Used polish compound on clear coat

[sleepy weasel]

Re: Used polish compound on clear coat

here are some photos of the hood

[Murr1525]

Re: Used polish compound on clear coat

Glad you are making progress... and yes a DA would help.

It is possible that having to work so hard to remove the big damage is leaving a few small swirls as you go. you could try lightening up at the end, or a third light pass.

[sleepy weasel]

Re: Used polish compound on clear coat

yes, as I continue on, I am learning more what to look for as far as finished result and refining my technique. I am thinking that perhaps more passes is the way to go vs. fewer passes and more pressure. This has worked very well on the trunk, and I am happy with the result there. The hood, which was the first panel I completed, could possibly need some more work now that I have gotten better at recognizing what constitutes a more finished result. I was still learning and kind of experimenting with amount of compound, pressure, etc. when I did the hood. While I am pleased with the removal of the scratches I put in there, it is not perfect, though good enough for now I suppose. It's funny, when I first began this project, I just wanted the scratches I inflicted removed, but as the project has progressed, I find myself wanting more. I suppose this is how one gets sucked in to this rewarding hobby. By the way, does Meguiar's have demonstrations/workshops for this kind of thing? Are they located in California?

P.s. From the pictures of my hood, can anyone tell if there seem to be some fingertip markings? I am really paranoid of leaving these. The hood looks really good in a lighted garage, but everything seems to look very different in the sun. What is the best way to view/photograph the finish to assess the progress?

[Murr1525]

Re: Used polish compound on clear coat

The main ones are Thursday nights or Saturdays at the Irvine HQ. All free, just have to check the sign up threads.

To get good photos, besides playing around, you generally want to be in the sun, and point a finger, or towel, or something onto the surface to let the camera focus at the surface.

As far as your work... hard to say. Might be a little, but it is also on the curve of the hood with some clouds... so kind of throws everything off. At worst, all the finger marks are are mild swirls...

[sleepy weasel]

Re: Used polish compound on clear coat

I have a question I was hoping someone with more detailing experience could answer for me. I am working on my car in a well-lighted garage. I worked on the hood using Ultimate Compound, and finished to what appeared to my eyes to be a good result. When I pulled the car out into the sun, I saw a few minor areas that were not as "finished" as they appeared to be out of the sun. Nothing major, just a few small areas that were not as perfect as appeared to be out of the sunlight. When I pulled my car back into the garage, I could not locate the areas. I was wondering how one deals with these areas (if at all) if they are not visible in your work area? Is another pass made over the entire panel using UC or another compound, hoping that this takes care of the minor areas? Or are some slightly less than perfect areas in some lighting something that one accepts, especially when working by hand and not with the aid of a DA? I am assuming the use of a DA further increases uniformity and reduces the occurrence of slightly less than perfect spots.... Anyway, thank you for any input on what my next step, if any, should be. If a photo would help, let me know, I am working on my photo skills too.

[Murr1525]

Re: Used polish compound on clear coat

You may find something like the Brinkman Dual Xenon flashlight helpfull.

Every different type of light will show something different. But the Brinkman seems to do a decent job on a small scale.