claying and polishing black paint

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matryx

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The forecast said it was cloudy all day so I decided to polish my car. I have a Black Sapphire Metallic BMW and I heard black cars are very hard to maintain and correct. I didn't realize it until today...

After washing the car I began to clay the hood. I had some difficulty claying the car. The black paint is easily marred with the Riccardo Clay bar and clay lube I made from ONR. First time using this clay since I got it for free with my last Eshine order. I usually use my Mother's Clay bar kit I get from Canadian Tire.

Anyways I just clay the hood and went to polishing with my Griots Garage Polisher and Wolfgang Uber Compound with a LC yellow pad. I went pretty aggressive first. I know others say to usually go with the least aggressive method first but I just knew it wouldn't get the heavy swirled black car with a light polish. After 6 sectional passes, I checked the paint and there was still quite a bit of swirls left. I switched to Meguiar's MF Cutting pad and Meguairs D300. The results were a bit better but I could still see the swirl when the sun hit it. I was cramping out from gym this morning and decide to call it quits. Lesson learned do not work out when you plan on polishing.

Any tips on how to get better results. I'm going to try watching some more videos on polishing and see what I can improve. I'm still new and have only polished 3-4 cars.
I can't seem to get a swirl free finish like some of you guys here no matter how hard I try.
 
i feel for you. having a Jet Black 535i with tan interior, i know first hand that keeping it clean an maintained is a part-time job.


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matryx said:
I have a Black Sapphire Metallic BMW and I heard black cars are very hard to maintain and correct. I didn't realize it until today...
Click to expand...

You are correct. Maintaining black paint is a full time job.

After washing the car I began to clay the hood. I had some difficulty claying the car. The black paint is easily marred with the Riccardo Clay bar and clay lube I made from ONR. First time using this clay since I got it for free with my last Eshine order. I usually use my Mother's Clay bar kit I get from Canadian Tire.
Click to expand...

This is pretty normal. When claying black paint it will often mar. Remember when claying you are performing an abrasion act to remove the above surface contaminates.

Anyways I just clay the hood and went to polishing with my Griots Garage Polisher and Wolfgang Uber Compound with a LC yellow pad. I went pretty aggressive first. I know others say to usually go with the least aggressive method first but I just knew it wouldn't get the heavy swirled black car with a light polish. After 6 sectional passes, I checked the paint and there was still quite a bit of swirls left. I switched to Meguiar's MF Cutting pad and Meguairs D300. The results were a bit better but I could still see the swirl when the sun hit it. I was cramping out from gym this morning and decide to call it quits. Lesson learned do not work out when you plan on polishing.

Any tips on how to get better results. I'm going to try watching some more videos on polishing and see what I can improve. I'm still new and have only polished 3-4 cars.
I can't seem to get a swirl free finish like some of you guys here no matter how hard I try.
Click to expand...

Which size pads are you using? Über has enough cutting ability and should remove the majority of what is in the paint.

Now are you still seeing swirls in the paint or are you now seeing hazy cloudy paint? If you are seeing hazy paint its time to switch out to a white pad and Finishing Glaze.

If you are still seeing swirls in the paint then re accomplish a section pass and set the machine to speed 5 and make your section passes slower and with a bit more pressure.
 
I'm a 100% rookie when it comes to the polishing process, but I just recently did my black Acura and would say I achieved around 90-95% correction. I started with the Orange Hex Logic pad with V36 - after 3-4 section passes I could still see some minor swirls... So I reapplied more product and 3-4 more passes with no change. I figured before I bust out my yellow pad I would try V38 on a white to see if it would clean up the micro swirls and bingo..finished like a mirror. Perhaps the swirls you are still seeing are ones that you instilled with the heavy pad/polish combo?
 
I'm using the 5.5 pads. I'm still seeing fine scratches and swirls.

I'll try working in smaller sections and doing a test spot with a white pad and SIP or WG finishing glaze the next time I get chance.

Any advice on the marring with the clay bar? Is it normal for black paint to be easily marred while claying?
 
You can probably minimize the marring by using Iron X and or Tar X to dissolve all the nasty contaminates prior to claying. Do you think you may be pressing to hard while claying? I found light pressure and back and fourth motion with lots of clay lube seemed to work well.
 
matryx said:
I'm using the 5.5 pads. I'm still seeing fine scratches and swirls.

I'll try working in smaller sections and doing a test spot with a white pad and SIP or WG finishing glaze the next time I get chance.

Any advice on the marring with the clay bar? Is it normal for black paint to be easily marred while claying?
Click to expand...

Yes, marring is almost guaranteed with black paint. That's why I always plan to polish if I am going to clay. Try switching to Nanoskin products. I just used the mitt for the first time on my soft black honda paint and didn't have any marring.
 
I have seen the downside of black paint on a clients Mustang GT. Black enamel seems hard to care for

On the other hand I'm impressed with the Metallic Black paint on my 2008 Malibu LTZ. I think GM clear is pretty tough stuff. I can't kill this paint, even with 130k hard miles.
 
I polished out my hood with my new GG21 yesterday and a combination of new to me products and pads. I can say I was blown away! Blue Sky on Black Paint! And it was just about to rain so no sun for natural lightining.

 
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