how often to polish

[Tuck91]

Re: how often to polish

Thanks again for the help guys! So me washing and hand drying, then claying and then using M80 and then using #7 and finishing up with Gold Class is the right steps?

Yes, that is the correct order.

Are you working by hand or machine?

[sleepy]

Re: how often to polish

By hand, I have a 10" buffer, but I only have used it once.

[Don]

Re: how often to polish

By hand, I have a 10" buffer, but I only have used it once.

Over the years before I got my PC, I used several inexpensive buffers designed for the general public. For the person who does or intends to do serious paint/defect correction, there isn't much room for these units.

But this doesn't mean they are completely without use. For the application of a pure polish (#5, #7, DC #2 etc), they sure beat working by hand since these polishes work best when they are "massaged in" a bit and don't require a whole lot of pressure, speed or friction. The same is true for LSPs. All an LSP needs is to be spread evenly and thinly, which is best accomplished by machine.

They also work well for product removal. A microfiber towel folded into a pad and placed between the buffer and the vehicle makes quick work of wax/polish/sealant residues without leaving 'finger pressure tracks.'

More on topic, the more often a car is cared for by a professional detailer or enthusiastic obsessive-compulsive hobbyist, the less often it will need paint correction, ie: scratch & swirl removal.

The level of paint correcting "needed" on any particular car is based entirely on the objectivity of the owner. A person who visits boards like this will have a much higher expectation of the quality of the end results, whereas a person who goes to a Professional Detailer or E-OC hobbyist on an impulse or once-a-year, will have a much lower expectation and some RIDS, swirls etc are perfectly acceptable. It all depends.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: how often to polish

and then using M80 and then using #7 and finishing up with Gold Class is the right steps?

By hand, M80 would be a great choice for single stage paint, it will work on a clear coat to but one of our new SMAT products would probably work better.

What are you working on with single stage paint?

Inquiring minds what to know?

[sleepy]

Re: how often to polish

Yes, the one I am currently finishing up on, is my 1964 Bel Air that has a single stage paint. So for my 2008 Taurus the same process, wash-dry-claying-m80-#7polish-gold class, will work? Or is there something better that will work on my Taurus?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: how often to polish

Yes, the one I am currently finishing up on, is my 1964 Bel Air that has a single stage paint.
So for my 2008 Taurus the same process, wash-dry-claying-m80-#7polish-gold class, will work? Or is there something better that will work on my Taurus?

For your clear coated Taurus, stick with our new SMAT products,


Swirl and Scratch Removers
Ultimate Compound
ScratchX 2.0
SwirlX


Most aggressive to least aggressive -->



So where are you at with the Belair?

Have you started on it? Clayed, applied M80 to a Test Spot?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: how often to polish

TEST SPOT

Doing A Test-Spot

Before going over the entire car, see if you can make just one small section look good, that is apply the product you're planning on using over the entire car to just one small section about a foot squared or so. Work it in and then wipe it off, then apply the polish, work it in but not as much as the compound because now you're not trying to remove paint, just spread the product out, then immediately wipe it off, then apply the wax and let it fully dry and then wipe it off.

Now inspect our results. Make sure you can make one small section look GREAT before going over then entire car. If you can't make one small section look GREAT you won't be able to make the entire car look GREAT.

Make sense?

It should look like this,




And if you're having any problems, the post back here after the test section and we'll help you tweak your technique to insure you get it right.

[sleepy]

Re: how often to polish

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/pho...hp/photo/21781

Finished today--what do you think?

[sleepy]

Re: how often to polish

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/pho...hp/photo/21781

Finished today--what do you think?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: how often to polish

It looks like it came out great!

[sleepy]

Re: how often to polish

I am really happy with the results. Thanks Mike for the help!