Is there such a thing as to much polishing?

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dmachorro

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I'm new to the forum. I recently bought a UDM with the menzerna package and I started to notice that the UDM doesn't spin that much like the pc. And is there such a thing as polishing your vehicle to much as to wear off the clear coat and if there is, how do you know and what could you do. I have a black 07' Yukon XL any help greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
If you wash and dry your vehicle properly you probably will only have to polish once or twice a year.Yes you can overpolish.If it aint broke don't fixit:D.My pick-up is one year old and only has some very mild swirls.Went through a brutal winter but with good protection and washing technique it came out looking good.I will probably polish with menz micro polish to amp the shine,seal with wgps and wax with collinite 476,my winter lazy mans combo.Did this setup last winter and paint was still beading 6 months later:cheers:Hope this helps.
 
tonyspop said:
If you wash and dry your vehicle properly you probably will only have to polish once or twice a year.Yes you can overpolish.If it aint broke don't fixit:D.My pick-up is one year old and only has some very mild swirls.Went through a brutal winter but with good protection and washing technique it came out looking good.I will probably polish with menz micro polish to amp the shine,seal with wgps and wax with collinite 476,my winter lazy mans combo.Did this setup last winter and paint was still beading 6 months later:cheers:Hope this helps.
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:iagree:You can also use halogen lights to identify light swirls and spot polish these areas only. You can't totally eliminate light scratches and mild swirls, but a light polish like xmt360 and a white pad will take care of those imperfections.
 
yes, you only have a set amount of clear coat, once thats gone your in trouble.
 
dmachorro said:
I'm new to the forum. I recently bought a UDM with the menzerna package and I started to notice that the UDM doesn't spin that much like the pc. And is there such a thing as polishing your vehicle to much as to wear off the clear coat and if there is, how do you know and what could you do. I have a black 07' Yukon XL any help greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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Wish that I could give you the exact thickness of your CC in mils and the average norm removed each moderate polish. That info is on here somewhere. What I can tell you is my own thought process based on that info. I remember thinking that I don't even have to start worrying for ten years if I polish once per year. Now that I've put this in print someone will say "yeah but" it depends on how abrasive your polish; what pad; etc. Agreed but I'm sticking to ten years.
 
Jimmie said:
Wish that I could give you the exact thickness of your CC in mils and the average norm removed each moderate polish. That info is on here somewhere. What I can tell you is my own thought process based on that info. I remember thinking that I don't even have to start worrying for ten years if I polish once per year. Now that I've put this in print someone will say "yeah but" it depends on how abrasive your polish; what pad; etc. Agreed but I'm sticking to ten years.
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:iagree:but I think longer than 10yrs. if not too aggressive. Anyone polishing once or twice a year probably takes real good care of their car and only needs light correction thereby not even putting a dent in their cc.
 
Thickness- this can be checked with a paint thickness gauge. Bear in mind that a clear coat has a thickness of 1.5 – 2.0 Mils, removing more that 0.3 – 0.5 Milsof clear coat may cause premature paint film failure. As a point of reference a sheet of Saran wrap measures 0.95 Mils. Most car manufacturers now specify that the paint thickness be measured in 0.1mil, or 1/1000th of an inch before and after any wet sanding or buffing. If only 0.4 mils of clear coat have been removed the integrity of the clear coat may have been compromised. The following are the maximum allowable clear coat reductions the major USA car manufacturers will allow: Chrysler – 0.5 mils; Ford – 0.3 mils; GM – 0.5 mils.

Paint thickness gauge - PosiTest DFT Combo; Measures paint on any metal; including steel and aluminium, a popular choice given many cars have both steel and aluminium. It automatically recognizes the material and takes a measurement-http://www.autopaintgage.com/
 
Just remember, with a DA your barely removing any cc. And if your polishing 5 times a year with XMT360 and a PC, you'll be fine for years.
 
I really wouldnt worry too much about it using a PC.
 
To remove or reduce swirls/scratches you have to remove some clear whether you are using a rotary or PC or other machine.

A PC is very forgiving, but I have seen it over time (and with many, many passes on stubborn areas) cut through the clear.

IMO, clean the paint with a non-abrasive product, do an IPA wipe down, and then polish what spots need it. As was stated, if you are careful with the washing/drying, twice a year for polishing should be enough and the clearcoat should last 8-10 years or more. Lots of variables though.
 
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