Not very happy with ScratchX

[Graeme]

Not very happy with ScratchX



Well I'm very disappointed with this product, it seems it works like a charm for everyone else but not for me? Could it be a dud tube of scratchx or am I the dumbest detailer out there?


I got a small amount of bird poop on the roof, after trying ScratchX 4 times with a LOT of pressure it did nothing.

I noticed a small scratch on my rear bumper about 6 inches long and very faint, once again after using ScratchX with a LOT of pressure it did nothing the scratch remains the same. I have attached a picture below of the scratch.

I read the different threads about it etc and I have Worked the product in, I have done this about 5 times with no result at all.

I cannot feel the scratch at all when I run my fingernail over it.

Now I am very frustrated and annoyed

This is a closeup using Macro Mode. You can just see the scratch between the arrows




Graeme

[duy_k2000]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

Well I'm very disappointed with this product, it seems it works like a charm for everyone else but not for me? Could it be a dud tube of scratchx or am I the dumbest detailer out there?


I got a small amount of bird poop on the roof, after trying ScratchX 4 times with a LOT of pressure it did nothing.

I noticed a small scratch on my rear bumper about 6 inches long and very faint, once again after using ScratchX with a LOT of pressure it did nothing the scratch remains the same. I have attached a picture below of the scratch.

I read the different threads about it etc and I have Worked the product in, I have done this about 5 times with no result at all.

I cannot feel the scratch at all when I run my fingernail over it.

Now I am very frustrated and annoyed

This is a closeup using Macro Mode. You can just see the scratch between the arrows




Graeme

I am very new to car detailing and Meg's product. But I have used ScratchX and seen it remove minor scratches. Maybe you should try this:
1) Clean and clay the surface.
2) Cover up half of the scratch with some masking tape
3) Now use a terry cloth or MF to work scratchX in different directions with some passions. It may take more than 1 applications.
4) Remeber you have to work till scratchx has broken down.
5) after wiping off the surface, remove the masking tape and compare.

If you see improvement, then good. If not, maybe you need to try something more abrassive. Like all product, ScratchX has its limit. It works for what it's designed to do (remove minor scratches).

Good luck.

[bernard78]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

Hi Graeme, U need to work it - meaning with pressure & "heat"..... rubbing hard & fast. Actually if u understand why Rotary or a Random Orbital works better than hand is the fact that they are faster & create some heat to enable breaking down the dimishning abrasive & to work effectively.

showcargarage.com

U look at mike's vid sample on how he does it. Also use a bit more of it. It works better this was. It takes a bit of practice. I was facing similar problems at 1st too. Not all scratches can be cure. I feel swirls are easier to cure than scratches. One must understand like duy_k2000 said it has its limits too. Hehehe. Give it a try & see how? Let us know the results. Since u are gonna get the Random Orbital, why not then use M80 Speed Glaze to fix it all. Hehehe.

[yakky]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

I'll start out by say I really love a lot of Meguiars products. ColorX and #40 are some of my favorites. However I too was unimpressed with the bite of ScratchX. I was hoping for something along the lines of a rubbing compound that finished out smooth. To me it just seems like a strong polish. I could definately see a user expecting it to work miracles and not getting very far. You definately have to keep working it for a long time.

[gorin002]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

i appoldges sound like me with scrtach remvers hahahahaha
sory just i tryed few wanna try scratchX seemd scrtaches wil stay

[Graeme]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

Hi Graeme, U need to work it - meaning with pressure & "heat"..... rubbing hard & fast.

Hi Bernard, Thanks for the reply. I used a Meg's applicator and I was rubbing as hard and fast as I could. The applicator WAS feeling rather hot.

I could definately see a user expecting it to work miracles and not getting very far. You definately have to keep working it for a long time.

Thanks for the reply yakky,
I didn't expect it to perform miracle but I did expect it to remove the scratch, but I didnt expect it to remove all of the bird poop but I did expect it to greatly reduce it to a point it was hard to see.

Graeme

[Graeme]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

i appoldges sound like me with scrtach remvers hahahahaha
sory just i tryed few wanna try scratchX seemd scrtaches wil stay

Hopefully I will look back on this and laugh At the moment I am really frustrated as I don't know if its me or the product. Although I would hedge a bet its me . I will have another go at it tomorrow and see how it turns. This time I will try a MF or TT.

Graeme

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

Posted in another thread a long time ago but most of the information fits here...

###################


Someone else on another forum was asking about ScratchX and in their question they stated that Meguiar's claimed ScratchX would remove any scratch in your finish. I chimed in and did my best to clarify what can and cannot be done with ScratchX.

First off, no where on the label does it say ScratchX will remove ANY scratch from your paint.

In fact what it does say is that if ScratchX cannot remove a scratch or blemish, then only a machine applied professional formula will do the job.

Here is the back label in its entirety,

ScratchX is the most effective way to remove fine scratches and swirls from your paint by hand. This product is guaranteed to deliver the highest results possible by hand and it will also remove surface contaminant and enhance paint color. Unlike many of today's scratch removing formulas, Meguiar's ScratchX will not leave more scratched than it takes out. Use for quick touch ups on one section, or revive your cars look with a an application to the entire vehicle. If ScratchX cannot remove a scratch or blemish, only machine applied professional formulas can do the job. Please call our technical help center toll free for further assistance on how to restore your finish.

I answer questions like this all the time and explain how it works.

Basically, modern clear coats are incredibly hard, at least relative to traditional paints. For this reason, you are very limited in what you can do with your hand. In order to remove a scratch from your finish, you must remove a certain amount of paint from the finish in an effort to level or flatten out the finish.





Thus the problem is, how do you remove small particles of paint in a controlled fashion in an effort to level the highest points of the surface with the lowest depths of the scratch?

The answer is, with catalyzed clear coat finishes, baked on at the factory, it is extremely difficult. That's why the back label says,

ScratchX is the most effective way to remove fine scratches and swirls from your paint by hand.

It's not perfect, but it's as effective as you and your 4 digits pushing down on a foam applicator can be.

If this combination won't remove the scratches, then it will require the application of machine applied compound, paint cleaner, or cleaner polish, (In the Meguiar's line). Which, the back label also states clearly.

Thus the increased popularity of the Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher and products like Meguiar's #83 DACP, (Dual Action Cleaner Polish).

Does the product work? Yes, if the scratches and swirls are very light and the paint isn't so hard that a human cannot remove small particles of paint with their hand. In most cases, if you cannot completely remove the scratches, swirls or blemishes, you can at least improve them. Which for a lot of Joe Consumers, is good enough. Then apply a coat of wax and move on.

This product can be used for spot areas or on the entire car. Tomorrow we'll be doing a photo shoot for Vette Magazine using a black Corvette, and we'll be showing how to use ScratchX by hand, probably over the entire finish. We have not seen the Corvette yet, (Belongs to the senior editor of Super Chevy magazine), and the first thing Meguiar's always teaches is to first evaluate the finish, then select your products.

This product is not intended for use by machine because it tends to become gummy when heated. It was brought out to compete against gimmicky products like the other scratch removers in a tube that can potentially instill scratches into your finish because unlike Meguiar's they use abrasives that do not break down.

Thus the wording,

Unlike many of today's scratch removing formulas, Meguiar's ScratchX will not leave more scratches than it removes.

Once in a while we have to help someone who scratches their paint when using this product, in each case that we can remember, it was always because of their application material, i.e. a tatty rag, or a red shop rag, etc. or rubbing like a wild man.

Producing a flawless finish is a combination of the right products and the right application materials with the human elements of care and passion.

Note: After using the ScratchX, you need to apply a coat or two of your favorite wax as ScratchX is a paint cleaner, not a paint protectant.

Anyway, hope this helps...

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

We're not going to say you're doing something wrong as removing scratches by hand out of todays modern paints can be very difficult, in other words, removing paint by hand with a gentle paint cleaner like ScratchX can be very difficult.

At the same time, in the last 3 years, we've had many, many, many people come to our Saturday class, or our Wednesday night class and show us a scratch or a bird drooping etching that they couldn't remove using ScratchX. So then we try and in most cases the scratch or bird dropping etching gets removed.

It's not Meguiar's fault the paints changed. You can't simply make a scratch remover real aggressive or gritty to make it remove paint easier and more quickly because it will then leave scratches behind, this is why old fashioned rubbing and polishing compounds cannot be used on modern clear coat paints. Sure they remove the original defect, but they leave behind thousands of their own scratches in the process... now what?

To remove a swirls or scratch out of a scratch-sensitive paint like a clear coat you have to take a gentle approach, not an aggressive approach. The more difficult the job, the more important your technique becomes.

And remember what the back label states,

"If ScratchX does not remove the defect, then only a machine applied professional product will"


It's not Meguiar's fault the paint have changed, we do our best to make products that enable you to be successful when you go out into your garage to work on your car, but if you're not successful, it could be because of factors outside of our control.

One of the reasons the dual action polisher has become so popular is because the average person, and even the skilled enthusiasts has discovered that removing swirls out of clear coat paints is extremely difficult to do to a small area, let alone the entire car.

Removing Random, Isolated, Deeper Scratches, (RIDS), is also very hard and can be impossible if the scratches are too deep and/or the paint is too hard.


p.s.


The owner of the Viper used in the how-to article tried ScratchX to remove the etching left by the bird dropping and flat out told us the product didn't work. Then we applied it 3 times and removed 99% of the etching.

How to remove a defect by hand using ScratchX

The above scenario has been played out hundreds of times at our classes and the fun part is when you're demonstrating how it works is you get to have about 30 people watch live in person.

[yakky]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

Hi Mike, I hope I'm not going against forum rules, but I have found ZPC to do what I wanted ScratchX to do. It starts out very coarse and finishes out very smooth, even by hand. I had two scrapes like the initial poster that came out with 15 minutes work per scrape. I don't like the price of that product though. I can take a picuture of all my Meguiars products to prove my allegiance.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

Hi Mike, I hope I'm not going against forum rules, but I have found ZPC to do what I wanted ScratchX to do. It starts out very coarse and finishes out very smooth, even by hand. I had two scrapes like the initial poster that came out with 15 minutes work per scrape. I don't like the price of that product though. I can take a picuture of all my Meguiars products to prove my allegiance.

I found the product left finger marks everywhere I tested it, of course I tested it on a black car, what color did you test on?

[gorin002]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

wowwww.am knocked out
if i can`t remove the scatches i pref leave them than some agrassive chemical

wel
Graeme you and i have some work to do with mike instructions
think you need to more faith in your self

[Jeepster04]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

Ive removed some fairly bad scratches in my clear. My Jeep gets a few scratches every time I go offroad and Ive never had problems removing the scratches with scratch-x.

[Lydia]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

ScratchX works great IME. One thing I noticed is it didn't work as well if I used to much, or if I didn't rub it in until it had broken down all the way to the point it was just like a greasy film.

[yakky]

Re: Not very happy with ScratchX

I found the product left finger marks everywhere I tested it, of course I tested it on a black car, what color did you test on?

I tested on medium metallic blue. What do you mean by finger marks? Lines where you used the abrasive and had your fingers?