newbie with the pc

[mini44]

Mike and or other experts

I am experiencing tiny scratches on my black roof of my mini after using the pc. I am using m80 with the w8006 pad, slow arm speed, overlapping motions and I did each area at least two times. I have your video so I think I was following it correctly. I may have been pushing too hard or not working it long enough. I can't see these scratches on the hood as it is silver. The photos don't seem to show my problems but, is this a common first timers problem? The lights in my garage are two track lights with 5 , 50 watt halogens so it's pretty bright. Am I expecting too much from this stuff?

[flatstick]

Re: newbie with the pc

Hi, glad to see you are joining the world of detailing with the PC. even though I can not see the marring you are talking about in the pic, I would say you may have answered your own question. you may not be working the product long enough and are not backing off on the pressure on you last pass. what speed were you working it at ? my other question would be do you have a pad for your pc that has less cut than the 8006 ? often you can achieve a nicer more flawless finish with a finishing pad on black. if you do not have another pad work the product until it is clear as in the DVD and use less pressure. black is the ultimate test for a detailer and will show any defects very easy. I am sure somebody else will give their thoughts as well. hope this helps a little.

[mini44]

Re: newbie with the pc

Thanks, I have some finishing pads. What product do you suggest?

[flatstick]

Re: newbie with the pc

Glad to see you have some finishing pads as well. I would give the 80 a shot with the pads you were using first and work until until it turns clear. try a small section as a test spot. you can start with less pressure then before and back off as you work it. keep your technique the same with 50% overlapping and very slow arm speed. the biggest issue I had when starting to use the PC is like a lot of people. working too big of an area and using too much product. with that in mind the polish was not breaking down enough and did not get the results I wanted. I have had some good success with #80 on a black with a PC so it should work out for you. also make sure you are using enough speed on the PC. 5 should do it. if you try this and it does not work change the pad and do your little test area again. since you saw the video you can remember that Mike says all finishes are different and a small test area will allow you to confirm that your pad and product will give you the desired result. hope my advice makes sense. keep us posted how it is working out for you. patience is a great thing when working on your finish. take your time and use the least abrasive product that works for you.

[Coupe]

Re: newbie with the pc

You might have the same problem i had on my car. The paint is so soft that #80 is to strong for it. What i had to do was use #82 and a finishing pad and voila, perfect.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: newbie with the pc

You might have the same problem i had on my car. The paint is so soft that #80 is to strong for it. What i had to do was use #82 and a finishing pad and voila, perfect.

You nailed it.

Different paint systems will require different products to get the perfect finish because of paint hardness or softness, something you won't know until you actually start working on the paint.

Besides #82, some other options for a finishing product before you LSP would be #9, #66, #6 and ColorX.

[Coupe]

Re: newbie with the pc

#82 has a special place in my heart
I wish more people would give it a try.

[mini44]

Re: newbie with the pc

Thanks guys, I had better results today with the m80 polishing longer and with hardly any pressure. I am going to do a test spot with the colorx maybe fill in some of the very fine marring.

[flatstick]

Re: newbie with the pc

[quote=mini44;160312]Thanks guys, I had better results today with the m80 polishing longer and with hardly any pressure. I am going to do a test spot with the colorx maybe fill in some of the very fine marring.


Glad to see you have improved your method and it is working better for you. like the idea of you doing another test spot and see what happens. like the others have said, you can not know what the outcome will be until you test it. there is a learning curve with every product and method. there are a lot of experienced people here that can offer their experience and thoughts. any chance you can get us some full pics of your ride ? would like to see it when you are done. great feeling doing it yourself and being happy with the results isn't it ?