clearcoat life...

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optimsprym

New member
When applying abbrasives to remove swirls (i plan on using DACP) i know that it takes off a thin layer of the clearcoat as process in the repair. How safe is it to keep using these abbrasives on the clearcoat? Will the clearcoat eventually be all taken off?..TIA
 
Don't use abrasives unnecessarily. Are you sure you need DACP?



Once you remove the worst of the damage once, you are supposed to take proper care of the paint thereafter so that in the future you don't have to be so aggressive. Sorry I can't answer your question directly, but I don't think people worry about it too much unless they've had to use strong polish on the same car many times. Polishes are strictly use-as-needed products.
 
Trhy not to remove more than .3 mil of clear....and if you do not have a paint thickness measuring device you will never know.....



BTW the device is $$$$



But figure once a year or so you use abrasives...I would not worry too much....only use abrasivews when youhave a swirl or other mark....IMO HTH
 
4DSC said:
Don't use abrasives unnecessarily. Are you sure you need DACP?
Click to expand...



Well i want to use something that will remove the swirls and not just fill them. From what ive read and gotten responses on, SMR will just fill in the swirls. The ones i have are not to serious that you can feel them, but they are noticeable under direct sunlight. What besides DACP is a fine abbrasive?
 
Hmm, I don't know where you heard that, but 3M SMR (and the Megs equivalent #9) is mildly abrasive and is at the lower end of the abrasive scale. Both SMR and DACP have fillers too. If you're not sure whether your swirls are "light" or "moderate" this is where most people should start off by default. Once you've figured out it's too weak for your needs then you step up to something like a fine cut product or DACP.



It matters if you're doing this by hand or machine though. By hand SMR will be very mild and will only be effective on the lightest swirling. By hand DACP may get you results faster, but whether you should start with that or not is a judgement call you'll have to make.



Depending on how you do (or maybe the hardness of the paint as well) you MIGHT still need something like SMR anyway because DACP sometimes leaves a light haze.
 
optimsprym- You're right to be concerned about the thickness of your clearcoat. What 4DSC and Guess have said :xyxthumbs especially 4DSC's admonition to keep the paint from getting swirled up again.



A mild, non-filling abrasive is 3M's PI-III MG (#05937). It THAT won't cut it, then yeah, try the DACP.
 
thanks for the GREAT help guys!!



4DSC-i plan on doin all of the work with a machine, although it will be the first time to use one. I will give 3M a shot first and see how that does.



Accumulator- so i take it youre saying that DACP is more abrassive than PI-III MG?..lets just hope whatever i choose first will get the job done so i dont have to use another product
 
optimsprym- Yep, the DACP is MORE abrasive than the PI-III MG. Especially initially, before the DACP starts breaking down. If I were you I'd have a few different products on hand. Try the mildest one on a small, easy to work area that has some serious swirls/whatever. If it doesn't do it, immediately switch to a more aggressive product until you find one that works for your situation. DON'T spend forever working with something that doesn't cut it. Find out what you need before you do the whole car.
 
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