pad/polish for a scratch?

[DSG2003Mach1]

going down a trail had a branch scrape down the side of the truck from one end to the other. I used some Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Fine Cut Cleaner #2 by hand and it cleaned it up a bit but not completely (not that I spent a ton of time on it in this heat). I have a Porter Cable but my pads are old and crap so looking for recommendations on a pad and polish.

You can just baaaaarely feel it with a finger nail in places so I know it wont completely go away but want it to clean it up as much as possible.

 

[Bdubbs]

I like lake country 5.5" pads with the Porter Cable. I also like Griot's Boss fast acting cream and correcting cream. I've also had pretty good luck with Wolfgang Uber polish and finishing glaze.

Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk

 

[Lambeau]

Lake Country (LC), based in Oconomowoc, WI, is the brand I have too. Not sure if they make all their products in the USA or not.

As a novice, I've had good luck with LC and a Porter-Cable like BDubbs.

LC's website has some good info.

Frequently Asked Questions - Lake Country Manufacturing

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about Lake Country Manufacturing and our products.

lakecountrymfg.com

Pad Technology - Lake Country Manufacturing

A look inside the advanced features of Lake Country Manufacturing's polishing pad technology.

lakecountrymfg.com

https://lakecountrymfg.com/wp-content/uploads/201810_LC_MSTR_AGRESSION_WEB.pdf

There's other good brands out there too.

 

[Black Gold 380R]

As far as pads I like Griots and another brand called Spta. They are foam pads. For rough stuff I use the orange or yellow foam pad.

I use these on the 6 inch polisher

I use these on the 3 inch polisher

For the polish I have had good luck on my 65 and my 03 Cobra using the 3M perfect it series. The number 1 should buff out the scratch and then use number 2 to finish it off.

You can buy these individually (it's still not cheap stuff though)

If you really want to level it out you could lightly wet sand it with 3000 (2500 if 3000 is to light. Meaning isn't cutting enough for you) and then buff it out. If you go this route go very light. You don't want to bust through the clear. And since you said you can feel the scratch with your fingernail it is a deep scratch.

These are meant for a DA, but you can use them by hand with a sanding block.

 

[01yellercobra]

A friend recommended this when I needed to remove a couple scratches from my truck. A tree branch got me one of the times I took it off road. I usually use it with an orange pad. Naturally I can't find the before and after pics now.

 

[BlckBox04]

you need a white foam pad and I use this stuff works really well

Wolfgang 8 oz Swirl Remover Combo

Wolfgang 8 oz. Swirl Remover Combo - A perfect pair of polishes. The Wolfgang 8 oz. Swirl Remover Combo creates a swirl-free finish on all types of paint, including today's scratch-resistant clear coats. Made with nano diminishing abrasives, ...

www.autogeek.net

 

[gimmie11s]

Perfect timing on this thread.. I scratched my dually last weekend when I drove a little too close to a lawn chair I had sitting outside SMH.

Good info guys!

 

[03cobra#694]

Perfect timing on this thread.. I scratched my dually last weekend when I drove a little too close to a lawn chair I had sitting outside SMH.

Good info guys!

Same thing I was thinking, none of my stuff though.

 

[Black Gold 380R]

If you haven't seen this in my other post, I did some paint correcting on my 03 Cobra hood a few weeks back.

Only had light scratches from washing, but had over spray from my 65 on it (I was dumb and had it parked near the garage when I was painting the 65. Doo LOL), rough surface and orange peel from the initial repaint.

The process I listed above is how I achieved these results.

Just remember everyone's preferred method and products will always be different.

Here you can see how fuzzy the reflection is (orange peel and overspray)

This is after wet sanding. Reflection is smooth but hazy. You can see outside area (to the left) still has orange peel and overspray as I had not worked it yet.

This is after wet sanding. Again, it looks smooth, but is hazy.

And this is after the 3M perfect it kit on an orange pad. This was done on paint that was at least 10 years old.

Just showing you my results based on my technique and products used. I would go with the least aggresive first and work your way down if need be. So, try with a buffer and pad before wet sanding to see if you're happy with the results.

I didn't take pictures, but I buffed the hood on my wife's F-150 this weekend. It had bad oxidation. I used the orange pad and perfect it number 1. I actually had to do it twice to get all the oxidation out. I still need to finish it with perfect it number 2, but it looks great now. I'll see if I can get you some pictures this evening and post up tomorrow. I think the tops of the fenders still has some oxidation.

 

[01yellercobra]

you need a white foam pad and I use this stuff works really well

Wolfgang 8 oz Swirl Remover Combo

Wolfgang 8 oz. Swirl Remover Combo - A perfect pair of polishes. The Wolfgang 8 oz. Swirl Remover Combo creates a swirl-free finish on all types of paint, including today's scratch-resistant clear coats. Made with nano diminishing abrasives, ...

www.autogeek.net

That's the other stuff my buddy recommended. But the VS worked better for me.

My buddy was a professional detailer for a few years. So he's my go to when I have questions.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

definitely not gonna play with wet sanding and such, couldnt stomach ****ing that up. I'll try another polish and pad and see what happens, you have to know where it is to see it now

 

[Black Gold 380R]

definitely not gonna play with wet sanding and such, couldnt stomach ****ing that up. I'll try another polish and pad and see what happens, you have to know where it is to see it now

I agree. Least aggressive method is the best place to start.

Here are the pictures of my wife's F-150 I mentioned.

I didn't take pictures of the hood before I started. Here is the roof. The hood looked just like this.

I did "not" wet sand this. This is using the orange foam pad and 3M perfect it number 1. I had to go over the hood twice to get all the oxidation out. I still need to finish it off, but it's WAY better now.