14 replies to this topic

[Daz1968]

I have painted my mk1 mini in high solids 2k gloss paint. It is very hard and difficult to work with. I have flatted any nibs and peel I don't want with p1500, then a p4000 abralon pad. I have had great difficulty compounding even these scratches out with a rotary polisher, I have tried g3 on a firm foam g mop, won't really touch it, I have tried menzerna fg1000 on same pad and this is better but very hard work, before I waste more money on compounds and pads anyone have any first hand experience of this, I don't have large areas to compound so can manage but it will take me a long time. I know the scratches are far less than stuff I have seen removed on detailing world so I am doing something wrong. Could be speed or pad and compound combination. I don't mind spending some more money to make it easier but would like to see a result for my outlay,

[mini-geek]

Polishing isn't easy.. It's hard graft!

However it helps with better polish.. I'd recommend G6 or if it's been painted a while you can use G4

[Ben_O]

Did you wet down the g mop pad?

[Daz1968]

Yes tried g3 wet but it just doesn't touch the hard paint, the menzerna is better but has to be used dry but still doesn't really cut the paint easy, was going to try a harder pad but when they are £11 a time it can get expensive to find the right one.
I know compounding is hard work but should at least refine the p4000 scratches which these compounds and pads won't do.
Have polished cellulose before and that polishes easy compared to this.
Think its lechler hs 2k direct gloss using lechler fast hardener as recommended.

[Ben_O]

Thats strange.

 

I have machine polished alot of cars both fresh paint and old paint and have never had any trouble using just G3 and a sponge head.

 

Actually, scrap that the first car i ever painted was a nightmare. I mixed the lacquer wrong and it went on like orange peel. It didn't seem to want to flat down and just ended up rubbing with the wet&dry. No matter how much i polished it, the flat nib marks would always keep showing through.

I just left it in the end and subsequently wrote the car off 6 months later so it didn't matter anymore!

 

You can get flatting pads that go on a DA which are designed to eliminate scratches from hand flatting but i don't know if this would make much difference to you?

 

Ben

[mini-geek]

Lechler paints can be harder work to polish after a while.. But that's a good thing... If it polished easy it would be soft and scratch easy

Just to check you are using the G3 compound and not the G3 retail polish range?

Maybe you could post some pictures of the problems?

Does the panel warm when you've polished it?

Edited by mini-geek, 09 August 2014 - 04:06 PM.

[Daz1968]

I have flatted nibs by hand on a small block with p1500, then I have used p1500 on my da on any small dry or orange peeled areas, then gone over these with mirka abralon p4000, the panel is basically smooth and semi gloss, I was hoping a quick run over with compound would blend these areas with the rest of the panel but the compound and pad combination I have just burnishes the surface to a shine but not actually cut down below the fine scratches, it's not that bad and I probably can manage with hard work, the paint is on very smooth in most areas and has very good gloss, just home painting causes dust nibs and the odd fly which can't be avoided. Looking on you tube they are flatted and polished with ease so I presume I need a more dedicated compound for the job in hand, if g3 or menzerna should do this on a white foam pad then it maybe technique so may need to look into it a bit better

[Daz1968]

Here is a couple of pics,

As you can see they are very minor and probably no more than most would consider a correction on a car been used a while, not easy to photo though


And a pic of a door showing the general appearance of a freshly painted panel before I did any sanding so no real paint problems to worry about,

If I can't compound them out I will probably grey scotch them and put another coat on, but would really like to master the art of machine polishing
I have a few bits on the shell, but may just leave them rather than risk not being able to polish them out

Edited by Daz1968, 09 August 2014 - 04:28 PM.

[Ben_O]

Are you using enough compound?

 

Plenty of compound on a damp-wet pad using slow side to side movements with slight pressure should do it. Keep the pad wet with a spray bottle and keep going until the compound is cleared up.

 

You can finish up with a machine glaze or hand glaze if you prefer.

 

Other than that, i don't know what to suggest

 

Ben

[mini-geek]

Ah I see.. So you're managing to get a shine it's just you're getting "scratches under the shine" as such..

We had this problem when the 3M trizak came out (similar method to what you used) and was why we stopped using it..

Before you give up and do it again.. I'd try the G4 it's a much harsher compound.. Put a bit of weight on it, and get the panel warm..

Edit:- yes as Ben says plenty of compound..

Edited by mini-geek, 09 August 2014 - 04:37 PM.

[Ben_O]

I thought personally that Ttizact was very good. Norton Dryice is also good

[midridge2]

What speed is your buffer on? its the first question to be asked.
Flat the panel with 1000 w&d using soapy water until the scratches disappear then go over again using higher grade w&d then wet the panel again and buff on a slow speed.
G3 is a good machine buffing paste, g4 is for hand buffing.

[davejustdave]

Trizact are brilliant, if you keep then clean... Same with wet and dry, clean clean clean, if you sand a nib out you may end up scratching the paint with the nib you took out. I use 3m fast cut, I find it much nicer and less hard work than any of the 'g' range..

[henri1972]

i looks like you just need to keep going over it with a mop on position 2.5/3.0 speed wise it took me 6.5 hours to polish my bmw bonnet alone and i used g3 on it it also could be you're mop head scratching the paint not enough compound build up on the mop head  

Edited by henri1972, 09 August 2014 - 05:10 PM.

[Daz1968]

As an update on this thread, I contacted the paint supplier and they stated g3 should be ok but if having problems to try some g6, they gave me a sample to try and I can confirm it works, the g3 just hasn't got the cut, it's either the cheap silverline polisher, the pads or my technique, but looks like the g6 will make the job far easier for me, then will just follow it up with g10 or g12 when car is finished, followed by a good waxing.
Too late for my doors though as I have already repainted them, but at least if I sand the nibs I know I can polish them out.
Even with the g6 though this paint is hard and the compounding time consuming. Hopefully worth it when finished