Enamel bath and T-Cut

[Linda]

Someone on here mentioned recently that if an enamel-coated bath is discoloured then it can be restored to gleaming as-new condition (ok, probably not an exact quote but that was the gist of it) by using T-Cut on it, especially if you use one of those car polisher thingies.

Although I know what T-Cut is I've never used it, so my (probably very silly) question is, would you use the car polisher thingy to apply the T-Cut to the enamel surface as well as polishing it off, or would you apply T-Cut with a rag and just use the car polisher to polish it off?

Thanks,

Linda.

[r.rain]

Just apply the T cut with a rag and then either buff off with a clean rag or your car polisher. Go easy on using it too, T-Cut actually takes a layer of paint away and if you do it enough you will eventually get to bare metal, well that's what my dad used to keep telling me and it sounds feasible! :)

HTH

Richard

[Christian McArdle]

Getting T-Cut to take any paint off a car is pretty difficult these days. I don't know if it because the T-Cut has become all girlie, or the paint has become harder, though. In the past, the rag became car coloured. My recent experience has been that it now stays clear and doesn't quite "cut it".

Christian.

[Linda]

Thanks to both Richard and Christian. I'll be trying it at weekend so we'll see what happens :o)

Linda.

[EricP]

I think the idea was that it actually cut the paint gently, hence the name. But as we live in a litigation age, they probably thought it better to have it actually do bugger all and keep selling it until people find out.

I was going to get some this weekend. Thanks for the heads-up. :))

[Chris McBrien]

About 12 years ago I spilt about a tablespoon of acid-gel from a car battery onto one of the car mats. I quickly got the majority off. Then I had the bright idea of immersing the mat in the bath. When I drained the bath it had a 'tide' mark. Above the tide make was glazed but below there the surface was a matte finish.

Will 'T'- Cut restore this glaze?

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[:::Jerry::::]

Considering that on most modern car paint you are polishing the clear lacquer coat...

You would have to go some with any cutting compound to reach the colour (base coat) and if you did you would be in grave trouble!

[Parish]

It's the paint that's become girlie. Modern car paints are environmentally friendly which, as with most EF products, are generally pretty naff at doing what they are supposed to. All cars, even those with flat colours, now have a clear lacquer on them (Clearcoat) which is why T-Cut doesn't colour the cloth - it's removing clear lacquer. If the cloth starts turning the colour of the car then you've over done it and worn through the lacquer.

BTW, Original T-Cut contains ammonia which can cause clearcoat to bloom plus clearcoat is softer so there is Metallic T-Cut (metallic paint has always been clearcoated) which is less abrasive and contains no ammonia (so it smells less nasty too) for use on clearcoat finishes.

The OP would be better off with the harsher Original T-Cut for the bath as enamel is bloody hard.

Parish

[bigcat]

you need cutting compound, not T-Cut. T-cut and flash floor cleaner were once both cutting compounds, but no longer. Use one designed for paint finishing, there are much coarser ones ou dont want on your paintwork.

I've not used cutting compound with stove enamel though... I assume thats what the bath is.

NT

[John Rumm]

One big difference is the popularity of metallic finishes. These have a coloured base coat, but then clear lacquer coats over the top. Hence TCut may restore some shine to the lacquer, but wont usually touch the colour.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In these days of water based paints, even solid colours tend to have a clear coat on top.

[Steve Walker]

No - T-Cut works by removing a fine layer, which is quite the reverse to what you need. Possibly a clear hard laquer of some sort?

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

That's because many modern paints are basecoat and clear. You are just polishing away the laquer coat.

[Christian McArdle]

Even solid colours?

Obviously metallic/pearlescent are very different beasts.

Christian.

[s--p--o--n--i--x]

Most car finishes these days have a layer of clear laquer over the paint, to improve "shinyness".

Perhaps you are removing laquer and not paint?

sponix

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

Even solid colours.

[Mary Fisher]

Because it's oneteen

Mary

[BigWallop]

Some people eh? It's always been oneteen, twoteen, threeteen. :-)