Great summary Todd!
Im working on some education material so this was great.
A question tho: Fresh paint and Soft paint. how come you "recommend" Zephir with blue or UHS foampad on this flawless un scratched soft paint? To me its one of the most aggressive setup and should not be needed for this application?
No Diamond finish on soft paint? but keramik works?
Could you tell me whats the science about this?
Best regards
//Ted, Rupes wholesaler in Sweden.
The reason to use an aggressive set up on fresh paint is because it is often sanded and these scratches need to be resolved without leaving a texture behind. It is often most effective to quickly cut the paint and level it, then finish with a finer polish.
The purpose of these charts is to provide highly consistent solutions to our customers based on our experience as well as the experience of detailers and testers. In some (rare) situations the new diamond has been difficult to wipe off certain fresh and some very soft paints. This is not a common problem, nor is it one that I have experienced, but we trust the feedback of the detailers that work closely with.
Also the Keramik / yellow pad combination leaves such an incredible gloss on these type of finishes that we feel very comfortable with this constant solution. :dblthumb2:
This is such excellent information and definitely worth pasting somewhere. As I am newer to this business, I am in search of more information on paints used by different manufacturers. You reference OEM Standard, High Solid, Soft, etc.. I would like to compile some basic categorical information on paint systems used, but I also do not wish to re-invent the wheel.
Can you offer some advice that the Rupes team may be able to offer to help support my efforts? Thanks.
:bowdown:
Tony, I am glad you find the information helpful. I am not entirely sure what you are asking for however? A list of paint types by manufacturer? If so, this is quite impossible as the paint can change by color...
Let's examine BMW. The solid colors such as Jet Black use a clear coat that tends to be very soft and very scratch sensitive. However, the flake colors such as Sapphire Black tend to have much harder clear coats.
Now consider that BMW manufacturers vehicles all over the world, and in each case, the paint system can vary. In some cases, the same model is manufactured in two different locations or in two different countries - each with vasty different paint (even it it is the same color!). This discounts running changes that many manufacturers will implement through out the model year; one of which could be a different paint system all together.
Unfortunately, it is quite impossible to have a list of paint types which would could expect to find on certain vehicles. To be accurate, it would quite literally have to have the year, color, manufacturing facility, and production number of every single car ever made...
Of course, this would only be accurate for a few years, as the way the vehicle is cared for (chemical exposure, waxes used, solvents exposure, UV radiation, storage considerations) will all affect who the clear coat/ paint reacts over time. :wow:
Your best bet is always do a test spot and see how your compound / pad works on a particular paint.
