I picked up some Turtle wax rubbing compound today and honestly i'm not really impressed with it.. I've never been fond of turtle wax products but it was the only thing i could get my hands on.. I debadged my trunk lid today and it left some fine scratches either from the compound or pad that i used.. I got most of the out with scratch X (many coats), shining monkey polish and wax. the end result was great but what other types can i look for to use in the future.. Thanks in advance.

TOny

 

It's not so much that it's a bad product (although I don't own any of their stuff) it's that rubbing compound is VERY abrasive. The hazing and scratching results you saw would've been identical with any other aggressive polish. ScratchX was a great solution for removing the damage as it's a much milder abrasive.

When debadging you're only removing adhesive residue, so instead something like 3M wax & adhesive remover would've been more appropriate. Beyond that, anything from bug & tar remover to a clay bar to a mild paint cleanser would've worked too.

Compounds and polishes are designed for imperfections in the paint, as opposed to on it. That said, you can occasionally find Meguiars DACP (dual action cleaner/polish) over-the-counter. This is a great product. There are dozens of other polishes out there at 'boutique' sites. If you want to explore it might be worth checking out sites (just to name a few) like autopia.org, properautocare.com, autogeek.net, and pakshak.com.

 

Thanks Vroom, I actually had to use some Goo Gone to get the leftovers of the adhesive off the car.. Than i did compund, scratch X, polish , and than wax.. I will check those other sites.. Thanks again

Tony

 

Vroom is correct. Rubbing compound is very abrasive. You need something gentler.

 

What would recommend? thanks

Tony

 

I use 3M brands if its small stuff, i just use the blue shop towels and do it by hand

 

thanks V, i always apply by hand.. I'm sort of not confident yet to buy and use a polisher?

 

I like Zaino Z-PC and some of the Menzerna polishes.

 

My favorites, in no particular order - just depends on the finish I'm working on:

Menzerna IP, PO85RD, & FPII
Optimum Compound
Meguiars DACP
Poorboy's SSR series & Professional Polish

Spot-polishing by hand won't break your back, but for full-panel paint correction you definitely want to go with a buffer. For many years I too was skeptical (about my skills and the risk of damage, not the machine) but I started using the PC about five years ago and haven't looked back.

 

I used to use SSR2.5 which is very good. I'm not as impressed with Optimum but I have a bunch of it.

 

Megs is a good brand of choice and offers many different cuts depending on ones needs. One of the benefits is that it is an OTC product that is available at most parts houses. (Orileys, Autozone, Carquest....)

 

Meguiars diamond cut is up there as far as compound goes. I like 3M compound. I was able to get rid of heavy oxidation and swirls with it. I like it so much that I only use it on very bad paint

 

Thanks guys for your input and recommendations..

 

THanks again for the great feedback..

Today i noticed that there is very very faint shadow where the word "Lexus" was.. The debadging is almost perfect but know it could be better on that one side..

Will the Menzerna IP take care of this by hand or do i need to apply it by a polisher?

Tony

 

Hey Tony,

I have had really good success with the Poorboys SSR polisher. They work really well and are easy to use and the price is good also