How many times can you use the PC before worrying about removing too much clearcoat?

R

rgilbert24

New member
I got my PC this spring and have used it with #80 and #9 both with a white polishing pad (not the one that came with the PC!)



Wondering how many times you can use it on a panel before you have to start worrying about the depth of the remaining clearcoat.



I am pretty conservative and can live with some of the deeper scratches. If they are not too deep I remove those by hand with a compound and then buff up the shine with DACP and #80.
 
The answer is "It depends."



It depends on how aggressive your product are.



It depends on whether you use the least aggressive products to accomplish the detail.



It depends on how uniform and thick the OEM cc was applied.



If your vehicle was purchased new you know what has been done to the paint but if used, the vehicle may have had a few brute-force details or even a repaint.



It depends on how religious you are about staying away from edges and high points with your PC or rotary.



Another point to consider is that the UV protection is the first part of your cc layer to be abraded away. After the UV protection is depleted, your cc will fail fast.



That all is meaningless if you won't be keeping your vehicle for a long time but if you plan on 10 or more years it requires a different approach to be safe. A good repaint can cost several thousand dollars. I sense from reading these forums that many new detailers jump to the more aggressive products first just to save a bit of time.



Suggestions for a long term vehicle.



-Take all care possible not to damage the finish. Two bucket washing, fresh clean applicators and toweling, etc.



-Consider a car cover. Keep your car protected from the elements where possible.



-Use a chemical paint cleaner instead of an abrasive cleaner where possible.



-Don't use more aggressive products when less aggressive ones will do the job.



-Do use bluetape to protect the edges when using a PC or rotary.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
This is scaring me now, the talk of burning edges with a PC...everyone says how safe it is, how the foam pads can't do any damage...
Click to expand...



Don't worry, it really *is* that safe. IMO it would be very difficult to cut through, or even really thin, the clear on a newish car using a PC. With all the people here using the PC/Cyclo, let alone rotaries, there would be widespread clearcoat failure at Autopia if it were that big an issue.



I know of at least one knowledgeable Autopian who *did* cut through the clear using DACP and a cutting pad on a PC, but that's *very* unusual. I've *never* cut through clear or had any indication of excessive thinning/clearcoat failure (I use a PC, Cyclo, and rotary). If it were that easy to have a problem, I would've made that big "oops" by now. I *have* cut through soft single-stage, but I was being *very* aggressive on a car I didn't care about, experimenting and otherwise doing unusual stuff.



Most people find that the PC isn't aggressive *enough*. It doesn't even remove mild scratches for them, and that means it's not removing much clear.



While nobody can predict how many times you can do *any* polishing before you cause damage, in most cases it's simply a non-issue.



I keep some of my vehicles a *long* time (19 years now for the Jag), and I don't hesitate to polish them as needed. But you shouldn't really *need* to do it all that often if you're washing/drying correctly. And it's *very* smart to live with any marring that looks too deep to safely remove. Better imperfect original paint than a forced repaint. But don't let the PC scare you. You can always tape off anything that concerns you.
 
Thanks, Accumulator, for calming me down. I'm working up to tackling the etching and swirls on my 14 yo clear coat, which hasn't had any real serious polishing in about 10 years, and thinking how much CC is gonna come off...which got me thinking about my ex-gf's 1 yo car and my (soon) new one...and whether the CC will make it to 14 years with regular PC use.



I think you answered everything, tho...especially appreciated the comment (and jfelbab's) about living with the deep stuff, and that someone who plans to keep the car a long time has to take a different perspective from the pro or semi-pro detailers here who are tasked with a more immediate need to remove the defects.
 
Right, that is the purpose of the PC, to be safely used on any finish and remove MINOR imperfections. To really remove defects or your clearcoat you would need a rotarty.
 
Off topic- but Sneakers must be one of your favorite movies, isn't it? ;)



You will be fine, follow jfelbab and Accumulator :)
 
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