Pinnacle Clay Bar Caused Marring

I'm either going to get the Wolfgang duo w/ porter cable or the Pinnacle twins w/ porter cable. As for the pads, how do I know which color pads to use? It just seems so confusing once I know what I'm going to buy and use, then there's different types of color pads.
 
I'm either going to get the Wolfgang duo w/ porter cable or the Pinnacle twins w/ porter cable. As for the pads, how do I know which color pads to use? It just seems so confusing once I know what I'm going to buy and use, then there's different types of color pads.


It can be confusing when first getting into machine polishing...

For your first pads, keep it simple, get 5.5" Lake Country Flat Pads. Get orange, white and black.

If the paint has a lot of swirls and scratches then get a lot of orange and white pads for the correction step and the polishing step. You really only need one black pad to machine apply wax.

You can get by with 3-4 orange pad for the correction step if you clean them often but it's easier to buff a car out faster with more pads so let your budget be your guide.

Pads rotate best when they are dry, not saturated. They become saturated as you continue to work with them as the product will seep inside of the pad.

Read through this too and get some clean, cotton terry cloth hand towels...


How to clean your foam pad on the fly



I actually show at least two times how to clean your pads on the fly in the below video of last weeks SIV project.


Live Broadcast Video - 1965 Plymouth Valiant - Extreme Makeover



:)
 
[QUOTE=LuxuryMobile;664971
When the NanoSkin gets full of contaminants and you are moving on to your last section of the car, aren't all of those contaminants getting dragged and spun around on the paints surface?


If you were using clay and it was dirty and full of grit, would you get a clean section or continue to use the gritty side? You can remove the NanoSkin disk at anytime, wash it out and continue.
 
Since I am a newbie to using the polisher, should I get the PC 7424xp or the FLEX XC 3401? I've read a lot of forums on these two, but need your advice and expertise. Does the PC 7424xp really stop if you are polishing at an angle? I just plan on removing swirls and marring with a swirl remover and finishing polish.
 
Since I am a newbie to using the polisher, should I get the PC 7424xp or the FLEX XC 3401? I've read a lot of forums on these two, but need your advice and expertise. Does the PC 7424xp really stop if you are polishing at an angle? I just plan on removing swirls and marring with a swirl remover and finishing polish.


I have the PC 7424xp, and it does slow down a bit, when u put pressure on it. I've heard the 3401 doesn't.
 
Since I am a newbie to using the polisher, should I get the PC 7424xp or the FLEX XC 3401? I've read a lot of forums on these two, but need your advice and expertise. Does the PC 7424xp really stop if you are polishing at an angle? I just plan on removing swirls and marring with a swirl remover and finishing polish.

I have the PC 7424xp, and it does slow down a bit, when u put pressure on it. I've heard the 3401 doesn't.
Two months later, he graduated to a rotary.:updated:
 
Is it a given that claying will marr the paint? I just bought a new car a month ago and was thinking about claying it, but was hoping afterward to forgo polishing and proceed to a paint cleaner then to sealing.

If I'm going to have to polish afterward, why not skip the clay and not just use a fine polish?
 
No it's not a given when using a fine clay like Pinnacle Ultra Poly-Clay. You clay before polishing as not to grind any grit that can be taken out with the clay. Can you imagine a piece of grit spinning between your pad and paint at 6,500 OPM's?
Is it a given that claying will marr the paint? I just bought a new car a month ago and was thinking about claying it, but was hoping afterward to forgo polishing and proceed to a paint cleaner then to sealing.

If I'm going to have to polish afterward, why not skip the clay and not just use a fine polish?
 
Is it a given that claying will marr the paint? I just bought a new car a month ago and was thinking about claying it, but was hoping afterward to forgo polishing and proceed to a paint cleaner then to sealing.

If I'm going to have to polish afterward, why not skip the clay and not just use a fine polish?

no, its not a given. One of my cars has super hard paint, and I can go as far as using a medium grade clay without it marring. But my friend has a car that was repainted, and if he use's fine grade clay with a ton of lubricant, his paint gets completely hazed, scratched and marred. Keep in mind, most new OEM painted vehicles has paint on the harder side. And can usually deal with fine grade clay without leaving noticeable marring.

So because of this (as well as the fact that most people on this forum are very meticulous about having there car look perfect), its a good practice to assume that claying your car is going to leave some marring behind and to follow it up with polishing the paint.

Keep in mind clay marring is super fine and removes incredibly easy with the lightest of polishes. And is a swift process. Considering i'm usually pressed for time I will use an All in one type product that has been proven to correct paint lightly. Something like Optimum Poli-Seal or Optimum GPS. These products along with a strong polishing pad like the Hydro tech Tangerine pad will quickly remove marring.

As for your second question, I believe you can find a well written up answer from one of Mike Phillips articles. Or see the post above mine.
 
Thanks for the answers!! I guess I'm just a little nervous of breaking out the clay and causing more issues than I'd fix.
 
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