Amateur polishing..anyone done it?
Discussion
As per the title.....has anyone who isn't a professional detailer tried using a DA polisher on their own car? I'm thinking of giving it a go but have heard horror stories of amateurs doing more harm than good when attempting paint correction all tooled up. The aim would be to remove general swirl marks so nothing too extreme.
Yes, I have several cars, some needing restoring, and do quite a bit of paint correction and general detailing.
Even as amateur/beginner you do need to try quite hard to do damage with a DA polisher.
YouTube is your friend if you want to teach yourself.
AMMONYC is informative if a bit longwinded. Autogeek, too. In the UK, CarCleaning Guru and Forensic Detailing Channel are quite informative.
There is a forum called Detailing World which has an extensive knowledge library.
Even as amateur/beginner you do need to try quite hard to do damage with a DA polisher.
YouTube is your friend if you want to teach yourself.
AMMONYC is informative if a bit longwinded. Autogeek, too. In the UK, CarCleaning Guru and Forensic Detailing Channel are quite informative.
There is a forum called Detailing World which has an extensive knowledge library.
Cheers guys. I'll check those out. I'm fairly proficient when it comes to regular maintenance (snow foam, 2 bucket clean, decontamination and claying etc), so fairly confident I'll start with a good surface. Any recommendations for a polisher? There seems to be a huge spread from just over £100 to over £400.
P.Griffin said:
Cheers guys. I'll check those out. I'm fairly proficient when it comes to regular maintenance (snow foam, 2 bucket clean, decontamination and claying etc), so fairly confident I'll start with a good surface. Any recommendations for a polisher? There seems to be a huge spread from just over £100 to over £400.
You can get a package with range of polishes from the likes of Slim's Detailing or In2detailing - the DAS6-PRO is a good beginning. I like the Koch Chemie range and also rate Detailing Kingdom stuff.I dabble with a DAS-6, as said above it's difficult to make a mess of it - if anything I've found it doesn't always cut enough on hard paint.. Polished Bliss used to do a nice bundle kit with the DAS-6, pads and polish etc - got mine from them a few years ago.
One tip I got from a pro detailer was to be careful if using microfibre pads - they have a very aggressive cut according to him, so start with the foam pads.
Also think about going to your local scrappy to buy a couple of panels to practice on
One tip I got from a pro detailer was to be careful if using microfibre pads - they have a very aggressive cut according to him, so start with the foam pads.
Also think about going to your local scrappy to buy a couple of panels to practice on
I've been into detailing for a very long time and had always been hesitant about cracking open the DA that I bought and giving my car a machine polish.
I have a good friend who details for a living so chatted with him and did a bit of my own homework. The beauty of a DA is that obviously it's dual action so oscillates and rotates meaning burning through paint/lacquer would take some monumental idiocy. Which suits me just fine haha.
I decided I was going to cut my teeth on my E320 Merc which I suspect had never been machine polished in it's 13 year life. So washed and clayed and cracked on with the DA, using a high cut pad and Menzerna 2500 Medium Cut Polish. I did the same on my other half's old SL350 as well, it removed marks that a hand polish wouldn't even though I wasn't aiming for full correction.
Once you get over that initial worry, you'll realise quite quickly that a DA is not that harsh and will stop rotating if you push too hard anyway.
This was a snippet of the results I got...
I have a good friend who details for a living so chatted with him and did a bit of my own homework. The beauty of a DA is that obviously it's dual action so oscillates and rotates meaning burning through paint/lacquer would take some monumental idiocy. Which suits me just fine haha.
I decided I was going to cut my teeth on my E320 Merc which I suspect had never been machine polished in it's 13 year life. So washed and clayed and cracked on with the DA, using a high cut pad and Menzerna 2500 Medium Cut Polish. I did the same on my other half's old SL350 as well, it removed marks that a hand polish wouldn't even though I wasn't aiming for full correction.
Once you get over that initial worry, you'll realise quite quickly that a DA is not that harsh and will stop rotating if you push too hard anyway.
This was a snippet of the results I got...
I'm a first timer - got an entry level da from slims and some foam pads. Used a middle of the road polish (poorboys ssr 2.5). Went straight onto my old 996 (after doing a little reading up on detailing world I think it was)
After a few goes to work out my technique (machine setting, speed of pass, anoint of product to use) I ended up getting some really good results. I did think I had messed up at first as got a few microscratches but then was easily able to get them out again once I'd learnt how to use the stuff. I say go for it
After a few goes to work out my technique (machine setting, speed of pass, anoint of product to use) I ended up getting some really good results. I did think I had messed up at first as got a few microscratches but then was easily able to get them out again once I'd learnt how to use the stuff. I say go for it
Go onto YouTube.
Watch the hundreds of guides.
????
Win.
If you can't do that then I would leave it to someone who knows what they are doing.
In practice its pretty simple but panel edges and different paint types and curves can soon get you.
DA is pretty fool proof though. It's the rotaries that'd get you.
Watch the hundreds of guides.
????
Win.
If you can't do that then I would leave it to someone who knows what they are doing.
In practice its pretty simple but panel edges and different paint types and curves can soon get you.
DA is pretty fool proof though. It's the rotaries that'd get you.
I bought an r8 and set about detailing it. Have only wverdetailed my own cars and use a DAS 6 pro.
I can tell you now the clear coat is rock hard. To the point I gave up fannying around with foam pads and using a wool pad with cutting compound which was supposed to be "risky". It wasn't and I've now gone over it again with menzerna super finish. And it does look a bit special. I've now coated it with kamikaze miyabi
Oh and I didn't burn through any paint or coat.
I can tell you now the clear coat is rock hard. To the point I gave up fannying around with foam pads and using a wool pad with cutting compound which was supposed to be "risky". It wasn't and I've now gone over it again with menzerna super finish. And it does look a bit special. I've now coated it with kamikaze miyabi
Oh and I didn't burn through any paint or coat.
I was in a similar position to you a while back and asked a similar question.
I was pointed here and he worked a treat for me, hope it helps you too
Watch "Part 1 - How to remove swirls, scratches and water spots using a Porter Cable 7424XP Polisher" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/zUHRnHsSXZU
I was pointed here and he worked a treat for me, hope it helps you too
Watch "Part 1 - How to remove swirls, scratches and water spots using a Porter Cable 7424XP Polisher" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/zUHRnHsSXZU
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