Is this stuff a polishing compound? Is it OK or is there something better to use with the porter cable tool?

 

its buffing compound, and use it for what the name says, follow the directions or you'll go thru the clearcoat.

 

So it's not a true polishing compound? What's the difference?

 

im pretty sure the scratchx is a little more abrasive than most polishes are. are you looking to remove scratches with this? or just get rid of some swirl marks? justin over at obsessive detail has alot of great polishes that will work great with your porter cable. he also has the whole pad kits if you dont already have that. i bought a whole lineup of polishes and waxes a while back and they worked great but i still had some swirl marks in my paint. i bought a porter cable and pads from him a couple weeks ago and used these same products and the results were awesome. im sure you will be very happy with any of his products, everyone on the boards seems to be so far.

 

This **** is confusing. A million different polishes, buffing agents, etc.. The packaging on these products often isn't very clear on exactly what they are.

I've got scratches, deep and shallow. Swirl and scuff marks. Pretty much a little of everything. Hell if I know what to do about them at this point.

I don't have the porter cable tool yet.

 

if you can feel the scratches with your fingernail then they are too deep to get out. a wax will temporarily fill them in, but not truly get rid of them. thats mainly what scratchx is, an abrasive polish with fillers in it that just cover/hide the scratch and not completely get rid of it. the more abrasive a polish, the deeper its going to work itself into your paint. if your swirls are really bad then i would go with a stronger polish, then you can work your way up with a lighter polish and then top that with a wax or a sealer.

 

+1 to ryan


you can have only such an aggressive polish by hand, if the polish is too aggressive you will never a polisher to full break it down. a light polish like meg's #80 or scratch X is as aggressive as i'd go by hand