Guide to Machine polishing your car.

[Emtee]

Just spent the last hour reading and then re-reading this excellent guide.

Here's a link to the thread on Detailing World...

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=63859

Here's the link to the page listing this and other guides, some in PDF format.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=61625

Posted with thanks and recognition to Dave KG of Detailing World.

 

[BennyD]

Thanks Miles. I need to do my BM when I get home, so I will have a good read to while away the next monsoon!

 

[Emtee]

It's an impressive piece of work Ben by someone who obviously knows what they're talking about, but without getting all 'yoda' about it.

 

[BennyD]

I've got all the stuff; machines, pads, compounds and polishes, so all i've got to do is find out what to do with them!

 

[2b1ask1]

Just DON'T let it dry out..... it will BURN the paint; the times you actually need to use a machine are few and far between, far better to put the effor in by hand where you are in control.....

 

[Emtee]

Just DON'T let it dry out..... it will BURN the paint; the times you actually need to use a machine are few and far between, far better to put the effor in by hand where you are in control.....

Do you mean during the machine polishing Newton?

 

[2b1ask1]

Absolutely Miles, if you are using any kind of compound i.e. farclea G3 just keep it super wet and although it is messy it will reduce the chances of burning the top of the paint. Obviously if you are onto the fluffy final pad with no compounds it is designed to be used dry, then just watch that you keep the pressure off it.

Personally I don't own a polishing machine any more as you can bring even resprays up to top quality by hand without risk, a machine just allows you to do much more in the given time. In a paint/body shop the guys are doing it every day and can read what they are doing almost blindfold... Machine polishing really is a craft in itself not to be taken on lightly. Back in the days of cellulose paint you would have pleanty of thickness to mess with (typically 400-600 microns)... Modern cars are given less than the thickness of a hair (average 100 micron) total thickness - Porshe/Glasuite paint process aims to be around 85 microns!

Just a personal view but it is like dent removal; been there, done that, not doing it every day so I'd rather let someone else be responsible for it now....

 

[Emtee]

Thanks for that Newton. Yes I did see that the G3 needed to be kept wet, but thought that the Meguiars polishing compounds were better?

I've been pondering getting myself some decent kit for some time now and have been reading up on the various options.

I was thinking of the Meguiars G220v2 and initially starting with the 2 DA microfibre products, as although not the professional choice, they do seem safe?

You're right of course that it won't be a regular thing, but maybe polishing properly once / twice a year, but using it more often for waxing / finishing.

 

[Andyk]

Great post Miles.......Thanks..

 

[2b1ask1]

Miles I'm of the thought once in the lifetime of your ownership at most just to get it back to showroom; everything else by hand....

I can't speak for maquires as I've never used any of it.

Process I'd use:

Serious wash, dry, claybar to remove contamination and scratch peaks.

Farecla G3 deals with the paint correction and light scratches (not through clear coat layer).

3M Finnesse to work on the perfect shine (simply the highest quality polish there is IMHO).

Pre-wax feed, wax, wax,wax and if in doubt wax again.... of coarse the multiple waxing only works if you use a solvent free true wax...

 

[Grinzzz]

Much less likely to burn paint with a dual action machine than a rotary but as newton says, it's a process that needs practice. Best bet is to try it on daughters/wife/next doors car first to get the hang of it!

One thing you need to know is how hard the paint is on the car. It varies between manufacturers and I believe between colours. A firm like polished bliss would generally be able to give you advice on paint hardness and which products to use. With compound well matched to paint it shouldn't be necessary to lean on the machine to get the job done.

Other thing that comes in useful is a paint thickness gauge - this helps avoid going too much into already thin paint (thickness varies quite a bit over a car).

 

[Grinzzz]

of coarse the multiple waxing only works if you use a solvent free true wax...

Thought you could also layer synthetics, provided they don't contain a cleaning agent.

 

[2b1ask1]

Thought you could also layer synthetics, provided they don't contain a cleaning agent.

The likes of your Auto Glym Super Resin ot MER are petrolium based and will never build layers as they will remove any residual when applied, it actually results in the mixture potentially becoming unstable because the distillates are trying to handle too much suspended material (wax).

Another biggy to avoid is silicone based waxes or polishes that contain silicone; this is a nightmare material as it never breaks down, it is anctually absorbed into the paint and eventually passes through it to full depth. The result is the paint is chemically altered, is very difficult to repair because of future rejection andin extreme cases the paint can detatch from the base material... May take 5-10 years or more but it will cause problems... Best left to the custom cars and max power brigade!

 

[EnzoMC]

Miles - I was going to say if you wanted your car paint thickness measured let me know but I think your some distance away

just for reference the 3200/4200/GS paint is medium hardness so with a dual-action and light compound you should be OK, just kept checking the panel temp. its not easy as some think to burn paint if you keep the polisher moving. however if you kept it in one spot you will need a respray

most waxes and sealants are filers which will mask the swirls for a short period, so as your suggesting a machine polish is the right direction - it will give a way better finish. if you take any adive alway clean the car after you have machine polished and VERY delicately dry the car before appling the wax

 

[drellis]

if i have the time then its wash with zymol, then hd cleanse (their version of a clay bar) then zymol ital wax, all by hand and i am more than happy.

 

[rotorheadcase]

To be honest with the huge range of finishing pads these days, provided you stick with the less aggressive pads you are unlikely to do any damage to your paint even with a rotary. I have just done my 3200 (Ferrari paint and very soft!) with a rotary, red pad and menzerna intensive polish. Make sure you tape up the edges and any rubber/trim. Work slowly and use good lighting ( a couple of halogens on a stand helps) and keep checking your work. Most good quality compounds have diminishing abrasives so break down as you use them. Remember a little product goes a long way and you only need 4-5 pea size gobs on a pad to do panel. Spritz the pad with water as you go and work the product down until it disappears in 3ft sq sections.

90% of the look is in the prep. You can use any wax, sealant or glaze you like and the differences will be marginal. I have experimented with cheap sealants through to expensive waxes and the difference is in the ease of use and durability. The actual gloss and look is very similar in the end. I now use Autoglym SRP and their HD wax with weekly application of Prima Banana Gloss to top up.

Detailing World forum is a rabbit hole down which you can disappear and never be seen again ;-)

Regards,

Neil

 

[2b1ask1]

Drellis, a man after my own heart with the zymol... I was the European training manager for 4 years; I think my viens still run with it at times, nothing better!

 

[Emtee]

Miles - I was going to say if you wanted your car paint thickness measured let me know but I think your some distance away

just for reference the 3200/4200/GS paint is medium hardness so with a dual-action and light compound you should be OK, just kept checking the panel temp. its not easy as some think to burn paint if you keep the polisher moving. however if you kept it in one spot you will need a respray

most waxes and sealants are filers which will mask the swirls for a short period, so as your suggesting a machine polish is the right direction - it will give a way better finish. if you take any adive alway clean the car after you have machine polished and VERY delicately dry the car before appling the wax

Thanks for the offer EnzoMC and for the info on the paint hardness. I won't be rushing into anything. I think I'm settled on the Meguiars setup I mention above, but won't be starting on my car. Mrs Tee's Focus will be the guinea pig! (haven't told her yet though)

 

[EnzoMC]

The Meguiars unit is good, I use this on bumpers if a lot of swirls as it dosen't generate that much heat.

for compounds either Menzerna or 3M are great products, I've used a few different brands and found these the best. There are always new products coming out and its an expensive game, some products will work better with some users than others. I've lost count how much products I've tried and either given away or filed in the bin

not sure what waxes your looking at but a great alround is RaceGlaze 55, I use this as my standard wax with Zymol or Swissvax for upgrades, but as Neil said and totally agree its all in the prep.

offer is there for the paint thickness measurement - good luck on the Focus

 

[conaero]

I did the Opel GT just before Le Mans, it took me all day, well, about 6 hours and I was shattered by the end of it and me and the garage was covered with red wax flung from the mop.

Note to self, next time, do it outside and dont wear your fancy pants!

The results were brilliant.