should i bump it a level on abrasiveness?

A

Asonyexec

New member
Ok, here is what I have tried over the last 2 months"



(A)



1. wash

2. apply AIO with PC (grn pad)

3. apply mothers pure carnuba paste wax (w/pc)



following month



(B)



1. wash

2. Meg's #80 (w/pc blue pad)

3. Sonus paint cleanser (w/pc)

4. P21s by hand



Now the finish is smooth as glass, I don't feel one speck of oxidation on the paint and when standing over it the paint looks flawless.



Here is my dilema. Earlier this week I went to a hand (do it yourself) car wash because I like blasting the car with the high pressure hose to get in the wheel wells etc (I do this now & then not regularly). I don't use the scrub brush they provide I use my own bucket and washing gear (much to the shagrin of the owner "no bucket washing!" haha) simply use the place for their high pressure hose.



anywho, while at this wash under the florescent lights of the bay I notice scratches a few swirls here and there. So Im wondering, do i have to move up a level on the abrasivness scale with the products Im using? The most abrasive I have used is the Megs 80 and I used it 2 weeks ago. Is it something I just have to do over again with the same products? maybe my technique is not right or Im not applying enough prodcut?



what would you suggest I do?? you cant feel these scratches, they are here and there not a whole lot of them.



I think something like Megs DACP may be too abrasive.





The car is an '02 lex gs 300, metalic silver in good condition.



thanks again.
 
You may want to give it another pass or two with the #80 before you move up to a more aggressive combo. I would also suggest trying different light sources/angles when working to see what type of effect you are producing, as it can be real tough to see swirls on silver. If these attempts prove fruitless, #83 will most likely be a winner, but try it on a polishing pad first and only move up to a more aggressive pad if you have to. Good Luck!
 
I read all about using the least aggressive polish to do the job....that's all well and good if you know exactly what polish fits the job. In my case I have bought increasingly aggressive polishes (because nothing was giving me the results I wanted) and finally ended up with a compund to tackle my black 02 dakota. Here's what I tried (all with yellow LC pads)

1ZPP

SSR 2.5

3M PI-III RC



The 3M did the job and with ease, I was blown away and its no harm to the paint at all. The PC is no where near as aggressive as a rotary so I assume that is why I needed to step up to the 3M compound. For now on I am going to use the comound most of the time just to make the job easier, I know many will disagree but there is no real harm (unless its an older car w/ old paint).



Also, you are dealing with a lighter color (silver) so #80 may be all you need, try it again and then go under the lights. You may have just introduced new swirls when you have been washing/drying.



Steve.
 
Asonyexec said:
......

1. wash

2. Meg's #80 (w/pc blue pad)

3. Sonus paint cleanser (w/pc)

4. P21s by hand
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Are you using the Sonus pads? If so you should be using the green pad with #80 (more cut than the blue, use the blue pad for AIO).



Before you step up to DACP you may want to try #80 on the Sonus orange pad (after you try it on the green). The orange pad is a light cutting/polishing pad that has a bit more bite than the green.



If you do wind up needing a more aggressive polish DACP will work, but I like the 3M combo of PI III RC (rubbing compound) followed by PI III MG (machine glaze).



I suspect that the MG on a green or orange pad will do the job for you, if not then step up to the RC. Follow up RC with MG if needed to remove any fine hazing.
 
All great responses thanks & keep 'em coming if there are others out there.



You know, Eliot's idea never occurred to me - increase the aggressivness of the pad :bow what a simple fix and no need to buy more product. I will certainly try switching pads first.



while i have your attention, another question popped into my head. Which 3M product would be comparable to MEGs #80? And which 3M product would you use as a follow-up after using the Meg #80 "like" 3M product???



I found a paint store close to my home that has an automotive paint section for body shop owners and they have an extensive selection of 3M product but limited Meg's products. The paint guy behind the counter told me that 3M is the preferred brand of most local (LA) body shops and is preferred over Meg's by most auto paint pros.



Thanks again.
 
Asonyexec said:
.......Which 3M product would be comparable to MEGs #80? And which 3M product would you use as a follow-up after using the Meg #80 "like" 3M product???.......
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The 3M PI III MG (machine glaze) I mentioned before is similar in aggressiveness to #80, but Iâ€â„¢ve found it to be better at removing paint defects while leaving a really nice finish.



The 3M products I mentioned have no fillers and there should be no need to follow up MG with any other polish, just go to your wax or sealer.



I'm not knocking Meg's products because I use DACP and #80 also, but I think the 3M combo is really, really hard to beat.
 
So I can go right from using the 3M PI III MG (machine glaze) to a wax or sealer? Is this 3M product ok to use with the PC? Which 3M product would be DOWN 1 notch on the abrasive scale from the 3M PI III MG (machine glaze)? I figure I may as well get a bottle of that also for those not so heavy duty polishes.



Thanks again

Grazie Mille!
 
Asonyexec said:
So I can go right from using the 3M PI III MG (machine glaze) to a wax or sealer? Is this 3M product ok to use with the PC? Which 3M product would be DOWN 1 notch on the abrasive scale from the 3M PI III MG (machine glaze)? .....
Click to expand...

Yes, RC and MG have no fillers and MG on a polish pad will leave your finish ready for your LSP, and it works well with a PC.



The next step down in the 3M line may be the SMR (swirl mark removers), but they have fillers to help hide swirls.
 
I think a dose of Vanilla Moose may be in order......You should be pretty good with 80 and the green pad, Im not sure if Sonus has a yellow, but from what i understand, its the next pad up for polishing.....
 
a.k.a. Patrick said:
I think a dose of Vanilla Moose may be in order......You should be pretty good with 80 and the green pad, Im not sure if Sonus has a yellow, but from what i understand, its the next pad up for polishing.....
Click to expand...

i believe he is using the das sonus pads as he has the green and blue. in the das line sonus does not have a yellow. the highest they have is a orange and that is less aggressive than say a yellow lc pad. i would first go to dacp on a green pad than 80 on a orange pad imo.
 
If anyone wants to see what just MG can do look at the link below and find the pics posted by Alfisti on the 2nd page. This is MG on an orange pad. Of course your results may vary depending on how hard your paint is, but if needed just step up to RC. Thatâ€â„¢s why what I dub (unofficially) the 3M twins (PI III RC & MG) are my favorite polishes.



The orange pad is really very versatile, providing a bit more bite than a polishing pad, but not as aggressive as a pure cutting pad (and not as apt to leave hazing). I use a LC orange pad and I understand the Sonus orange is very similar (mine hasnâ€â„¢t arrived yet for a direct comparison). As always, Iâ€â„¢d recommend starting out with the least aggressive pad and/or polish and then step up only if needed.



http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46523&perpage=12&pagenumber=2
 
ram said:
Thanks Eliot Ness. I've already sent an email requesting this information. I'll post 3M's answer when received.
Click to expand...

That'll be helpful info to know if it is indeed the same as the larger MG.
 
I've read here of some who have used it by hand, results may be limited and take quite some time to achieve though
 
Is 3M MG more abrasive than #80? Can 3M MG be used as the last step polish on black, or would it be better to follow MG with another milder polish? If so, what product do you suggest? I have FPII.
 
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