Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

[awns729]

http: //forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1995329

See above for some photos of my car. Basically there are scratches and swirls everywhere. Made the mistake of using Turtle Rubbing Compound on teh trunk and bumper, and I was directed here to remedy that. The RC left a haze on my paint. How do I remove it? Just a wash with dish soap?

The car has been washed and claybared with the Meguiar's kit. Portions of it have been polished, as stated above.

I'm wondering if I should try ScratchX 2.0 by hand after another wash, or look into an orbital buffer or DA. I need a cost effective solution because I have no job, but I have plenty of time. I'm going to check if Home Depot has a DA that I can rent (not sure if this is possible?).

If you guys can recommend and lay out the steps I should take from here to fix my paint that'd be great. I'm looking for results that are good enough to convince the average person the car looks great. I don't have the money for a professional, and I'm also interested in learning to do this myself. Ideally, I'm looking to spend under $40, but if strongly suggested I can go to $100 possibly.

Thank you so much!

If there's any information that you need, or if it would be more convenient for me to post the photos here, let me know.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

That particular product is pretty aggressive stuff that's usually better suited to older single stage paints. The good news is that you haven't done any serious damage and what you have done is fairly easy to correct. Of course, since you're working by hand, "easy" is a relative term.

Have a look at our 5 Step Paint Care Cycle and pay close attention to the Surface Prep or Paint Cleaning step. There's even a video at that point that shows you how to do this step properly.

You want to pick up some Ultimate Compound and a couple of soft foam wax applicator pads. Do NOT use terry cloth for this step as terry is pretty aggressive and can cause a light version of this hazing. UC with a foam pad should clear this up completely, but it's going to take some time working by hand.

The most important things to keep in mind are:

• Work in small areas at a time - no more than about 1' x 1' when working by hand
• Apply in a circular motion with a fair amount of pressure - your arm should start telling you to stop after a couple of minutes.
• Don't skimp on product here - a dime sized amount is too small, but don't go crazy and glob it on the pad either; about a 1.5" diameter dollop on the pad should do for this area
• Work the product until it's just a clear film on the surface, but not until it dries out. Wipe off the residue while it's still wet, but just very thin on the surface

At this point, after doing just one small area, pull the car out into the sunlight and give it a close visual inspection. You should see the finish looking nice and clear again. If the issue hasn't been fully corrected, go back over it a second time. Once you dial in this test spot you'll have a process for doing the whole car. Always work in these small areas, wiping off the residue as you go and never letting it dry on the paint. If it does start to dry, apply a small amount of fresh product over it and remove it immediately.

[Nova5]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

I have recently learned NEVER use dishsoap except in a emergency necessity. ScratchX is more aggressive than SwirlX. Try swirlX first, if that fails to remove them (may have to wash that section after using SwirlX) then go to ScratchX 2.0.

Slowes and Home Despot don't rent small powertools like that unfortunately.




--edit-- Listen to the master above me. Ignore this peasant

[awns729]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

That particular product is pretty aggressive stuff that's usually better suited to older single stage paints. The good news is that you haven't done any serious damage and what you have done is fairly easy to correct. Of course, since you're working by hand, "easy" is a relative term.

Have a look at our 5 Step Paint Care Cycle and pay close attention to the Surface Prep or Paint Cleaning step. There's even a video at that point that shows you how to do this step properly.

You want to pick up some Ultimate Compound and a couple of soft foam wax applicator pads. Do NOT use terry cloth for this step as terry is pretty aggressive and can cause a light version of this hazing. UC with a foam pad should clear this up completely, but it's going to take some time working by hand.

The most important things to keep in mind are:

• Work in small areas at a time - no more than about 1' x 1' when working by hand
• Apply in a circular motion with a fair amount of pressure - your arm should start telling you to stop after a couple of minutes.
• Don't skimp on product here - a dime sized amount is too small, but don't go crazy and glob it on the pad either; about a 1.5" diameter dollop on the pad should do for this area
• Work the product until it's just a clear film on the surface, but not until it dries out. Wipe off the residue while it's still wet, but just very thin on the surface

At this point, after doing just one small area, pull the car out into the sunlight and give it a close visual inspection. You should see the finish looking nice and clear again. If the issue hasn't been fully corrected, go back over it a second time. Once you dial in this test spot you'll have a process for doing the whole car. Always work in these small areas, wiping off the residue as you go and never letting it dry on the paint. If it does start to dry, apply a small amount of fresh product over it and remove it immediately.

Thanks for the quick response. I know that UC is your most powerful consumer product. I also believe I've read that these SMAT products can be rubbed in as needed, but you can also stop once the damage looks to be repaired. The rest of my paint is not in as poor condition as the photos you saw, so I'm wondering if I should stick with UC for the entire car or perhaps use SwirlX/ScratcX 2.0 for the less severely damaged areas?

Also, would touch up paint be the step between claybarring and polishing?

One more question - As far as cheap ($20-40) orbital buffers go, would this be at all useful in applying any of these three compounds? I know DAs are a better option and suggested, but do orbital buffers fall anywhere between DA and hand polishing?

Thank you so much!

[fzr confused]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

Those cheap buffers will not touch scratches, only spread polish. UC by hand is your best/cheapest option. I myself have very little success with scratchX by hand, with my PC it does great just not by hand for ME.

[awns729]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

I tried UC on part of the trunk, after three applications (I did about half the trunk, but I will have to do a slightly smaller area at a time to stay within 1sqft next time). I definitelynotice a difference. UC is doing great work. But the scratches, although I cannot feel them with a fingernail, won't come out. They have faded a bit. Again, these scratches can't be noticed wiht a fingernail. This doesn't bother me too much, but UC is basically working best on the swirls and hazing. Is this because I'm not using a DA?

Also, once I am done polishing. Should I use a polish/wax or a cleaner/wax or a pure wax? I am VERY confused about this haha. In the 5 step cleaning process link you posted, it suggests a pure polish or cleaner polish followed by a pure wax or cleaner wax. It seems that if I go with a cleaner wax I can skip the polishing step as the cleaner wax combines the two for time saving and convenience.

So for my application after UC, I'm guessing that a pure polish will add extra gloss? And a cleaner polish will not do much because it only removes light swirls/scratches, of which there should be none? OR will it be like a less abrasive polish that's good to put on after UC?

And after this polishing step I can go with which wax?

Lots of questions, I know. THanks so much!

[fzr confused]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

A cleaner wax only removes fine swirls/scratches. But the thing is the UC leaves behind very faint scratches. Each step produces a smaller scratch in not so many words lol.

[awns729]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

haha yeah i remember reading that. that's why I'm not sure if I should move to something less abrasive before I do a pure wax or just do a cleaner/wax or ?

[Lasthope05]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

If you can wait it off a month. Poorboys World is holding a weekend event at their shop. Check the link for details. Basically for $20 you get free food/drinks and all of their product line up to use. I'm sure someone there will let you borrow their buffer for a hour or two. Its also right up you alley.

If only Meguairs would start holding some classes on the east coast....

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/25839-poorboy-s-detailing-weekend-2010-a.html

[Lasthope05]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

5 minute edit limit..

If your doing this by hand maybe give meguiars new rubbing compound and rubbing polish a try. It seems to produce some really good results by hand also and is must more refined than the turtle wax's products. They are also cheap to boot, about $6 a piece.

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41648&highlight=rubbing+compound

[awns729]

Re: Messed up removing scratches and swirls, need advice

If you can wait it off a month. Poorboys World is holding a weekend event at their shop. Check the link for details. Basically for $20 you get free food/drinks and all of their product line up to use. I'm sure someone there will let you borrow their buffer for a hour or two. Its also right up you alley.

If only Meguairs would start holding some classes on the east coast....

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...nd-2010-a.html

Thank you! It is literally 5 minutes from me. That's going be fantastic - too bad I'm missing half of it for a wedding, but I'm so glad you found that for me, I had no idea those guys were so close by.

I'm thinking M205 and a coat of wax after UC...how's that sound? Or maybe the rubbing/polishing compound and then a coat of wax?