Polish or Compound for Light Scratches?

b00sted

b00sted

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Hi guys, I'm new to the forum and detailing/paint correction as a whole. I've neglected my paint for a while and decided it was time to get it detailed. When I saw what people wanted to charge for paint correction and all that, I decided to invest in myself instead. I bought a Griot's 6" DA, yellow, orange, white, and black LC flat pads (in 5.5" and 3.5"), Meguiar's ultimate polish and compound, and then some regular car wash materials. It's a little scary using a polisher for the first time because I certainly don't want to take off more clear coat than I have to (100,000 mile 2008 BMW if it makes a difference).

I have a bunch of small, light scratches going down the rocker panel that I want to take out. The one pictured is on a quarter panel. Anyway, I was wondering if I should use a white pad with polish or an orange pad with compound. Maybe even a mix and match? I'm not sure. I also have light, perhaps very light, swirling (couldn't get a good picture). Should I polish or compound that?

Second question: I bought Meguiar's ULW and #21 in the hopes that I would apply the sealant first and then the ULW on top. As I did more reading, it turns out that the ultimate liquid "wax" is really a sealant just like #21 (damn marketing!). People also seems to like ULW more than #21. Is there a reason I should keep #21 around, or should I just return it?

Third question: The second picture shows a rather deep scratch that seems to have been poorly touched up. Can I get that out without grinding to the primer? Sorry about the picture quality.

Thanks!
 
The rule here is use the least amount of aggression that you can , to get the job done. So start out with the polish ,make several passages and take a look. Keep the speed at medium. If that doesn't get it , then turn up speed a little bit and do a few more passes, if that doesn't work then go nuclear with the compound. No one can really tell you how to do this,- totally- you need to do some experimenting yourself. Practice on your wife's trunk/fender…

And an orbital with foam pads and mild polish. will never take off more clear coat that you want, almost impossible unless you hold it a spot for a couple hours...
 
Thanks. What speed do you recommend for polishing and compounding on the griot's? I read all about it's power, but I was still very surprised when I turned it on speed 1.
 
Correcting paint - speed 3 or 4
Spreading wax or sealant, 1 or 2

I also use the griots .....In the last 4 years I doubt that I come off of speed 3 at all, because I just use it for polishing
 
I’m jumping in with my own ponder here... what about polishing on speed 5 with orange if the paint is hard? Ok?
 
acuRAS82 said:
I’m jumping in with my own ponder here... what about polishing on speed 5 with orange if the paint is hard? Ok?
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Running at #5, which I assume is the max, is extreme and can put stress on the polisher. Like running your car at 7500 RPM…There's no reason to do that. This is not a linear, defined science. It depends on how hard you press, it depends on the polish, you just have to experiment and it's better as Mike phillps says, to start easy and move up. I would rather do many more passes, then go in heavy and find out I've done too much. Get me?
 
glen e said:
Running at #5, which I assume is the max, is extreme and can put stress on the polisher. Like running your car at 7500 RPM…There's no reason to do that. This is not a linear, defined science. It depends on how hard you press, it depends on the polish, you just have to experiment and it's better as Mike phillps says, to start easy and move up. I would rather do many more passes, then go in heavy and find out I've done too much. Get me?
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I getcha. Nice way of putting it. Thanks.
 
acuRAS82 said:
I’m jumping in with my own ponder here... what about polishing on speed 5 with orange if the paint is hard? Ok?
Click to expand...

Speed 5 on a DA (Griot/Porter Cable) is fine. If you need speed 6 it won't hurt any. Different story when using long throw machines.
 
Thanks for all of the help on how to use the polisher correctly and how to take as little paint off as possible. Does anyone have thoughts on if I should bother keeping the M21 around or not?
 
Rsurfer said:
Speed 5 on a DA (Griot/Porter Cable) is fine. If you need speed 6 it won't hurt any. Different story when using long throw machines.
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Agreed. I use both my PC and GG6 on 5. Sometimes 5.5/6

Won't hurt the machine at all.
 
b00sted said:
Thanks for all of the help on how to use the polisher correctly and how to take as little paint off as possible. Does anyone have thoughts on if I should bother keeping the M21 around or not?
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I only have experience with M21, not ULW. M21 does hide light swirls which is nice, not sure if ULW does that. Also M21 gives more of a candy coated look vs ULW (from what I understand, I can confirm M21 looks that way). I do think they are redundant with ULW being the newer, probably better of the two in most peoples minds. I would return M21 and try out a different type of LSP, these two are too similar.
 
If you’re looking to stay with Meguiars and want a topper or something different for another day, M26 is their nicest finishing wax with carnauba (my opinion), and it’s affordable. I have Liquid but I think the paste is just as good.
 
Just to prepare you a little more. BMW paints is often rock hard clearcoats. So when you do your test spots don't be bummed if you don't get the correction you are expecting to. This is if it's an original paint. When you start out don't reach for perfection. Have in mind that you will have as a glossy finish as possible. The scratches you can gently take your fingernail over and feel if you catch the scratch with it. If you do that it's proberly to deep to correct. And you want to mask it as good you can. With going over maybe it maybe one more time with new polish or compound and some passes per section. That way you shave polish down the edges of the scratch so your eyes don't see it as easy. And tips would be to not start on a spot with to much of deeper scratches. But where you see it's like on the most of your paint. Test spot and do another one if not satisfied till you get your combo dialed in. Then replicate that on the whole car. And go after the scratches you want to get a more attention on.

You have gotten you a good starting setup. Then you can see what you are feeling to update when you have been comfortable with your products if needed. I think that you are going to need a more aggressive compound and pad combo. But try first on what you get with the products you have. It's most of the hard clearcoat I think you got. And have in mind if you are going to correct another car that it's not going to be the same combo all times. Do you get a soft repainted car you can get defect free with a polish and polishing pad. And the cars from south east Asia is also known to be on the soft side of hardness of the clearcoat. Then it's depends on how deep the defects are. And that's is not anything you see but noticed when you dial in your combo. Remember that a paint is thin like a post-it note. So it's very thin surfaces you work on. And they are very hard general speaking. But scratch sensitive at the same time. Very confuseing sometimes when you think about it.

Good luck and have fun!

/Tony
 
Wow! Thanks for the in-depth answer. I have 2 repainted panels, only one of which has defects. The car has had terrible luck with low speed collisions (a PT cruiser backed into the door in a parking lot, rear bumper was rear ended at 5 mph at a stop sign, the rear bumper was later scraped by another car while stationary). The passenger side door (repainted) and rocker panel (original) have those light scratches so it will be interesting to see how they respond differently. Regarding the potential need for a heavier duty pad (microfiber), I thought about that but I went with a few yellow foams because I could get them in the 6 and 12 packs and because I was nervous to start with microfibers. I will have time to do a full detail on the 18th and 19th, so I will post back then. I expect this to be a 10 hour job including the interior because the whole car needs work. The wheels are so filthy that I bought 2 esco jacks at $55 a piece (ridiculous!) to take the wheels off because the brake dust is so thick that I have no choice.
 
Then you have to go after how the repainted panel reacting. And test as you go. The original reacts almost always the same. But if you are going to spot correct the rockers you don't have to get that aggressive to a less defect original panel.

How is the texture on the rockers is it all smooth. Or is it a part at the lowest with some texture? Think I know the answer that it's the smooth parts you are going after LOL.

The benefit with the Megs UC is you have the same cut through the polishing cycle. So test with how many passes per sections you can do before wipe it off and reload with UC. You don't want to overwork UC and especially the UP. As you get a PIA to wipe it off. So when you see it starts to drying on you. Wipe it off and reload with more compound or polish. Some use a little spritz of destilled water to moisture the compound or polish and gets you to work it for a longer time. I'm uncertain if UC and UP is water based so the spritz of destilled water works. I know it works with the 105/205 from Meguiars. If you see it starts dusting alot you have overworked it.

If you have a very hard clearcoat you still can get the results with multible sessions on the same panel. But then your time estimate would not going to achieve. So don't get cought on one panel but do your compound and polish and move on to the next section and panel. Then when you have done the whole car you can always go back to the parts where you want to get more correction on. Otherwise you can run out of time and don't get to get attention to the whole car. It is for me the most frustrateing when that happens and I have the half car done or 3/4 of it. You can also do it panel by panel. Meaning you get done with both compound and polish and see how long you get in 10 hours. And do the other parts next weekend or when you can. You also LSP those panels you have done too.
 
As is sits, the rocker panel in question is rough as hell because of dirt, bugs, and general grime lol. I don't have the work ethic nor the energy to do 10 hours of straight detailing in the Georgia summer. I see you are from Sweden, so think about Germany right now in the Europe-wide heat wave. That is about what Georgia is like all summer, only with more humidity I'm guessing. It can be brutal.

My plan is to do the exterior wash, clay bar, interior wash, wheel cleaning, and paint chip correction on day #1. I will then do the compounding/polishing/waxing on day #2. I also have to buff out the windshield for minor scratching and the headlights for cloudiness, but I will do that another weekend.

It's neat to see a Swede on the forum. I love keeping up with international politics and the trend in Sweden/Italy/Germany/UK/Eastern Europe is so similar to the populist trend in the U.S. I digress. This is a detailing forum, not a political one :)
 
I am guessing you'll need the compound, orange pad and speed 6 for the factory applied paint. White pad and Megs polish to refine it, then LSP. All bets are off on the repainted sections.

My 07 black BMW needs at least an orange pad and a mid polish to compound for correction.
 
I’m in S. GA so I know what you mean about heat and humidity. I only correct my car in the spring or Fall when it’s cool. If you don’t get the cut you expect go ahead and invest in Meguires micrcutting pads and Megs d300. I have a 2011 BMW and the paint is very hard. The microfiber pads will save you time and sweat.
 
b00sted said:
As is sits, the rocker panel in question is rough as hell because of dirt, bugs, and general grime lol. I don't have the work ethic nor the energy to do 10 hours of straight detailing in the Georgia summer. I see you are from Sweden, so think about Germany right now in the Europe-wide heat wave. That is about what Georgia is like all summer, only with more humidity I'm guessing. It can be brutal.

My plan is to do the exterior wash, clay bar, interior wash, wheel cleaning, and paint chip correction on day #1. I will then do the compounding/polishing/waxing on day #2. I also have to buff out the windshield for minor scratching and the headlights for cloudiness, but I will do that another weekend.

It's neat to see a Swede on the forum. I love keeping up with international politics and the trend in Sweden/Italy/Germany/UK/Eastern Europe is so similar to the populist trend in the U.S. I digress. This is a detailing forum, not a political one :)
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Then I recommend you to get a strong effective tar remover. To clean it up as much as you can before claying it. Stoners Tarminator seems to be a great option to that. With a high temperature be carefull so it's not drying on the paint. If you will be on a safe side before applying the tar remover. Spray down the paint with cool water so the panel you work on is as cool as possible and dry it before applying the tar remover.

Yeah we have had that heat wave in Sweden too. And it's have not rained almost nothing since may. We have had help from other countries with forrest fires. So with the humidity you have man that is some crazy environment to work in. It's accually just this week the heat wave has been able to release it hold on us. We have had water restrictions and I have not washed our cars since beginning of june. I will go to a wash bay today that I have access to now and bring my eqiupment with me.

Yeah the politics is on the change all over the western world. I'm in the politics a little bit and just on the local level. 4 weeks from today we have our election to see which political party who will be sitting for the next 4 years. Both in the parlament and on a city level and the health care system. So 3 different elections at the same time. And just to note I'm not with the populist trend lol. But that is for a different kind of forum :) And I follow the politics around the world as much as I can take it LOL.
 
I'll definitely be using a bug sponge more often to keep bugs off of the surface. I'm waiting on a bug sponge to come in on my last order from here, so I'll see how well that works. I can't wait to put my newfound knowledge and products to the test to get my car looking good again!
 
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