Machine polishing gurus - advice please!

[alex_e3]

First off guys, thanks if you're reading this and I'd really appreciate some advice with experience of machine polishing.

 

I had a go at machine polishing a small section of my front wing this evening. I first ensured the surface was clean and dry, then clay barred the section I would be doing.

 

I then started with a green hex-logic pad on my DAS-6 Pro DA polisher with Menzerna Final Finish (PO85RD). Scratches were still quite obviously present, so I worked my way down the grades of polish and pad until I was at a yellow hex-logic pad and using Fast Gloss (FG400). Then worked back up to a finer polish again. The surface is shiny alright, and it's smooth as silk. However, under light I can still see lots of little scratches :-/

 

I've read lots of guides on machine polishing, and I'm aware that it can take a lot of time especially with a DA machine. Hence my technique is pretty good I think - I'm quite experienced using machines similar to this anyway, so have good control. I put reasonable pressure on the machine, and ensured that I moved it about an inch every second for the small patch. I'm pretty sure that I was using the correct amount of polish too.

 

In a last ditch attempt I tried again but this time using wet 1200 grit paper to lightly rub down the surface, before polishing it all up again. Scratches are still present :-/

 

The list of what I used on the last attempt is as follows:

 

• 1200 grit wet & dry used wet
• Chemical Guys Hex Logic yellow pad with Menzerna Fast Gloss FG400
• Hex Logic green pad with Menzerna Power Finish PF2300
• Hex Logic black pad with Menzerna Final Finish PO85RD

 

Fluffy microfibres were used throughout I might add...

 

Can anyone give me some advice here please?! Or does it sound like it needs a re-spray? I don't understand what's happening. Is the paint notoriously hard on these cars and I just need to polish for even longer??

 

It's driving me mad here :-(

 

Thanks again all :-)

[ChrisRs]

How long did you work the polish?

You should work it until it goes clear

[alex_e3]

Yes it was worked until it went clear. Quite a while I worked it for :-/

[ChrisRs]

I really don't know why you still have scratches

Have a read here,,,..there might be something you missed:

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/what-does-polishing-do.html

[alex_e3]

Should I be getting a pretty perfect finish from what I've said I've done?

 

I swear I have OCD, so I'm a perfectionist at heart...  Could I be being too critical and expecting too much from a DA machine?

 

Perhaps I haven't polished it for long enough, due to being slightly worried about taking too much off or damaging the car. To be honest though, it couldn't look much worse than it does at the minute - horrible swirls and scratches all over the place :-/  This is long overdue!!

[ChrisRs]

The DAS-6 Pro has lot of torque so it must be a technique problem

Have you used a Rotary?

Different technique but results might be better with your pad combo

[alex_e3]

To be honest Chris I'm pretty confident in my technique. I've got really good control over the machine and am applying a reasonable amount of pressure. Perhaps it's worth me experimenting on the same small patch to see if it's just that I haven't put enough pressure on or worked the polish in quite enough.

 

I have used a rotary in the past, but I'd rather use the safer machine if I can get away with it. I do have one tucked away, but it would mean buying new backing plates... more expense!

[devonutopia]

If you used 1200 grit W&D and the scratch is still there, how deep are they?!  Through the clearcoat?

 

I know you said you "lightly" used the W&D, but sometimes you do need a little bit of pressure to actually achieve the cut, and then really a dual action is not beefy enough to remove the sanding, at least not without a lot more time spent.

 

I was given the go ahead to "see what will happen" with this one.  Technique was pretty much identical to your "1200 wet & dry, then fast gloss", but I got all the marks out.

 

 

 

Stage by stage it should sort of look like this

 

Scratch

 

 

Sanded (I used the thin edge of a pencil eraser as a small rubber block to even out the pressures)

 

 

Polished - some say they can still see evidence of the original scratch but I'll be damned if I can, and I definitely couldn't after I'd actually done it in the flesh.

[alex_e3]

Cheers for taking the time to post that :-)  I have seen it before, and you did a really good job of it!

 

Anyhow, a bit of an update to this...

 

I've just been over to CLB Valeting in Wrexham on my dinner hour, who do some FANTASTIC detailing! My mate's Corsa B C20 LET is on the cover of Total Vauxhall this month, and they've done an amazing job of it - looks even better in the flesh!

 

Anyhow back to the point...! As I've been suspecting, they think the scratches are in the paint as such. As the car has had the front end re-sprayed in the past due to stone chips...  So I'm going to flat it back a little more and get it as good as I can for now. Ultimate goal is a front end re-spray. I should be able to get the rest of the car up really well, as it's original paint :-)

[PristineReflections]

I would reccomend maybe trying meguairs 105 with either of the hexlogic cutting pads does amazing work! The technique is very strange however so if your intereted i can go into more detail