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Polishable & Polishability - Paint Hardness or Softness

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  • Polishable & Polishability - Paint Hardness or Softness

    Polishable & Polishability - Paint Hardness or Softness


    Polishable: - Pol ish a ble
    Capable of being polished

    Polishabilty - Pol ish a bil i ty
    To the degree a surface or coating can be polished




    Polishable meaning how how easy or hard it is to remove below surface defects out of the paint. Polishable is a range between
    1. So hard it's extremely difficult to remove small particles of paint in an effort to remove a below surface defect.
    2. So soft that just the act of wiping the paint with a clean, soft microfiber polishing cloth instills swirls and scratches.


    The best of both worlds is a paint system somewhere between these two extremes. A paint system the average person can work on, by this we mean a paint system soft enough they can work defects out of the paint but hard enough to resist scratching through normal maintenance procedures while still providing long service life.

    When you go to work on your car in your garage the best thing you can do is what we call a Test Spot where you test the products and procedures of your first choice to see if they'll remove the defects and restore a show car finish. This usually means starting out with the least aggressive products you have available and if your test spots reveals to you eyes that your first choice of products are not working either effectively enough or fast enough then you can alway try again only for your next test spot try substituting a more aggressive product, a more aggressive pad or a different method for applying the products.

    Once you determine a combination of products that will remove the defects and restore a show car shine then all you have to do is duplicate this process over the rest of the car.

    Asking on a discussion forum whether the paint on your car is hard or soft can be a good way to get other people's opinion on the matter and if they have the same car with a factory paint job then their opinion can mean even more, however the best way to find out is to go out into your garage and try a couple of products first hand and find out for yourself.

    Nothing beats first hand experience and things like your personal skill level will have a great influence on your success or failure and can actually mislead you about the polishability of the paint in truth.

    "You don't know what you can do until you try"

    What this means is you don't know what you can do until you go out into your garage and work on your car.

    Mike Phillips
    760-515-0444
    showcargarage@gmail.com

    "Find something you like and use it often"

  • #2
    Re: Polishable & Polishability - Paint Hardness or Softness

    Its a tad bit old, but i still enjoyed reading it.
    Nick
    Tucker's Detailing Services
    815-954-0773
    2012 Ford Transit Connect

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Polishable & Polishability - Paint Hardness or Softness

      does make sense. thanks
      2008 Toyota Corolla 5-spd
      2005 Honda CRF250R
      2002 kawasaki Ninja ZX9R

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Polishable & Polishability - Paint Hardness or Softness

        Are there any guidelines regarding the manufacturer (i.e. VW hard or soft, BMW hard or soft, etc.)?

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Polishable & Polishability - Paint Hardness or Softness

          Originally posted by Vader View Post
          Are there any guidelines regarding the manufacturer (i.e. VW hard or soft, BMW hard or soft, etc.)?
          None that we're aware of; keep in mind manufactures can and do change paint systems so there's no guarantee what was being sprayed last year is being sprayed this year so it's usually not a good idea to make generalizations and be careful when reading any generalizations being made by members of other forums.

          The best thing to do is to get informed and then go out into your garage and work on your car's paint as that's where the rubber meets the road.

          Mike Phillips
          760-515-0444
          showcargarage@gmail.com

          "Find something you like and use it often"

          Comment

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