Which to use next - more aggressive pad or product?

[eyost]

Hi all,

I have a ten month old Honda CR-V and have noticed some random scratches and swirls. Back a few months ago I detailed the car with wash, clay, Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion, and then Fuzion.

When I applied the cleansing lotion, I used a white pad. My question is if I want to correct some of these scratches, what would be the best step first? Cleansing lotion with a more aggressive pad or a more aggressive product. And if step one doesn't work, what would be the best next step. I know Mike always says to start with the least aggressive process first, which works for me.

Thoughts?

Ed

[BobbyG]

Hi Ed,

If you're referring to Paintwork Cleansing Lotion it uses a combination of gloss-enhancing oils and micro-fine fillers to polish your car without abrasives so you won't see any real correction using this.

Pinnacle Twins (http://www.autogeek.net/pitwspof.html)will give you the correction capabilities you're looking for and these work well with an Orange, White, and Gray foam pad...

[eyost]

Hi Ed,

If you're referring to Paintwork Cleansing Lotion it uses a combination of gloss-enhancing oils and micro-fine fillers to polish your car without abrasives so you won't see any real correction using this.

Pinnacle Twins (http://www.autogeek.net/pitwspof.html)will give you the correction capabilities you're looking for and these work well with an Orange, White, and Gray foam pad...

Yep - that's what I am referring to. I also forgot to mention that I followed the cleansing lotion with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant. What would I need to do to get the paint in a condition to do some correction? Would I have to remove the Sealant?

I am just wondering if I alternate with pad an product. In other words, start with a white pad with the least aggressive product, then a more aggressive pad with the same product; or, advance to a more aggressive product with a white pad?

Thanks again - you have always been great help.

Ed

[KillaCam]

If I were you I'd start with a polishing pad and a light polish. If that isn't cutting it use a mild compound with a cutting pad. If that fails, then try a heavier compound with a cutting pad.

If the paint hasn't been compounded to remove all the swirls before then it probably needs it to get a swirl free finish. Then after that you can use the two bucket wash method to prevent swirls from coming back, and just polish when you feel the need to.

[eyost]

If I were you I'd start with a polishing pad and a light polish. If that isn't cutting it use a mild compound with a cutting pad. If that fails, then try a heavier compound with a cutting pad.

If the paint hasn't been compounded to remove all the swirls before then it probably needs it to get a swirl free finish. Then after that you can use the two bucket wash method to prevent swirls from coming back, and just polish when you feel the need to.

Thanks for the information. I am still trying to get used to the terminology. As far as a polish goes, what product would fall into that category? For compounds, what product would fall into that category. I started off washing the vehicle with a two bucket system and grit guard, so it looks like these scratches either came from the dealer, or possibly with me claying it. Not sure if I should use Iron-x on it or not; running that on the paint kinda freaks me out.

Ed

[KillaCam]

Meguiars 105/205 are great. The consumer versions (ultimate compound/ultimate polish) are similar but aren't as aggressive. Those might be great options for you.

If it is just marring from claying, a polish would be all you would probably need. Do you have any pics in direct sunlight?

[eyost]

Meguiars 105/205 are great. The consumer versions (ultimate compound/ultimate polish) are similar but aren't as aggressive. Those might be great options for you.

If it is just marring from claying, a polish would be all you would probably need. Do you have any pics in direct sunlight?

I'll try to get some. I just seem to remember that a compound was used for paint in real bad condition such as oxidation which is why using a compound seems to scare me a bit. It wasn't until I joined the forum that I was exposed to the term polish.

Ed

[BobbyG]

Yep - that's what I am referring to. I also forgot to mention that I followed the cleansing lotion with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant. What would I need to do to get the paint in a condition to do some correction? Would I have to remove the Sealant?

I am just wondering if I alternate with pad an product. In other words, start with a white pad with the least aggressive product, then a more aggressive pad with the same product; or, advance to a more aggressive product with a white pad?

Thanks again - you have always been great help.

Ed

Hi Ed,

Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant is a pretty nice sealant and does a great job at protecting the finish while providing a nice shine. Like all other sealants, it comes off very easily when using a paint cleaner or polish.

Initially, do a test spot to determine the choice of pad and product to use. If the defects are minor then you'll probably be satisfied with the lesser aggressive combination. The results of both will dictate your approach.

The Pinnacle Twins I mentioned are relatively mild in the terms of aggressiveness so you might want to start with the swirl remover and an orange foam pad...

Foam Pads

Yellow Cutting Foam - Use this pad to apply compounds or polishes to remove severe oxidation, swirls, and scratches. It is the most aggressive and should only be used on oxidized and older finishes. Always follow this pad with an orange or white pad and a fine polish to refine the paint until it is smooth.

Orange Light Cutting Foam - Firm, high density foam for scratch and defect removal. Use this pad with polishes and swirl removers. It’s an all-around pad that will work on most light to moderate imperfections.

White Polishing Foam - Less dense foam formula for the application of waxes, micro-fine polishes and sealants. This pad has very light cutting power so it’s perfect for pre-wax cleaners.

Gray Finishing Foam Pad - Composition is firm enough to withstand added pressure during final finishing to remove buffer swirls. It has no cut and will apply thin, even coats of waxes, sealants, and glazes.

Blue Finessing Foam – Pad has soft composition for applying glaze, finishing polish, sealants, and liquid waxes. Flat pad provides full contact with paint surface to minimize the pressure applied by the user.

Red Ultra-soft Wax/Sealant Foam - This soft, imported foam is ideal for applying the final coat of wax or sealant. The foam works especially well when applying liquid waxes or sealants because it is firm enough to keep the majority of the product on the paint, rather than soaking it up. The red foam has no cut or cleaning ability.

[cardaddy]

Hi Ed,

Bobby is on point (as usual) ;) and has given you good information.

If you want to do any correction at all you'll need something with a bit of cut to it. Unless you have deep swirls I'm willing to bet you can get a finish you really like with a good polish like Meg's Ultimate Polish, or Megs 205. FWIW "UP" has more oils and typically allows longer working times which makes it literally impossible to do any damage.

Perhaps start with a pink pad maybe moving to the orange if you're not getting the results you are looking for. For that matter even a white pad to start. The key, as I'm sure you have noticed here on AG is 'do no harm' and 'test area'. The same product used on three different pads will give three (or more) different results, depending on of course how many passes, what amount of pressure, etc.

That's my 2¢ worth.... Jus' thinkin' out loud here. :)

[eyost]

Thanks Bobby.

I have the Pinnacle Twins so I could start with that. Would it be best to start with the Orange pad with the swirl remover or a white pad with the advanced polish? Or, the orange pad with the polish?

See me being overwhelmed? I assume that the polish would have to be applied after the swirl remover if I use the remover?

Thanks again,

Ed

[KillaCam]

Use the white pad with the polish first on a test area. If that isn't getting the correction you want then try the orange pad with the swirl remover.

[umi000]

I would use a more aggressive product rather than use a more aggressive pad with a mild polish - the pad may induce marring that your polish will be too fine to completely remove.