paint thickness

[nasty281]

While im about to ask some questions that have some variables that make it difficult to answer im gonna ask anyways . I have so far made it a ritual to clay, polish, seal and wax my car twice a year once in spring and once in fall. So this makes me think how long will my clearcoat hold out at this rate? To help get my answer I will say that I use menzerna pf2500 which is a cross between a polish and finishing polish. I usually use a white or pink pad for about 4-6 passes across the entire vehicle then I seal it. So... does anyone know how many microns a typical ford paint job is and how many microns would my polishing take take away each time on average...I would get my answer using a paint thickness gauge but I dont want to spend several hundred dollars

 

[Grubb]

Paint thickness gauge won't help as it measures everything on top of the metal. There's no way of telling how much is primer, paint and clear. The clear coat is what you don't want to break. I manage a company that does yearly and bi yearly detailing for customers, some 20+ years on the same car. We clay, polish and wax every time and never have issues breaking the clear. We also remove a lot of light scratches by wet sanding 1500 and 3000 grit and even at that very rarely have issues. With your current routine you will be fine. Wax away!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nasty281]

Thanks. You put my mind at ease.

 

[28ONE]

I would suggest switching to SF4000. In addition, because of oils left behind from polishing are you doing Eraser wipedown prior to sealing? This enhances and insures proper bonding sealant/wax. As long as you are not compounding every single year, you'll be fine.

 

[00blkvert]

You have plenty of clear on the car before you burn through. If you were rocking a rotary I may say otherwise. Something to take into account is if you have that many scratches/swirls I would start looking into how you wash, dry, and maintain the car especially if your doing it every 6 months.

 

[nasty281]

Im using DA right now. Im just worried about long term effects of repeated polishing. But you are onto something about washing technique. I use a 2 bucket method but I need to get a 2 part bucket and an electric blower to dry my car. After 6 months there are some minor swirls.

 

[nasty281]

I would suggest switching to SF4000. In addition, because of oils left behind from polishing are you doing Eraser wipedown prior to sealing? This enhances and insures proper bonding sealant/wax. As long as you are not compounding every single year, you'll be fine.

I used ff3000 once before which is more abrasive than the sf4000 and it didnt hardly take an swirling out it just left a nice gloss

 

[19COBRA93]

I do the same to mine every 6 months as well. I don't have any scratches or swirl marks, but the finish loses its waxed feel after that many months. It sits outside when I'm at work, and it gets dirty from use, so it gets washed a lot. The wax just doesn't seem to hold up much longer than that.

 

[00blkvert]

Im using DA right now. Im just worried about long term effects of repeated polishing. But you are onto something about washing technique. I use a 2 bucket method but I need to get a 2 part bucket and an electric blower to dry my car. After 6 months there are some minor swirls.

I wouldn't so much worry about the wash as much but do you have grit.guards? Drying is just as dangerous to the paint as washing can be. Blowing drying it will help reduce alot. Also using a QD to help finish drying since it adds slight layer of lubricant between the towel and paint.

I do the same to mine every 6 months as well. I don't have any scratches or swirl marks, but the finish loses its waxed feel after that many months. It sits outside when I'm at work, and it gets dirty from use, so it gets washed a lot. The wax just doesn't seem to hold up much longer than that.

A wax on average last 3ish months. You dont have to polish everytime you want to wax. Clay it and rewax it. For an outside car a coating will be a good option some are permanent others are a yr or 2.

 

[nasty281]

I dont have a grit guard. I know its important. Guess ive been to lazy to pick one up.

 

[28ONE]

I dont have a grit guard. I know its important. Guess ive been to lazy to pick one up.

The idea is once paint correction is done, we don't want to create anymore swirls. First step in prevention is the washing & drying technique, even more important to have grit guards. Even when quick detailing, there is a chance of creating swirls. Every time we touch the paint, we run the risk of creating swirls.

Have you considered a coating?

 

[nasty281]

The idea is once paint correction is done, we don't want to create anymore swirls. First step in prevention is the washing & drying technique, even more important to have grit guards. Even when quick detailing, there is a chance of creating swirls. Every time we touch the paint, we run the risk of creating swirls.

Have you considered a coating?

Whats a coating? Is it different than a sealant

 

[28ONE]

Whats a coating? Is it different than a sealant

Yes indeed

http://opti-coat.com

http://www.cquartz.com

http://www.autogeek.net/pinnacle-black-label.html

My 06
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/73763-06-mustang-gt.html

I currently have Black Label Coating topped with PBL Sealant & Blackfire BlackICE. Probably overkill but I don't care. It's been on since middle of November and water still beads and sheets like crazy.

I'll be applying CQuartz at the end of May. Coatings last way longer than any wax or sealant and imo have more gloss and shine. Makes cleaning a breeze. I have the paint, glass, and wheels coated...

If you're about protection with less maintenance, coatings is the way to go. Some coatings allow you to wax over the top but some don't. If you somebody who likes waxing, paint coatings may not be for you...

 

[00blkvert]

A coating is nice. I personally still like to apply wax especially in the nicer summer months. So in the winter I used Sonax Polymer Net Shield. It's a sealant but has all the characteristics of a coating except durability. SPNS averages out to about 6 months.

If you like waxing you can also get a sealant to lay down then a wax for after. A sealant will give you longer durability under the wax. Some good sealants are menzerna Powerlock, Four star ultimate paint protection, pinnacle there is quite a few out there.

 

[nasty281]

A coating is nice. I personally still like to apply wax especially in the nicer summer months. So in the winter I used Sonax Polymer Net Shield. It's a sealant but has all the characteristics of a coating except durability. SPNS averages out to about 6 months.

If you like waxing you can also get a sealant to lay down then a wax for after. A sealant will give you longer durability under the wax. Some good sealants are menzerna Powerlock, Four star ultimate paint protection, pinnacle there is quite a few out there.

I like my wolfgang 3.0 personally. I feel it does a really good job

 

[28ONE]

I like my wolfgang 3.0 personally. I feel it does a really good job

Wolfgang is greattuff, although quite pricey, Wolfgang Fuzion is crazy sick over the top of WG 3.0!

 

[nasty281]

Thanks ill have to check that out