Can you compound or polish too much?

[cstegs]

Ok, I've gone completely crazy. I've gone from going through car washes and applying turtle wax to buying a pc7424, only washing by two buckets, and applying premium waxes.

I've never used a da before, but I really really enjoy detailing my own cars. So much that I'll wax a vehicle every 3-4 weeks, and clean the interior every week.

So with my new purchase of a da I plan on using either p21s shine enhancer or Meg's ultimate polish. Do I need to train myself to only use these like twice a year? It could I use them every month?

Also what about Meg's ultimate compound? Use that only like once a year?

[dcjredline]

You can literally polish the clear and paint right off your car. How aggressive you go will determine when that will happen. I dont see a need to polish ever week...try to keep the surface swirl free instead of continuing to polish out what you did to it. KWIM?

[af90]

I don't see a need to compound a car more than once maybe twice if the dealer gets to it. But for most daily drivers that are taken care of appropriately and realistically a light polish every 12-18 months is all that's needed.

I caveat this with a daily driver that's washed every couple of weeks and goes through what an average car will see on the highways. I just polished our Jetta for the first time and it hadn't been compounded or polished since when we got it in August of 13. All I had to use was CarPro Reflect on it.

[Legacykid]

You can literally polish the clear and paint right off your car. How aggressive you go will determine when that will happen. I dont see a need to polish ever week...try to keep the surface swirl free instead of continuing to polish out what you did to it. KWIM?

Simple and to the point^^

[rlmccarty2000]

You seem to enjoy the process, like most of us on the forum. Just stay with wax and enjoy the time with your car. If you are worried about protection use PBL coating and then wax to your hearts content and have the best of both worlds.

[dlc95]

You could also apply a glaze of you desire. Something like Megs Deep Crystal Polish. It doesn't contain the abrasives that Ultimate Polish does, it's just a gloss enhancing lotion. If used in conjunction with Meguiar's sealants and waxes, you should be in good shape.

If you choose to apply by machine use a pad with little to no mechanical action, like the blue Lake Country flat, or ccs pad.

[FUNX650]

IMO: No...
Not as long as you don't remove more than 25 percent
(~7-12μ) of the top-coat film-layer...
during the vehicles' paint-system's expected life-cycle.


Bob

[Rsurfer]

IMO: No...
Not as long as you don't remove more than 25 percent
(~7-12μ) of the top-coat film-layer...
during the vehicles' paint-system's expected life-cycle.


Bob

I polished 3 X's a year for 10 years and paint is still good.

[Jbirk]

Make sure you clay, too...

There is a huge difference (magnitude) between each level of paint correction... Each jump in aggressiveness is not linear or twice as aggressive, it is exponentially more aggressive and removes a LOT more paint.

In order of aggressiveness least to most:
1. Washing, and Waxing (Least)
2. Claying (removes some paint while sheering off contaminants)
3. Finish Polishing/Jewling/Cleaner Wax (now you are removing some paint to increase shine - not enough to take-out "level" swirls)
4. Polishing (takes considerable paint... if it didn't, it would not level the rest of the paint with the deeper valleys of swirls)
5. Compounding (Takes magnitudes more paint... may even use pads that somewhat mar/haze the finish a bit... Needed to fix RIDS, fine scratches, remove sanding marks etc.)
6. Color Sanding (i.e. Wet Sanding). Generally done with 5000 grit all the way up to 1000 grit. 5000 grit is not very harsh on the paint and will polish out easily with regular foam pads and a DA, where a much more coarse grit may require microfiber cutting pads, wool pads, rotary power tools, etc. to remove the sanding marks. It's no joke... if your compound says, "Takes out 1200 grit sanding marks" give yourself some wiggle-room because it may matter the type of paint, pad, rotary vs. DA, etc...

The 3000 and 5000 grit stuff are fairly safe in my opinion with extreme care to cautiously take only what you need to... 2000 can be used with factory paints according to most experts, but anything more coarse and I would NOT personally do it... Too risky, IMO without extensive training and a paint guage... both of which I do not have. All that said, it is completely true that some pros use 1,000 and even 800 grit papers, but they have years of experience and probably have connections with a body shop paint booth for those bad days they bust through the clear...

[Paul A.]

I would say you can certainly compound too much but wouldn't think a light polish or paint cleaner removes enough over the life of a vehicle to compromise the paint. The tried and true concept of using the least aggressive method to level the paint will insure you don't remove more than is necessary. The trick is to keep the imperfections (scratches, swirls etc.) to a minimum.

I also agree with the point of refining your techniques for washing and drying so as to not marr the paint to need cutting and leveling too often. I own a black car and have drastically reduced my self induced marring significantly because of this place over the years. I cut, buff and polish about once a year after i have gradually accumulated enough to want to remove. However, i wash and dry once a week...every single week.