Best polish for dealing with isolated etching by hand?

[SF Space Grey]

Hi guys,



I'm looking for a product that can provide some gentle but effective polishing power by hand for spot use on bmw paint. I'm not looking for something to use on the whole car. Instead, I need something I can apply by hand when I need to correct an isolated paint defect. Here's what I'd use the product for:



1) Eliminating a water spot etch every once in awhile (if DG501 isn't aggressive enough), then following up with sealant

2) Repairing bird bomb etching (again, if DG501 isn't enough)

3) Pre-cleaning chips before touch-up paint, and smoothing out touch-up paint a couple days later



Currently, all I have is Scratch-X 2.0 for this stuff. But I hear Scratch-X is mostly fillers and and doesn't actually provide much in the way of permanent cutting power. Is there anything that would be better? I'm not going to get a buffer, so it needs to be effective by hand. And I already have too many products so I'm hoping for a single product that doesn't require follow-up with something to remove hazing.



I'd appreciate some advice. Any recs?

 

[BigAl3]

Hi guys,



I'm looking for a product that can provide some gentle but effective polishing power by hand for spot use on bmw paint. I'm not looking for something to use on the whole car. Instead, I need something I can apply by hand when I need to correct an isolated paint defect. Here's what I'd use the product for:



1) Eliminating a water spot etch every once in awhile (if DG501 isn't aggressive enough), then following up with sealant

2) Repairing bird bomb etching (again, if DG501 isn't enough)

3) Pre-cleaning chips before touch-up paint, and smoothing out touch-up paint a couple days later



Currently, all I have is Scratch-X 2.0 for this stuff. But I hear Scratch-X is mostly fillers and and doesn't actually provide much in the way of permanent cutting power. Is there anything that would be better? I'm not going to get a buffer, so it needs to be effective by hand. And I already have too many products so I'm hoping for a single product that doesn't require follow-up with something to remove hazing.



I'd appreciate some advice. Any recs?

this should work just fine, it's purpose is to do spot correction. make sure to use a foam applicator w/ some elbow grease (about a little less than a quarter size amount) and check after each pass (work it in till there's a light film and then remove) until the defects are gone...

 

[SF Space Grey]

Thanks BigAl. Glad to hear I wasn't using something terrible.



Is Scratch-X as good as it gets for this purpose? Like all the obsessives on this site, I want to make sure I'm using the best possible product and method. Given the criticisms of Scratch-X, there has to be something better, right?

 

[BigAl3]

Thanks BigAl. Glad to hear I wasn't using something terrible.



Is Scratch-X as good as it gets for this purpose? Like all the obsessives on this site, I want to make sure I'm using the best possible product and method. Given the criticisms of Scratch-X, there has to be something better, right?

the next step up and most aggressive product you can buy OTC (around $8 at walmart) would be megs ultimate compound which is derived from M105. give the scratch-x 2.0 a try first and see where it goes from there (remember multiple applications may be needed, so don't give up easy as you're doing it by hand and not machine). no need too waste more money if you already have something that may do the job... :razz:

 

[Dan]

My favorite by hand is ZPC (or the DG equivalent). Very good cutting power and it finishes out well enough for most tasks. (I dread ZPC by machine though.)

 

[Accumulator]

SF Space Gray- I'd get the Ultimate Compound. Since working by hand is such slow going, the more aggressive the better IMO (as long as it hazing isn't too bad, and the UC oughta be OK in this regard).



I myself use M105, followed by UNO, followed by some finishing polish. Terry for the M105, MF for the others.

 

[SF Space Grey]

My favorite by hand is ZPC (or the DG equivalent). Very good cutting power and it finishes out well enough for most tasks. (I dread ZPC by machine though.)

How does ZPC fit in on the aggressiveness spectrum? Does it have more cutting power than DG501? If so, it sounds like it might be just what I'm looking for: a one-step hand correction polish with no oils or fillers that need to be cleaned up before applying touch-up paint or sealant. If it's gentle enough that any hazing it creates can be fixed with DG501, all the better!

 

[SF Space Grey]

SF Space Gray- I'd get the Ultimate Compound. Since working by hand is such slow going, the more aggressive the better IMO (as long as it hazing isn't too bad, and the UC oughta be OK in this regard).



I myself use M105, followed by UNO, followed by some finishing polish. Terry for the M105, MF for the others.

Thanks man. Ideally I could find something that won't create hazing that DG501 can't handle. My girlfriend will kill me if I add three more products to the closet.