Maguire Scratch X

[Wixy]

so polish (eg. Wetlook Cleaner Wax) can only improve the gloss but not restore reflection yeah?

if to see if its working I should see reflection straight after ScratchX?

in very way you should see an improvement of clarity and reflection after scratchx application, as its a fine swirl and scratch remover, as well as a clarity enhancer. scratch x can also be used to remove oxidation, but thats with alot of elbow grease and patience if doing it by hand.

gloss and reflection are the same terms. if you can not improve gloss you have no reflection. if u have no reflection you have no gloss.

so yes, cleaner wax is a 1 step polish and wax system so it will improve gloss and reflection at the same time as protecting your surface with wax, but u need to make sure you work the product in2 the surface with a light 2 moderate amounts of pressure on the application pad.

cleaner wax has been the same product since the 60s with some minor formula adjustments, so that usually means its a mild product that needs patience and time.

try scratchx a section and apply it over that same area for 5 consecutive times, applying moderate pressure and consistent technique and see how that goes. if u see an improvement on the surface, but its not 100% then a more aggressive product is required. if it doesnt work full stop (which i doubt), stop using the product and see some advice from meg's customer care which is on the scratchx bottle.

[eviltwin]

absolutly sensational results there, i just bought a clay bar as im looking at buying a few products to return the paint on my SX back to former glory she has many swirls and stains etc so ill post the results!

[the_random_hero]

It's great stuff, one of the greatest swirl removers out there. We used to sell a LOT of it to people who definitely knew what they were doing with paint rejuvenation.

[Wixy]

well

good news,

meguiar's have had their new micro abrasive technology out for a while now, but in terms of of consumer level, its definitely the best swirl remover. their new technology is out with Scratch X 2.0

that will be the bomb when it comes out. if you think scratch x was great, wait till you use 2.0. its even more effortless while ensuring it will never EVER place ANYMORE scratches and swirl than the current condition of the surface.

[akuma]

thats nuts, gotta love them meguires! all my products is only meguires too, old man loves it!

[jdm_monsta]

The stuff works, but it takes alot of hard work!

[Kesawi]

Tried 4 applications to a light scratch over the weekend, but it didn't seem to make much difference. Followed the advice here and kept working the product until it had all but disappeared.

[Armstrong]

i tried it too. It did a bit. But the problem is that there are soo many scratches on the car that i may as well pay somone to do it.

Plus its bloody hard when it dries up like hard liquid paper on the car.....am i doing something wrong?\

Is there something more effective than scratch X 1.0?

[Wixy]

Is there something more effective than scratch X 1.0?

Yes, scratch x 2.0. that will be out in aust around june. so for the moment, no, all other companies in the australian market are either lemons are just too abbrasive (like kitten - dont use it unless you know exactly what your doing - eventhough the price is appealing)

there is something more effective than your hand though, and that is a meguiar's G220 dual action polisher. if you pay someone to do it it will cost you a G220 and then some.

so its up to you on how much you love your car.

[Kenneth.]

When you guys use Scratch X, what type of motion do you apply? Do you go in a circle motion, horizontally left/right, or vertically up/down..?

I have some swirl marks that don't appear to be going away.. any suggestions with using Scratch X? :(

[trn90]

hey just curious has anyone used Swirl X? http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+G17616

how does it compare to Scratch X? will it still be able to remove fine scratch's like scratch X does?

cheers,

[Kenneth]

hey just curious has anyone used Swirl X? http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+G17616

how does it compare to Scratch X? will it still be able to remove fine scratch's like scratch X does?

cheers,

I was tempted to try but not game enough to get it yet :P

[-DAvo]

swirlx is acctually less aggressive than scratch X. it is fine for removing fine swirl marks and water marks.

I use it pretty regularly with a G220 and 8006 pads, and follow it up with M21 sealant - gives great results

[private number]

Using scratch x 2.0 as we speak!!

[private number]

On a side note, after ive worked Scratch X 2.0 in until it all but disappears do i wipe away the product ?

[peregrine]

yep so I'll keep going at it since ScratchX is mild

I've read the previous post and have done the finger test, it doesn't really catch the finger nail but can feel them

I don't know if my car has clear coat, maybe I should ask in the Camry forum first

not sure if I described it popularly but bunch of scratch is like an area of parallel scratches (back and forth motion 5 times by scourer sponge)

so polish (eg. Wetlook Cleaner Wax) can only improve the gloss but not restore reflection yeah?

if to see if its working I should see reflection straight after ScratchX?

Don't go too hard for if you go through the clear coat it will stay dull. The two pack paint being used on new cars consists of dull colour coats covered by gloss clear coats. So if you go through the clear coat all that is left is the flat colour coat. Happened to my neighbor.

[private number]

Ive used scratch x 2.0 all day today, and it was beautiful in removing all the noticable scratches (eg the scratches from keys behind the door handle) all over the car. So i went for a drive tonight and whilst outside, I COULD STILL SEE ALL THE LITTLE FINE SWIRL MARKS that were there originally. I dont get how it removes all the big noticable scratches and leaves all the fine little swirl marks (i think it even went worse in some places). Am i doing something wrong? I used all the appropriate applicator pads and everything but all the little fine siwlr marks are still there :(

help please!

[Rocketeer1]

i use scratch X as part of an are senal of meguires products. They do the job adequately, particularly when used with a machine and decent buffing pads.

Soon enough, when I have the need anyway, I will be looking into better products (there are some absolutely insane detailing nuts with a lot of good information they are willing to divulge)

The last car I did- mazda 2 '08, red. Had it for a year, had to sell it. Sold it as a near perfect condition near new car. After the clay, several cuts getting gradually finer then a couple of coates of wax she was the smoothest silkiest thing you ever felt, and the colour was so much richer than the day we picked her up. The bloke who bought it was a pedantic prick, and couldnt fault the paint (apart from a blob of wax I missed in one of the panel joins). So yes, the products do work well.

For the light swirls- I do everything by machine nowadays. The scratch-x should still get them out, I tend to use microfibre for all my polishing, a couple of hand cuts gradually getting lighter should remove most of those- otherwise try another fine cutter afterwards. Sctatch x is I am pretty sure a diminishing cutter, so should deal with the finer stuff reasonably..... A decent wax will fill in any left quite well.

Edited February 12, 2010 by Rocketeer1

[-DAvo]

Ive used scratch x 2.0 all day today, and it was beautiful in removing all the noticable scratches (eg the scratches from keys behind the door handle) all over the car. So i went for a drive tonight and whilst outside, I COULD STILL SEE ALL THE LITTLE FINE SWIRL MARKS that were there originally. I dont get how it removes all the big noticable scratches and leaves all the fine little swirl marks (i think it even went worse in some places). Am i doing something wrong? I used all the appropriate applicator pads and everything but all the little fine siwlr marks are still there :(

help please!

sorry i didnt see this post earlier.

anyway, while you have removed the larger/deeper scratches from your clear coat if your finding there are still defects there, then i would suggest the following... bear in mind, if used properly, scratch x 2.0 should not need to be followed by any other paint cleaner apart from a sealing wax or sealant to protect the finish....

a.) following it up with a less aggressive product such as swirlX

b.) revise your application methods - are you using a lot of pressure for the entire buffing process or are you starting off with a fair amount of pressure and then using slightly lighter pressure towards the end? remember, scratch x 2.0 is NOT a dimishing abrasive like its predecessor, it uses meguiars new SMAT technology. refer to this thread for some useful information http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showt...;highlight=SMAT

c.) are you working the product in long enough?

d.) are you working on too large an area at a time? if working by hand, try to reduce your work area into small squares (usually break your bonnet up into quarters)

e.) are you following up with a good quality wax? something like meguiars nxt gen tech wax 2.0 will acctually move to "fill" minor swirlx, but will NOT remove them premanently..

all this is assuming you are working with CLEAN applicator pads and CLEAN microfibre wipes to remove the products.

also assuming that you have prepared the surface of your car properly, (wash, inspect to see if you need to clay the surface)

basically, scratch x 2.0 is made for "spot repairs" if you were wanting to do the whiole car, you should be using products such as "SwirlX or for tougher defects "Ultimate compound"

hope this helped. keep us posted on how you go. :)

Edited February 13, 2010 by -DAvo

[private number]

Thanks for that davo, that did help a lot and thanks for linking that thread mate. much appreciated

I will buy a bottle of swirl x and see how it goes. When applying the scratch x 2.0 i was lightly working it in and after i didnt notice any results i added a bit more pressure. I tested this method on the areas behind the door handles and it worked fine from what i can see. How do i know when i need to stop working the product in? I litterly stood behind the car trying to fix them swirl marks from the boot for maybe a good hour or two with no progress.

The wax i used was meguiars caranuba wax. Speaking of which, whats the best way to remove the wax?

I will definietly tackle this again on my next lazy day off from work and see if i make any progress

Edited February 13, 2010 by private number

[private number]

DavO, i bought a bottle of swirl X as you recommended and tried it out on a very small section of the bonnet, took about 20mins but i noticed the scratches and swirls have reduced by 90%. There are still some swirls and scratches that are evident, but maybe a bit more elbow grease will do the job. Im thinking that this job will take AGESSS to do by hand.

Whats your oppinion on picking up a drill with the a drill tip that has the buffer pad attached to the end? (saw one sold at autobarn)

[Rocketeer1]

noooooo

My setup is a GMC (which are outta business now, but should be other similar things around) big variable speed angle grinder ($120 odd). Set on just above the slowest speed for most work. 2 x foam pads, one denser than the other ($30 odd each).

It can be done by someone who hasnt done it before, but you can make a mess of it pretty quicky. You need to be careful of speed, pressure and heat under the pad, so as to not damage the paint. Also beware ofedges- these are very easy to burn through.

The best bet- save the machine buffing for the pro's (hey for $100 odd you can get it buffed up nicely and sealed) and just maintain the finish from there.

[-DAvo]

sorry i didnt see your reply until just then :P

anyway, as mentioned here, unless you are VERY confident in using a buffing machine, do not. i repeat DO NOT try the GMC "angle grinder aka sander" method. there are so so many things that could go wrong when using a rotary buffer that could cause pretty badass damage to your paint.

my suggestion would be to outlay the funds and get a DA polisher. i myself am using a Meguiars G220A DA polisher with both 8006 polishing pads and 9000 finishing pads.

at the time when i bought mine, they were going for about the 250ish price range, and add about 30 bucks for pads.

another product which i use (purely for apply wax thou) is a Mothers Wax Attack palm polisher. As i mentioned, i only use this for applying my waxes/sealants as i dont believe it compares to the meguiars DA in terms of paint cleaning/defect correction, however some people do use the MOthers palm polisher for minor swirl removal.

hope that helps, if you need any more specific help, feel free to PM me :)

[Rocketeer1]

i'd never actually used those sort of polishers- just the cheaper orbitals, and they really dont do so well. How do the DA polishers go? Unfortunately the old GMC is playing up- issues with the switch (typical GMC).....