advice on buffing black car pls

Discuss anything after that final masking comes off.



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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 4:12 am
hey guys, we have just bought the mrs a peugot 308, and its black,
its not new but a 09 model and has 100,000k's (60,000 miles) on it, it has a few scratches as would be expected, but the front bumper and some of the bonnet has thousands of light colored dots, they don't look like stone chips but like its been lightly sandblasted (from road dust maybe??), I tried the claybar in a small section and some medium rubbing compound but that didn't budge it, they are only noticeable in dull light but makes a sweet looking car a bit less sweet, I don't have any pics as yet but im sure some1 knows wat im on about and can tell me a remedy!!
also how do I tell if a scratch is too deep to rub out with out going thru the clear, the car still has factory orange peel all over it so I guess there would be plenty of clear on it still, I did try to hand compound 1 of the scratches out on a door but it didn't come out and the compound did leave a few scratches in the paint,
I have buffed cars before, but not a black car, is te process the same or is there another step to help eliminate scratches from the cutting compound, I normally use a foam waffle pad (white I think) with the cutting compound, then a machine glaze with a black waffle foam pad, polish and then wax, since the pug probable hasn't been buffed before it has heaps of fine scratches everywhere, should I buy a fine cutting compound to use after the medium cut and then use the machine glaze??
I know how to wet rub scratches out but don't wanna go too far!!
cheers for the help
krem

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 7:57 pm
I guess some folks would disagree with me, but I buff black the same as any other color. We are buffing the clear coat, right, not the color ;-)

My process is very simple. Wizards turbo cut on a black wool presta pad, then wizards finish cut on a yellow wool pad, then if needed I go to a 3m waffle foam pad with the same finish cut compound. In have a dynabrade random orbital head on my right angle buffer.



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PostPosted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:02 am
yeah I should have said, its a pearl black so it would be the clear coat im buffing
krem

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 10:30 am
First step is a medium aggressive cut with a good compound and medium hard pad using a rotary. I use the AutoSmart Sophisticut and Contour blue for heavy work or white pads for a little slower but more controllable cutting. Buff on 1500-1800rpm. Farecla G3 or the 3M compound are good alternatives.

That will take out surface scratching and leave swirl everywhere so now you need a finer, finishing compound. Farecla G10 or AutoSmart R2. Use a softer pad. If you used Sophisticut above then you can cut out this step - it does both, just keep buffing until shine appears. Wash & chamois vehicle, making sure you get rid of all traces of compound.

Now it's time to get rid of any swirl and impart a deep, long lasting shine. On black cars nothing comes close to Gelson T57. Used with a Cyclo twin head polisher you will get a deep, clear shine that really brings out the pearl. Contour white pads or the super soft black if you want a concourse finish. Don't have a Cyclo? Use a DA polisher until you get a Cyclo. Polish until there is minimal residue then finish with a brand new microfibre towel.

As a side benefit it will darken those tiny sandblasted chips, making them almost unnoticable. Tip: While polish is still wet on the pad, move the polisher from front to back using the movement and the rotation of the pads to build up a little against the hiher lip at the back of the chips. Then lighten up so you don't pull it back out while you're buffing up the shine and removing surface residue.

We do 1-2 black cars a day, new ones before delivery to the customer after the detailer has left their usual mess and used ones either for private customers or for yards because the detailers can't get them right. T57, although technically a swirl remover, is a polish in its own right and quite long lasting. Here in Canberra we have very high UV due to altitude and clean air and even here it will last up to 6 months on a vehicle left outside. No need for wax - you'll just make the surface cloudy.

If you can catch your fingernail in a scratch it is probably too deep to compound out. But, you can work it and round the edges, making it much less noticeable.
Chris



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PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 5:48 am
thanks for the reply chris, I currently have in my posesion some septone superior cut, ive only used it on white and subie wrc blue and it seemed fine but I think I will get some 3m stuff for this seein as its our own car, I was worried the septone stuff might be a bit coarse for a black car.
I also have some machine glaze but unsure if it will be sufficient to remove swirl and scratches from the cutting compound, I thought maybe getting some light 3m compound to cut it with that instead of the coarser stuff that I have,
I usually use a white waffle pad for my cut and black waffle for machine glaze, will that still be fine??
i get all my stuff from the local paint shop who supplies the bodyshops around town, i am trying to find time to take the car in to show them (on good terms with them as ive been shopping there for over 10 yrs, and tinted the windows in their new company cars, lol) and ask the guy there who's a painter by trade, but haven't had the time as yet, it also pays to get a few other opinions too!!
i cant wait to get it all buffed, it has a heap of different pearls thru it but you cant tell cause i don't think its ever been polished, it will bring out its true colors!!
thanks for the advice so far, and its handy from an aussie cause i know i can get them brands if i need to!!
krem

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 8:33 am
If the pads are Contour then the white is ok for compounding and the black should be very soft, so good for final finishing. The problem is that different brands use different colours so if they're not Contour then.....

Never used the Septone stuff. Found most of their products that I have used to be pretty ordinary and I'm really happy with the Sophisticut so no need or desire to change. One thing that I keep telling my blokes, and customers, is that it's all about getting that surface glass smooth. If you do that then it will shine of its own accord and you won't need to rely on the oils in a polish to give you a shine that will just wash off anyway.

Pretty sure I've seen that black. IIRC lots of xirallics including green and red. Should really pop when in the sun.
Chris



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PostPosted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 5:19 am
when I say waffle pad they are like a egg carton, is that wat you mean by contoured??
the white is pretty firm and the black is really soft, is actually a 2 sided pad, white 1 side and black the other, jus flip it over when ya wanna change, think its a GPI brand, was the same price as both the separate pads was gonna cost me!!
I was always under the impression that polish made your car shiny and wax protected the paint from fading??
yeah the black looks really nice, has blue, green, red and gold pearls thru it, will really pop when its all buffed out, im really looking forward to it,
does any1 else here mask up their black plastics and glass when buffing??
krem

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 8:09 am
No, Contour is the brand. Australian made. Not bad quality and much cheaper (half the price) than some of the American imported ones.

A good quality polymer polish will interlock with the paint surface and give long life and UV protection. Wax, in itself is old technology and very short lasting. These days, not necessary, IMO and, as I mentioned above, every one I've ever tried has reduced the clarity of the shine. Lots of hybrid products around these days and they're ok, but nothing special apart from being ridiculously dear.

There is a benefit to masking plastics when buffing but I find it better, and easier, to control the amount of water and buff speed so you don't get sling. Once you've mastered that then all you'll get is a little dust.
Chris



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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 6:55 pm
If you have access to a air compressor and a da, another option that you can do is to damp sand the car with 3000 grit on a da with an interface pad then buff. I use Wizard mystic cut with the recommended pads and can nothing but good things about their buffing system.

Chuck

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