Pin Striping

^That is correct. Somehow people started thinking that ceramic coating will help resist scratches. It doesn't any better than wax will.

 

Wash
clay bar paint decontamination
Fine to medium compound with medium pad on buffer-on areas with visible/palpable scratches.
Polish-use new pad
Glaze by hand
Then seal with wax by hand
It is a commitment for sure.I have has success with both dark and light metallic/pearl paint. The glaze usually contains fillers and oils that are like magic on darker colors. I have used many different brands over the years and settled on Chemical Guys compounds,Adams polish,Adams glaze and Chemical Guys Butter Wax at the end. I used poor boy’s black Hole glaze for darker paint.
This works for me and if it does not then hey I put the time in.

 

I appreciate the detailed response. Checking into some of these products now.

 

I recently decided to deal with some of my pinstripes. It started out as a test to see if it would really buff out. Yeah, it’ll buff. Takes a lot of elbow grease. Unless you use something more than a drill pad. But I was worried about burning though the clearcoat, so I did most of it little by little. It’s a learning process to get the right pressure and speed with the drill.

If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t do it until I was getting it ready to sell it, just to avoid reducing the thickness of the clear coat before it gets old enough. In another 5 years I can do it again if it needs it. By then, if the clear coat fails, at least it will be at the age to look good in oxidized magnetic gray

I started with the worst of it using this product. Then I finished using regular turtle was buffing compound.










Both of these panels had similar pin striping. This is after I got done with the fender.

 

Why would underground and lunar have thinner clear coat?

 

Another Meguiar’s product you might try is their “ultimate compound”. Not sure how it differs from their “Scratch Eraser” but I was able to bring my pinstriping down to an acceptable level with minimal effort (by hand). Striping isn’t gone but faint enough to be a good reminder of my first CO trip. At 1k miles yeah it’s tough but someone mentioned it earlier minor scratches and dents are easier to accept with each trip.

 

I may give that a try. I'm definitely trying to do it by hand. Nervous about using the pad. lol

 

That's the exact kit I got but I have been nervous to use the pad. My dad, a professional car painter keeps telling me horror stories about biting through too much clear coat lol. Did you do all of that with the pad? I have been having some success by hand but in the right light, you can still see it.

 

I used the drill for most of the job. I had to do all the panels besides the hood, roof, and hatch, so it was slow going.

The drill can leave a circular “jeweled” pattern on the paint in the right light. So I had to go over it by hand in some sections in order to break that up. That ‘s the biggest disadvantage to the drill pad…even if you try to avoid the jeweling effect, it may still show up.

It’s technically better to use a semi-orbital buffer, as long as you know what you’re doing to avoid cutting too deep.

But, if you don’t have extensive pinstriping, I would do it by hand, personally speaking.

 

Appreciate it. I just have one that goes from hood to tail light so I will just keep trying by hand.

 

Random orbital buffer is much safer than a drill. Drill gives the halo effect. Random orbital won't.

also keep in mind you can remove a lot more material with the concentrated focus of a fingertip than you ever will with a random orbital polisher. This can be good or bad.

 

I agree, just focus on that one pinstripe with a buffing pad and finger pressure. You’ll probably reduce the appearance of the scratch pretty easily, but making it invisible may take a while (along with sore fingers).

 

Appreciate it, guys. I'm gonna continue to see what I can get done with just my hands for now lol

 

I know others have mentioned it here but, don’t be leery of the buffer, they have usually 6 speeds that correlate to the task it is needed for. I grabbed a metal for sale sign and practiced on that with scratch removal first. I now get a lot of “hey can you get a scratch out for me’.

 

Here's the video I watched and I could not believe it was really this easy. Yeah, it was nerve wracking when I started, but confidence reigned supreme after a few minutes.

I did realize after I was done that the finer grit pads were overkill for this project. I wasn't trying to win a car show trophy, but man, the paint sure did sparkle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CUC6zurChM&t=5s

 

If I can buff this mess without burning the paint, so can you.

 

Graphene flex wax seems to work better than ceramic or regular wax.