How many times can you "Cut" a car?

[lacastel16]

Re: How many times can you "Cut" a car?

now what do you guys use to a) wash the car and b) dry it, to avoid getting extra swirl marks on your paint? I tend to always use a microfiber wash mitt (by viking or megs) and i am using a new drying towel this season (smartwax waffle weave microfiber). are there certain products or brands that you guys recommend to minimze or eliminate adding swirls?

[wifpd4]

Re: How many times can you "Cut" a car?

Watch the Meguiar's videos, very helpful.

I use a combination of a leaf blower, an "Absorber", and a waffle weave. In this order: drizzle rinse, Absorber, blower, then waffle weave with Ultimate Wax sprayed as I dry. If at a car wash, have to skip drizzle and blower.

[OldSchoolDude]

Re: How many times can you "Cut" a car?

IMO, ONCE.
If your having to "cut" 2-3 times per year tells me you might want to re-think how you wash, dry and maintain your car.
Once you use compound and get your paint perfect then Ultimate Polish becomes your best and trusted friend in keeping your car flawless.
Buy to answer your question, if your using a DA and UC you could do it many many many many times before you even get close to going through your CC but why push it?
I see so many people correcting their paint than ever before, reason is the CC these days are very hard and some will use the wrong procedure over and over, sometimes you have to sit back and see why your having to use compound (correct) so often.

[ffboy]

Re: How many times can you "Cut" a car?

I just tried out a glaze (a competitior's glaze) on our swirled out black suv after reading this thread. I didn't want to use UC or swirlx too much.. The glaze worked better than i thought in hiding the swirls, you can see a big difference in the 2 halves of the panel. it looks like i'll be using glazes (3m, megs dc2 or #7 or mothers) regularly.. I hate seeing swirls, but i also don't want to over buff my car with compounds, so the best compromise for me is to apply glaze before waxing. It was a pleasant discovery i had this morning.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: How many times can you "Cut" a car?

I think the OP is referring to "cutting through the clear, and into the base coat". That's what he meant by "getting into the paint itself".

Sure, but it's such a common misconception that the clear is something other than paint. We all too often hear comments like "I've got fine scratches in my car's finish, but it's just in the clear, not in the paint". There seems to be this lingering idea that clear needs to be treated in some special way, or that it's some unique coating. Just trying to hit home a bit more directly this time around is all.

[wifpd4]

Re: How many times can you "Cut" a car?

Sure, but it's such a common misconception that the clear is something other than paint. We all too often hear comments like "I've got fine scratches in my car's finish, but it's just in the clear, not in the paint". There seems to be this lingering idea that clear needs to be treated in some special way, or that it's some unique coating. Just trying to hit home a bit more directly this time around is all.

Thank you for taking the time to clear up this misconception in your usually thorough manner. As it was one of my (many) misconceptions when I first started concerned car care. Paint meant a pigmented paint and clear coat was another product all together and was not paint.

Thanks too for clearing up "Cut".

[Kbuzbee]

Re: How many times can you "Cut" a car?

Excellent thread! I just have to add. I recently did our ‘02 white Jetta and ‘01 Tampa Blue Eclipse. Just washed them and put on a couple coats of HCW. WOW! AMAZING results. Neither car has looked this good in a decade. No iron remover, no clay, no compound, no polish... Didn’t even know I was supposed to do all that. Even so, that HCW is completely amazing stuff!!! Thanks for the discussion!