ·

Use good lighting!! Without good lighting you can't see what the polish is doing and can't see if it's brokendown completely
Using a 1'x1' section - apply the polish the same as any other polish
Using little pressure and speed 4.5 - 5 work the polish in.
At each change in the polish remove a section and see how the paint looks.
Repeat at each change until very little or no hazing is present (this will very depending on the abrasiveness of the polish).The reason for speed 4.5-5 and little pressure is, it goes through the stages slower so you can determine when it's brokendown without under or over working the polish. Now you know what it looks like when it's brokendown you can increase the speed, pressure, etc. to get the job done.

[emaxxman]

Here are some shots of the final product...it's not bad but definitely not the best it could be. Also, since I didn't work the polish long enough and had a tough time removing, some of it dried white in the small scratches and paint chips. The hood and roof are "peppered" with little white dots. Overall, the car looks better than it did before. Once the wax wears off, I'll figure out how to remove the polish residue and then rewax it.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Resize_of_PICT4501.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Resize_of_PICT4463.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Resize_of_PICT4465.JPG