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21 comments on Ask-A-Pro: How to Polish Single Stage Paint?

  1. Tony says:

    Todd,

    Thanks very much for this info and this was very helpful. When I purchased my 7424xp and pads, I only purchased the Meguires 205 since it seemed like a good general starting point.

    Is this 205 ok to start with and see how it looks, or do you recommend another product to start with?

    Keep in mind that even though the paint is old on the 1969, the defects (swirl marks, light scratches) on both cars do not appear to be bad, but are noticeable in the right lighting.

    Thanks again,
    Tony

  2. Stelian says:

    Very good how to

  3. RJT says:

    Thanx for the very good information here as I am beginning to use a PCXP. Would you contrast the differences between Menzema 106fa and M 205 or M105 and Menzema power finish.I guess I am asking which are the least aggresive out of these product lines.

    Thanks !

    RJ.

    • Menzerna 106FA has the least cut out of those mentioned. Both M205 and Power Finish work well as medium cut one-step polish with the ability to finish down very nicely. Power Finish is the more aggressive of the two, and may require a lighter polish afterwards if used on a soft, darker colored vehicle. M105 is the most aggressive of the 4, and it requires the use of a final polish such as M205 or 106FA afterwards.

      Thanks,
      Todd

  4. RJT says:

    Todd,
    after quite a bit of reading , as a beginner ,would Menzerna po85rd be a choice where minimal correction is needed ? I have only CCS pads presently,so would you suggest starting with a black pad ,followed by white if the cut was not adequate ? and at what speed with the PCXP ?

    Tnanx !

    RJ

    • RJ,

      If you have just light correction to perform, I would probably reach for Menzerna 106FA instead of PO85RD. Trying a black pad first and then stepping up to a white one if necessary is a good plan of attack.

      First spread the product around on speed 4~5 on the PC 7424 XP, then kick it up to 6 until the product break down (becomes clear), and then back down to 4 or 5 with light pressure for your last couple of passes.

      • Adam says:

        Ive been reading your comments, and you sound like I can rely on your experience, I am spraying a single stage metallic paint, I have been told by the “experts- other guys painting” that I cannot cut and polish the metallic paint like other 2 stage paints, is this a true story, or are there ways to work these out, thanks for any info.

      • Rick Archambault says:

        Todd
        I am extremely reluctant to power buff and polish my single stage painted 1989 Porsche 944 S2. Can you recommend a product to take out some light scratches and swirls by hand?

  5. FP says:

    CanI use a swirl remover before I polish on sigle stage paint?

  6. Glen Andrews says:

    I polished a 95 nissan SE-R, single stage black. Came out great, but after about 2 months, it started to oxidase. I used Jetseal and Pete’s 53. What is the best protection for single stage paint? How often do I have to protect it?

  7. Barry says:

    What would be better for my house door facing south,be/cc or single stage? Thanks

  8. Thanks for all your info it has been very helpful and 100% correct every time I just painted my 68 Chevy pickup with a single stage acrylic urethane turned out
    nice but I feel the shine could maybe be a lil deeper. It’s metallic any suggestions

  9. Paul Higgs says:

    Resurrecting this post to ensure the path I am going to follow: I have a 1965 Land Rover 2A with the original Poppy Red paint that has probably never been corrected in its life. I want to give it a light polish to remove oxidation and bring the color back to life. However, there are rock chips along the front, and a couple of chips along the rear quarters, will a polish expand on these rock chips, and how delicate will 50 year old single stage paint be? Utilizing a Torq10Fx, was thinking Menzerna 3500 and trying an assortment of pads. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

  10. […] How to polish single-stage paint […]

  11. Charles williams says:

    Hi. I have a 1992 Toyota pickup that I just painted with single stage red paint.no clear coat.this is my first paint job.I’m wondering how to get a better shine?I guess it’s ok for my first one but I would appreciate any tips.thanks very much.

    • Reece @ DI says:

      Charles – Thank you for the message! I would recommend following the steps listed in this article. Start with a light pad/polish combo, inspect the results, and pump the power up as needed. Something like a Lake Country White Foam Pad and the Sonax EX 04-06 is a great light polishing combination that will help remove imperfections in the paint. If you need to pump up the power, use the Lake Country Orange Foam Pad and the Menzerna 400, just be sure to follow up with the light correction option to remove any compounding haze and finish the paint down. Once you remove the imperfections, you will be left with a surface with clarity that you can top with a protective layer to add more gloss.

      • Charles williams says:

        Thanks very much.I really appreciate it.I don’t know anything about buffers either.I want to purchase one but don’t want to invest a lot of money.just like to know would be a pretty good brand and size that would do a decent job for a beginner.I haven’t ever used a buffer.I would appreciate any advice you could give me also the place to purchase them.thank you very much.

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