Showroom look!

[DEATH_INC.]

Is that available from supercheap or repco?

Pretty sure you can get it there.

[Owl]

Remember it's not an old Kingswood, it's an economically made mass produced bike with thin paint and less than optimal coats of that thin paint. Cutting new paint like that is just stupid.

While I understand exactly where you are coming from, this information in regards to his S3 is completely incorrect. In fact paint quality is better than most cars in production!

Nothing wrong with using cutting compounds, but it's knowing what/what not to use.

[davebullet]

I just use a regular car cleaning (no wax) product - like Turtle, then finish with Meguiars NXT (purple bottle shit). Quite overpriced from Ripco or one of those places (about $50 a bottle) but lasts forever - esp. if you only have one bike. Meguiars seems to last (although I end up repolishing every 2nd wash anyway). Been using it on the 2003 suzy and people always comment on how new it looks and surprised at it being a 7 year old bike.

I've even heard of people using Pledge... not that I can bring myself to try that.

[Jim Shady]

Depends what your after. Showroom look, nice wet paint look. Wax wax and more wax. Polishing is replacing big scratches with smaller ones, thats it. Polish will "cut" the paint and wax is what makes it look "wet", or shinny. Modern 2 pac paint will only need polishing if you scratch it, otherwise it will stay shinny on its own. You can't really hand cut 2 pac, will come out duller than when you started, the paint itself is too hard, not like the old 1k laquers which are soft.

[Owl]

Depends what your after. Showroom look, nice wet paint look. Wax wax and more wax. Polishing is replacing big scratches with smaller ones, thats it. Polish will "cut" the paint and wax is what makes it look "wet", or shinny. Modern 2 pac paint will only need polishing if you scratch it, otherwise it will stay shinny on its own. You can't really hand cut 2 pac, will come out duller than when you started, the paint itself is too hard, not like the old 1k laquers which are soft.

Absolute bollocks!

Polish is not cutting compound! Polish is what gives the best finish, not wax.......hence why Meguiars recommends polishing as the final stage for car shows etc.

Many cutting compounds can be used to hand cut 2-pack paint. The key is using one suitable for hand cutting, not machine only.

[CookMySock]

Ah yeah cutting compounds will scratch modern painted surfaces, especially if applied by hand.

You need two things, it has to be bloody clean which means a cleaner than actually cleans and not some cheap shit car wash, and then you need a modern wax which means Turtlewax Ice. Ice on anything black is the fucking bizo. Don't be tempted to use the yuck oldskool paste waxes - they are shit compared to the modern stuff.

[Owl]

DB is back

I use TW Ice on plastics, other bits and it's great. For my tank (black) and other painted surfaces, I'd say it's the worst product I've ever used.

Once again, compounds can be used without scratching, but they need to be fine and suitable for use by hand! Machine is certainly better, but sometimes not possible to use in some areas. What then.........give up and say fuck it, can't be done?

[NOWOOL]

Bikes always look best in showrooms because the showrooms are designed to make the bike look it's best. Lights, mirrors, chrome and a dull carpet. Even a crappy bike looks good inside a showroom.

[Jim Shady]

Absolute bollocks!

Polish is not cutting compound! Polish is what gives the best finish, not wax.......hence why Meguiars recommends polishing as the final stage for car shows etc.

Many cutting compounds can be used the hand cut 2-pack paint. The key is using one suitable for hand cutting, not machine only.

Sounds like the word polish has a wide definition here. But after 17 years of painting cars, polishing means to cut. Compounds= "cut and polish", sound familier?
To hand cut 2 pac paint is a tedious excercise in wasting time, if its a showroom finish your after.
You can bypass compounds altogether if you use 3M's trizac system. You sand with 3000g wet used with a DA sander, and then "polish" the scrathes out with trizac machine glaze, witch is also an anti swirl (but takes ages, quicker to use a fine compund, but is not the 3M method), then you apply final hand glaze (wax) for final coating.
Or if your anal, you can get dura seal applied as the final step. They garantee it for 5 years before it will need to be re glazed (waxed).

Hope this clears up a little of your automotive refinishing confusion. If you need more educating in what it takes to get a "showroom finish", just holla.

[Owl]

Hope this clears up a little of your automotive refinishing confusion. If you need more educating in what it takes to get a "showroom finish", just holla.

No confusion at all and as I've been painting since 84........mine is bigger than yours

Oh by the way it's "Trizact"

[pete376403]

Seeng we have experts available, how does a clay bar work, and under what circumstances should it be used?
(not thinking of the KLR, the paint on that is beyond salvage, but the car could use a bit of TLC)

[Jim Shady]

Seeng we have experts available, how does a clay bar work, and under what circumstances should it be used?
(not thinking of the KLR, the paint on that is beyond salvage, but the car could use a bit of TLC)

Used for removing overspray, will also remove light tar spots. Helps if you use a spray bottle with water, only a little water or will glide over the paint instead of gripping it. Surface needs to be free of dirt or you will scratch the shit out of it.

[Jim Shady]

No confusion at all and as I've been painting since 84........mine is bigger than yours

Oh by the way it's "Trizact"

Oh your one of "those"

[BMWST?]

am i correct in saying that a clay bar is really a "polish" with very small particles??

[Owl]

Seeng we have experts available, how does a clay bar work, and under what circumstances should it be used?
(not thinking of the KLR, the paint on that is beyond salvage, but the car could use a bit of TLC)

What Jim said!

Personally I don't use it........tried it, but none of us liked it. We did find it had some entertainment value though!

Used for removing overspray, will also remove light tar spots. Helps if you use a spray bottle with water, only a little water or will glide over the paint instead of gripping it. Surface needs to be free of dirt or you will scratch the shit out of it.