MaryUlrick

most smart repairers use 1k clear hence not having a great reputation. I know some will use 2k and there is also an iso free clear which is good but it takes a lot of thinning which reduces the drying time. upol now do a 1k which they say is up there with 2k in terms of durability.

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Autoplak

My suggestion to applying wax (no power tools);
Work into the paint in a front-to-back, back-to-front motion (the way the air flows over the car). Don't go around in circles the way dear old dad taught you. If you are using a pad and airborne grit gets under the pad, you have made sandpaper. If you are working in a circle, you have made a 360-degree scratch (or swirl mark). Since a scratch or swirl mark is most visible from a 90 degree viewing angle, a circular scratch is visible anywhere. If you work in a linear motion and scratch the surface, the linear scratch is only visible from a small viewing angle.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Hello again...

machine waxing is something that should not be ruled out, especially if you are applying a liquid wax. It will save you time and produce a much thinner, and even application of wax when compared to applying by hand. It will also save you a ton of time! I can lay down a nice, thin, even coat of wax on an entire car in about 10 minutes when applying by machine using a fine finishing pad.


^Very thin, very even application and best of all... very quick and easy!

As far as the straight line method of applying paste waxes... I agree with that. See the videos below for more clarification.

jfelbab

My rambling thoughts on polishing and protecting paint.

Ever worked on a car that has seen lots of tunnel washes? You know the ones with spinning brushes or cloth that rub against the paint. Those work in straight lines and yet the cars swirl marks always appear circular.

Swirls will appear to be circular whether they were instilled via circular motions or via straight line motions. The reason for this is mostly due to the light source. If you move your eye over the swirled surface the visible swirls move to indicate the entire surface is covered with circular swirls. The swirls don't appear stationary.

IME, if you are working with high quality products, pads and toweling, it makes no difference what direction you move your hand as they won't be instilling scratches or swirls. If OTOH, you are seeing swirls or scratches, STOP IMMEDIATELY and change the materials being used. It would not be advisable to continue to instill swirls or scratches in any motion, no? I don't want marring of my paint in any direction, straight line or circular.

To this end, I only use the highest quality products and materials and I inspect thoroughly, prior to, and during use, but in the real world, no matter how careful you are, swirls and scratches will appear.

To deal with them you have two choices. You can either remove them or you can hide them. Removing them requires removal of the surrounding paint to level the surface. To hide them you can use a glaze or wax/sealant/coating with higher filling abilities. Fillers typically are polishing oils that will eventually evaporate and the swirls will reappear but this is a paint friendly maintenance approach until the paint becomes so swirled that you decide its time to remove them via a polish or compound.

Why hiding them is a good idea... The OEM paint on your car is about as thick as a piece of printer paper. The very topmost layer of paint is the clear coat. The clear coat is densest at the surface and after a few abrasive polishings the harder surface of this is clear coat removed and the clear coat remaining is a little softer and less dense. This results in even easier marring and slightly less gloss. The less paint removal one needs to do the better for the long term durability standpoint.

Yet, I still will polish out my paint occasionally, but I spend a lot more attention and energy to avoid instilling swirls than I do removing them. Everything that touches the paint has the potential to introduce swirls. That being the case, I am meticulous about using the best materials and products to clean and maintain my paint finish. Swirls are easier to avoid than to remove.

A final option is the use of a coating. Coatings are like an added mini clear coat on top of your paint. They provide added protection and some claim they are actually harder than the paint they protect. They will also get swirled and scratched over time but you can polish them off and only remove the coating and not your paint.

Food for thought.

redoctane

Yep I think they seriusly cause more damage then they fix