Basic amateur detailing job list

[falkster]

Hi
I'm about to buy myself a machine polisher as I have always loved polishing my car but really want to learn to do a better job.
Granted I don't expect to get to a level that detailers get but in time learn to achieve a higher standard with my own cars without spending £350+ to get the results.
I'm looking at a DA which seems to be the safest option for the polisher but really don't know where to start from a regime point of view. I don't need blow by blow but I do need a rough step by step whether its stage 1 snow foam, stage 2 two bucket method etc.
Ive searched detailing websites but they really seem to be aimed at pros or individuals that know their stuff, I wanted to ask like minded PHers that maybe take polishing of a car a little more serious.
Chris

[rsv gone!]

Have a look at junkman2000 videos on youtube for an overview of wash routine and machine polishing.

[falkster]

rsv gone! said:

Have a look at junkman2000 videos on youtube for an overview of wash routine and machine polishing.

That's brilliant, thanks

[Tc24]

I'm fairly new to the whole detailing thing, but this seems to have been working for me:

- Wet car with hose
- Clean wheels, tyres and and inside arches
- Wash car using 2 bucket method
- Use APC to clean jambs,badges, inside petrol cap and other gaps
- Dry using microfibre waffle towel
- Clay using QD as lube
- Quick wash panels again (no need for 2 buckets as should already be clean)
- Tape off all gaps, shuts etc
- Use DA with cutting pad/compound until you're happy with paintwork
- Buff off any remaining polish
- Use DA with polishing pad/glaze to hide any remaining imperfections
- Wipe remaining polish
- Wax using DA and soft pad
- Glass polish on windows by hand
- Dress plastics/tyres etc by hand

Takes a good day or more though so give yourself plenty of time

[falkster]

Thanks for that. APC?

The list is great but which products do you use for the compound, polish then wax/seal? Which pads do you use for each stage?

[Tc24]

falkster said:

Thanks for that. APC?

The list is great but which products do you use for the compound, polish then wax/seal? Which pads do you use for each stage?

All purpose cleaner Auto finesse make a decent one, although not sure of the exact product name.

Not sure if my pad/compound choice is ideal, but for compounding I've been using an Orange Lake Country pad with either Meguiars Ultimate Compound or their Ultra Cut compound.

For glazing I've tried the Meguiars Ultra Finishing compound, but had just as much joy using Autoglym Super Resin Polish. I've been applying this with a Lake Country white pad.

I used a Lake Country (again) blue pad and microfibre cloths to apply Autoglym HD wax. Seems to do the job pretty well, but as I said, I'm fairly new to this so if anyone with a greater amount of knowledge wants to correct me on any of the above, feel free

Only other thing I'd point out is make sure you're using the right speed if you have a DA. I pussyfooted around for too long using it on speeds 1 & 2 (out of 6) for compounding and got nowhere. Only after reading up on it (Mike Phillips' - The Art of Detailing is well worth a read) did I realise I should have been using speeds 5 & 6 to compound, 3 & 4 to glaze and 1 & 2 to wax. You're fairly safe doing that with a DA.

[falkster]

Thanks for that. Is the Meguiars the 105 and 205?
Do you apply the HD wax by hand or using the DA?
I've been looking at some 'sets' and they're £300/£400 but really I don't think I need to spend half of that to get me started.

[Tc24]

falkster said:

Thanks for that. Is the Meguiars the 105 and 205?
Do you apply the HD wax by hand or using the DA?
I've been looking at some 'sets' and they're £300/£400 but really I don't think I need to spend half of that to get me started.

Yes, 105, 205 and Ultra Compound (which I don't believe has a number).

£3-400 sounds pricey. Think I paid about £160 for my DA, 5 or 6 pads, backing plate and some compound. It did help that I already had the SRP and HD wax, but you can certainly get started on sub £200. Most of my kit came from i4detailing - was pretty impressed that it all arrived 2 days after ordering it, so I'd give them a look if you're wanting to get started.

I did try applying the HD wax with a DA but it's a bit tricky as the wax is quite hard. Done the roof and bonnet with the DA and blue pad before deciding to do the rest of the body with a cloth and some elbow grease worked just as well.

[falkster]

rsv gone! said:

Have a look at junkman2000 videos on youtube for an overview of wash routine and machine polishing.

I am now a qualified detailer having watched his 'how to machine polish for novices' - seems so complicated but now Ive been through the idiots guide with what to do at what stage with what product I now feel confident I could do an 'ok' job without wrecking my paint.

[falkster]

Junkman goes through two stages of machining which is 105 and 205 but Ive seen 3 pads and ones called 'finishing', is this waxing?

[rsv gone!]

Finishing is just using a very gentle compound to remove the light damage inflicted by the previous polishing stage(s). Mr J is saying to do the job in two stages. The only golden rule (not that I am an expert) is to always use the least aggressive combination of pad and compound to achieve the paint correction you are targeting.

Once you've done the paint correction you would seal/wax/whatever to protect.

On detailing world forum there is an excellent machine-polishing guide. Somewhere within the thread is a PDF of the guide.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.p...

[falkster]

That's great, ill be doing some reading this afternoon.
Cheers