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I am using 3M Finesse-it on my 71 to remove minor swirl marks. When I finished the first section last night there was a cloudy area. The non-cloudy area looked great, just like I wanted. I tried to polish the cloudy area out, with no luck. I put a little wax on it and it looked great, just like the non-cloudy area. What is this? Should I try to remove it? Is it old wax? I am not sure what to do? Thanks, Jim
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Tell us more Jim......
What kind of paint is on your car ?
Are you polishing with a machine or by hand ? If by machine what kind of machine and what kind of pads are you using ? I've never used the 3M Finesse-it so it may have something to do with the product. I personally like to remove all old wax and surface contamination before doing any polishing be it by hand or machine. -
Re: Tell us more Jim......
Paint is base coat, clear coat. I am using a 9" orbital polisher. Pads are the ones for applying polish/wax. What is the best way to remove old wax and surface comtamination? Thanks, JimComment
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Re: Tell us more Jim......
Jim,
If I'm working on a car that is already clean I use a commercial wax/grease remover ( PPG, Prep-Sol, etc. ). If your doing a full detail washing the paint with a strong solution of Dawn dish soap will strip the wax off the car. Then feel of the surface and if it doesn't feel real smooth go over it with the wax/grease remover or a good paint cleaner. If it still isn't smooth you may consider claying the paint. Once you have a clean smooth surface you are ready to polish. The orbital polisher using foam pads is fairly safe if you've had some experience. I prefer a random oribital like the Porter Cable I use as you really have to try to screw something up using it. Using different foam pads depending on how bad the scratches are as well as the product your using to do the polishing all make a difference in the results. Some products tend to cause haze on clear coat and it is possible that when you waxed over the area you removed the haze. As you are going to wax the surface when your done I wouldn't worry about it. The other possibility is that you may have gone through the clear coat in that area and waxing over it is just blending the appearance with the surrounding area. Visit carcareonline.com or bettercarcare.com for some good info and products to use. I've started using a product called System One. It does compounding and polishing with one product using various pads. You can find them at systemoneproducts.com. Hope this helps.
WayneComment
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Re: polishing paint
Jim, I hope I'm wrong, but "cloudy" spots are typical on older base/clear paint jobs where the clear coat has been worn through. Two-stage base coats are not designed to be exposed to the elements, and tend to be dull until the clear is applied. Usually, you can get a little shine (a lot more work, but only a little shine) if you polish and wax the base in the worn area, but it will be short-lived. It will revert back to it's old dull ways in a few weeks.Comment
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Re: Tell us more Jim......
Finese is one of the best products on the market to remove swirl marks. I prefer to use the 3-M foam pads to polish with.Dick WhittingtonComment
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Re: polishing paint
automotive finish polishing is a study in abrasives. I use the 3M products as well in decreasing grits with foam pads and a slow rotary buffer. My final polish is always "Meguire's number 7 show car glaze" with the fine foam pad to remove any swirls and finish out the color. No waxes in any of these products, so finish up by getting your wife to wax the car. ha ha! Let me know if you pull THAT one off!Comment
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