DA Polisher Gets a Workout - Paint Correction

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xtr3me

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So I dropped my Rupes and one of the brushes broke on the inside and I had to use my Megs G110V2 da polisher to perform a paint correction on a truck with neglected paint while waiting for the brushes I ordered to arrive. The owner of the truck is an avid hunter so the paint has its share of scratches, I was missing my Rupes before I even started.

Steps / Product..
`Wash w/Dawn
`Clayed - Ricardo/ONR lube
`Compound - Menzerna fg 400 / Pads - 5.5" and 4" yellow Buff & Shine
`Glass cleaner - Megs D120

R/ Front Door ~
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R/Front Fender

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R/Rear Door and Pillar

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R/Front Pillar
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L/Front Door

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L/Front Pillar
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L/S Box Bed
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R/S Box Bed

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HOOD
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TEST SPOT ~
There was no doubt I was using Menz FG 400 and either a B&S (yellow) , Lake Country HydroTech (Cyan) and as a last resort a Megs Microfiber pad. Being Ford has a medium paint and I was running low on my other pads I ran with the B&S yellow pads and never gave it a second thought.. As you can see from the size of my test spot.

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IN PROGRESS - HALF & HALF SHOTS

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As can be seen in pics above, the pad and compound combo is removing most of the defects but it was so hot and humid outside that the pad would stop spinning due to the compound drying before I could work a section. I had to rub like my life depended on it to remove the product and the panels were left with a hazed look even though they were cool to the touch. I moved the vehicle to a shaded area to see if that would help, I later used IPA to remove the residue... Okay, a cool drink and some a/c, now back at it...

All the plastic cladding - Bumper, mirror housing, hood cowl, side steps and box rails will be wiped down with IPA, then scuffed with an scratchless scotchbrite pad. Taped off and sprayed with SEM Bumper Coater. The window seals and antenna housing will be coated with Forever Black

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These wheels were in bad shape. I sprayed Iron X, Megs Wheel Brightener w/o any results. I hit one wheel with some metal polish and a sample piece of carpet as can be seen below, now were getting somewhere. You can see how much I polished before trashing that idea. I considered these wheels trashed, so I decided to hit them with full strength aluminum brightener. No foaming, I let dwell for 4-5 mins and on the 3rd soaking they rubbed clean using a brush w/o any effort. Not perfect, but a vast improvement.

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xtr3me

xtr3me

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Everyone knows that the acid from acidic bugs and bird **** will etch into the clear coat if not removed asap, right ? Etching can occur within 24 hours of contact, eating through waxes, sealants or coatings, then penetrating the clear coat.. In the pics below, you can see where the acid from a bird bombing and the protein from an egg has damaged this paint. The owner said a bird's egg dropped on the hood and he had no clue it would damage the paint, just scraped the shell off the hood and left the remains until someone mentioned that it would eat through his clear coat, too late by then.

DAMAGE FROM AN EGG

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BIRD BOMB

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Note the etching, crows foot appearance
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Pull Ya

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Lots of work, great results!
Jay
 

blazenlo

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That ford was BAAAD!! Awesome job! The owner must have been amazed! :favorites13:
 

rablwo

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What is this aluminum brightner you speak of? What is the brand name?

I have sport wheels on my truck. I am not satisfied with their appearance, never have been.
 

WhiteExpress

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Holy hell! That thing was redneck TRASHED.
I'm very surprised how much better it looks.

I can't imagine detailing out in the hot humid swamps. You're crazy!
 
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xtr3me

xtr3me

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What is this aluminum brightner you speak of? What is the brand name?

I have sport wheels on my truck. I am not satisfied with their appearance, never have been.
Not sure what brand aluminum brightener I used as the label was weathered and unreadable. I do know that I bought it from O'reilly's several years ago. The wheels on the F150 were stained oem steel/chrome wheels w/o clear coat.

As for Dodge sport and alloy wheels, they are usually clear coated from the factory and will never have a mirror finish. Brightener is not recommended for clear coat as continued use may degrade the coating and like chrome, if the clear is compromised and the brightener penetrates below the surface it may cause damage and stain the wheel which will be visible through the clear coat.

Clear coated wheels need to be treated in the same manner as two stage paint. Buffed using a polish either by machine or hand. If I polish by hand, I use a 3 or 4" buffing pad. If the clear coated wheels have scratches that the polish will not remove, you may choose to use a compound. I seldom use compound on wheels, I prefer wet sanding followed by polishing. I always start with 2500, then 3000 grit followed by a polish. If the 2500 did not remove the scratches I would step up to 2000 grit, 2500, 3000, etc. If you have never wet sanded before, your first impression will be that you just ruined your wheels when you see them hazed. Soak wet sandpaper in water for 10-15 minutes prior to usage and lightly sand. I use a spray bottle filled with water to rinse away clear coat residue when sanding from the wheel and paper. I suggest checking out a video on YouTube prior to getting your feet wet if it's your first time


Using brightener on chrome wheels - brightener works great for cleaning chrome or magnesium wheels. If wheels have any road rash, deep scratches, flaking or any imperfections in the chrome whereas the nickel metal beneath the chrome plating is exposed, then the usage of wheel or aluminum brightener is a no-no.. If the chrome has been compromised, the brightener may potentially penetrate below the surface and eat the wheel coating from the underside. Do not use on anodized or powder coated wheels or brake calipers. If you use on bare aluminum it will leave the aluminum with a cloudy or milky appearance and you will need to follow up with a metal polish to restore the shine. Some metal polishes contains 'ammonia', while it does a good job of cleaning aluminum, if not completely afterwards, once the ammonia is mixed with oxygen the aluminum will start to oxidize faster than normal. Protect with a wax or sealant


If you're looking for more shine. An option is to remove the clear coat with a product made by Klean-Strip called 'Peeler' which comes in a rattle spray can. Another product for removing clear coat is aircraft stripper or a basic paint stripper applied by using a small brush. Once the clear coat is removed, follow with a metal polish. The downside to removing the clear coat, more frequent maintenance will be required and a wax or sealant is highly recommended


On chrome clad wheels with scratches, I use a homemade polish made from either a green or blue rouge. If using store bought, a cheap over the counter polish like Blue Magic or similar should work. Take a 0000 steel wool pad and apply a pea sized portion of polish on the pad and rub by applying pressure to pad with index and middle finger only. Rub in one direction, never use steel wool on chrome dry as it will dull the chrome and leave fine scratches. Let's say you have used steel wool in the past and rubbed too hard, dulling the chrome. A metal polish will restore the shine. Note, removing all the scratches from chrome may not always be successful but using this method will remove the majority of them.

Many people make the mistake of using a polish on a wheel and then sealing afterwards without removing the oils from the polish with a cleanser. If the oils from the polish are not removed most sealants will not bond to the surface as intended, limiting longevity

Wheels are expensive, whenever using an unfamiliar product or technique and in doubt, it's best if tested in an inconspicuous spot or on a cheaper item. For instance, a chrome plated hand wrench or similar. Granted not all chrome is of the same hardness but it should give you a good idea as to whether the process is a safe method of choice

As for metal polishes on chrome w/o clear coat, commercially I prefer Autosol. White Diamond can be purchased at a local parts store and works descent also

Hopefully this helps someone..

Sorry for the long reply, I'm on vacation and sleep deprived, just drank a large sized Red Bull shortly after consuming a cup of coffee. Last time I drank that combo, I talked myself into a divorce...

No wait.... that was Red Bull and Vodka
 

rablwo

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Thank you for the very informative reply. I appreciate it even if it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear. I am not sure why Ram would design the wheels where "so - so" is the best they will ever look. But, that appears to be the case.

I like the look of the 8 spoke Laramie wheels. Do you know if they are "chrome clad"? I am not sure what "chrome clad" means, since all chrome is a plating. But, i take it that "chrome clad" is less desirable than chrome.
 

Irongoats

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Holy hell that truck was thrashed but you made it come back nicely done! :crazy:
 
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xtr3me

xtr3me

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Thanks Guys - for the kind words and meaningful comments, I really appreciate it....

I can't imagine detailing out in the hot humid swamps. You're crazy!

Crazy huh, maybe crazier than you think.... I ended up painting the hood since I just bought a used gun off CL and wanted to test it out. Total cost for the owner was $96... $50 labor for paint correction and painting of the hood..plus $46 for the basecoat. I already had sandpaper, reducer, clear coat and activator on hand...

Just helping a fellow VETERAN out by letting him know I appreciate his service to country.... Society today has little respect for Veterans, such a shame

I like the look of the 8 spoke Laramie wheels. Do you know if they are "chrome clad"? I am not sure what "chrome clad" means, since all chrome is a plating. But, i take it that "chrome clad" is less desirable than chrome.

If I'm not mistaken they are chrome clad, someone else that owns a set would need to chime in

Attached is a link to help determine the different type of wheels
Blackburn Wheel FAQs - Info on OEM Wheel Sizes and Alloy Wheel Types and Finishes
 
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