I must be a total newbie hack job...(frustrated)

**Patrickcarter** · 09-14-2010, 11:20 AM

So after working with the M105 and the Flex for about 2 hours on my whole truck yesterday, I quit and took the kids to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch some football, have a beer and reflect on a great day of polishing my Titan. So this morning after getting the kiddos up and off to school I go out and start working on the truck with M205, the Flex, and a LC red finishing pad, and I cant seem to get it right and I'm getting super frustrated. All I can seem to do is put holograms in the paint. I don't know if maybe I'm not polishing enough, like maybe I need to use a black "finessing" pad with the M205 first and the hit it with the red pad, or maybe it's just greasy from removing the wax and I need to wash the truck down again and then take a look at it, but that's a PITA since I would have to take all the tape off and redo it if I need to do more polishing. Or maybe it's not even holograming, maybe its micro marring. Maybe I'm crazy and I just need to stop obsessing, my wife can't see what I'm talking about, and I have to take it out into the sun walk around the truck while doing some rain dance head bobbing up and down to see what I'm seeing, that's on the vertical parts, on the horizontal parts it's very easy to see with out moving around. It looks kinda greasy is the best way to describe it.

At this point I should have just left the truck alone, I had no swirls in it, ever, only a few scratches and things that I wanted to work out, but now I've jacked it up royally, and I'm pissed, but too hard headed to take it to someone and pay them 300 bucks to do something that I will eventually be able to do myself.

Thanks for any advice.

Patrick

**WRAPT C5Z06** · 09-14-2010, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by Patrickcarter

So after working with the M105 and the Flex for about 2 hours on my whole truck yesterday, I quit and took the kids to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch some football, have a beer and reflect on a great day of polishing my Titan. So this morning after getting the kiddos up and off to school I go out and start working on the truck with M205, the Flex, and a LC red finishing pad, and I cant seem to get it right and I'm getting super frustrated. All I can seem to do is put holograms in the paint. I don't know if maybe I'm not polishing enough, like maybe I need to use a black "finessing" pad with the M205 first and the hit it with the red pad, or maybe it's just greasy from removing the wax and I need to wash the truck down again and then take a look at it, but that's a PITA since I would have to take all the tape off and redo it if I need to do more polishing. Or maybe it's not even holograming, maybe its micro marring. Maybe I'm crazy and I just need to stop obsessing, my wife can't see what I'm talking about, and I have to take it out into the sun walk around the truck while doing some rain dance head bobbing up and down to see what I'm seeing, that's on the vertical parts, on the horizontal parts it's very easy to see with out moving around. It looks kinda greasy is the best way to describe it.

At this point I should have just left the truck alone, I had no swirls in it, ever, only a few scratches and things that I wanted to work out, but now I've jacked it up royally, and I'm pissed, but too hard headed to take it to someone and pay them 300 bucks to do something that I will eventually be able to do myself.

Thanks for any advice.

Patrick

EDIT: I read it through and you haven't even applied an LSP.

Can you post some pictures of what you're talking about? Try using IPA or a quick detailer on one panel and see if that removes the greasy look.

Don't pay anyone to do it!! You mention a greasy reflection that may look like holograming. Are you sure you wiped off your LSP good enough. If you over applied it and didn't remove all of it, it will leave a greasy look to it. What color is your truck? Go over a panel with quick detailer and see if that helps.

**08krewkab** · 09-14-2010, 11:31 AM

how many beers did you have at BW3's??

**Patrickcarter** · 09-14-2010, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by 08krewkab

how many beers did you have at BW3's??

LOL, not enough to do this kind of crap

**Dubbin1** · 09-14-2010, 11:43 AM

Where are you located? Maybe one of the members could pop over and give you some advice.

**Patrickcarter** · 09-14-2010, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by 07 z-oh-6

EDIT: I read it through and you haven't even applied an LSP.

Can you post some pictures of what you're talking about? Try using IPA or a quick detailer on one panel and see if that removes the greasy look.

Don't pay anyone to do it!! You mention a greasy reflection that may look like holograming. Are you sure you wiped off your LSP good enough. If you over applied it and didn't remove all of it, it will leave a greasy look to it. What color is your truck? Go over a panel with quick detailer and see if that helps.

Thanks, not wiping enough is what I was thinking/thought at first, I'm going to try on more time with a IPA wipe, and see what it looks like, I guess I was under the impression that you shouldn't have to cover up anything with a LSP (if I'm using the term correctly, I understand it to be like a pinnacle souveran, or a Z2 type product?) In other words I was going for a perfectly smooth finish first then going to be using the souveran over that. Not right? I'll get back to you with pics if the IPA or QD wipe with a clean towel doesn't work.

Thanks a ton
Patrick

**RaskyR1** · 09-14-2010, 11:45 AM

Do you have any other polishes besides M105/M205? I've had some paints where I simply can't get M205 to finish down without micro marring on a DA.

EDIT: I love BWW!

**WRAPT C5Z06** · 09-14-2010, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Patrickcarter

Thanks, not wiping enough is what I was thinking/thought at first, I'm going to try on more time with a IPA wipe, and see what it looks like, I guess I was under the impression that you shouldn't have to cover up anything with a LSP (if I'm using the term correctly, I understand it to be like a pinnacle souveran, or a Z2 type product?) In other words I was going for a perfectly smooth finish first then going to be using the souveran over that. Not right? I'll get back to you with pics if the IPA or QD wipe with a clean towel doesn't work.

Thanks a ton
Patrick

You're exactly right. Before I edited my post, I thought the LSP might have been giving the greasy look because you didn't buff it off completely, but you didn't apply the LSP yet. However, if you don't buff all the polish off, it can give a greasy look, too. Report back after and IPA wipedown.

What % IPA and dilution are you using. Straight IPA can mar the paint sometimes, IME. I always dilute it 50/50.

**BobbyG** · 09-14-2010, 11:52 AM

To Autogeek!

Take a deep breath and relax....

What pad and speed were you using with Meguiar's M105?

The red Lake County foam pad is almost always used for applying waxes, sealants, glazes, products that require no cutting.

For reference this is what I use.

Meguiar's M105: Yellow or Orange Lake Country flat pad.
Meguiar's M205: White or Gray Lake Country flat pad.
Menzerna PO85RD: White or Gray Lake Country flat pad.

IPA wipe to remove any oils or contaminants.

Sealants or waxes I use a blue or red Lake Country CCS pad.

**Patrickcarter** · 09-14-2010, 12:21 PM

Crisis averted, IPA at 70% FTW

Looks "ALMOST" perfect now, just have to get the wax out of the rock chips and then do a LSP.

I can't believe that I forgot the most important rule of not loading up your towel, ever since I started using Zaino about 13 years ago I would use like 3 towels per car so I didn't get this greasy mess, and look at me forgetting things with my old age(29)

Thanks guys
Patrick