Paint Fells like sand paper after polish

[Bluefin565]

Hi Everyone First post need help
Polished bonnet but still feels of grit in paint. Last polished 4 months ago was smooth as a babies b#m. Paint still excellent. Thought polish Gold Class using rotary pad might of dislodged grit. What can I do?
Thanks Cliff

[LiquidBlack]

You can try claying the vehicle, using products such as Meguiar's Quik Clay.

Clay Bar Technology

Clay bar technology evolved as a natural reaction to the need that arose for a way to safely remove bonded contaminants from clear coat paints without resorting to traditional rubbing or polishing compounds and the resulting scratches caused by the sharp, hard abrasive typically used in these formulas.

In the old days, if you found overspray or any type of unwanted substance on the hood, roof or deck lid of your car that washing didn't remove, you could simply go to the garage and grab any old compound, and together with a rag, you could quickly remove the offending contaminants. After that you could simply apply just about any companies wax and presto-chango, the problem was gone.

Not so simple anymore.

If your were to perform that same procedure to a modern clear coat today, you would see a horrible looking scratched-up mess everywhere you applied the compound, and the wax would do nothing to cover the scratches up.

Enter the Clay bar

Clay bars are non-abrasive bars of synthetic clay called polyclay. They are somewhat like a high-tech version of Play-Doh®. They work in three easy steps:

1. First, you mold the clay bar into a pancake-looking flat wafer
2. Second, you lubricate the finish with a spray lubricant like Meguiar's Quik Detailer
3. Third, you then rub the clay bar back and forth across the paint (somewhat like a bar of soap against your arm)

That's it! You are now claying your car's finish. As you're doing this, the clay bar will grab onto, lift, and pullout the contaminants that have bonded to the surface of your finish.

Generally speaking for most cars, only the horizontal surfaces need to be clayed, as it is the horizontal surfaces that contaminants tend to land on and if not removed within a reasonable period of time will then bond tightly to the surface. For extremely neglected vehicles, you can always evaluate the vertical surfaces and if need be, clay them too.

One important thing to keep in mind, if a vehicle's finish has bonded contaminants, it is highly likely that it also has below surface defects, for example, pore-imbedding stains. For this reason, Meguiar's recommends for best possible results, always use a paint cleaner after claying to insure the finish is clean both on top of the surface as well as below the surface.

Source: Meguiar's.com

[Bluefin565]

Thanks for quick reply shall try

Cliff

[RamAirV1]

Based on your description of the problem you probably have one of the following 4 things on your paint:

1. rail dust
2. tree sap mist
3. foundry dust (industrial fallout)
4. road sealant

Clay is definitely the solution to that gritty feeling. Is it on the hood, roof and trunk, or is it on the sides?

I hate when that happens, especially after I just waxed my car!

RamAirV1

[Bluefin565]

Tried the clay: paint work back to as smooth as a baby's B#M

Thanks

[LiquidBlack]

YES! Glad to be of service.

Automotive clay really is an amazing product.

You may want to re-wax the car, since claying does remove wax.

To those who have never clayed before:
Please note that clay will not restore glass. What it actually does is removes fine surface contaminants that can make the car's finish rough. Once removed, the car's finish should be as smooth as glass.