Hand Job

[Gerry Attrick]

I was out polishing the Wedge at the weekend , and thoughts turned to getting a better finish. I normally do the polishing by hand, but was wondering whether one of those electric polishers is any better. Does anyone have any experience ? Are they any better than hand polishing or just a gizmo for idle gits?

[cuneus]

All depends on colour/condition of paint

Do you have a lot of swirl marks ?

[dickymint]

I bought one (240v jobbie)found it to be no good - sometimes would burn the wax and leave a black residue.
Only really worked on large flat panels. Waste of money IMHO.

[Gerry Attrick]

cuneus said:

All depends on colour/condition of paint Do you have a lot of swirl marks ?

The colour is black, and there are no perceptible swirl marks. The finish is pretty good anyway, but I'm just trying to go the extra mile. I see some cars which really gleam, and was wondering how to get there. Perhaps a change of wax would do the trick. I use 'Mer' at the moment.

[gsx600]

I use a 240v one on mine due to being lazy. They seem to be good, but have a supply of polishing bonnets available as makes it easier to change when get full off wax.

Not good on awkward surfaces, but great on bonnet doors wings boot etc

[cuneus]

If you don't have swirl marks keep using your hand(s)

Try 3M Imperial Hand Glase followed by One Grand Blitz Wax (www.frost.co.uk)

and dump the Mer!

[mrmaggit]

Or try the P21 stuff that the polishing co sell. Brilliant!

They advertise on here too.

[Gerry Attrick]

Thanks guys. Maybe I'll keep the hand job and try a few variations in polishes.

[350matt]

try the meguires range - faboulous stuff, a bit of scratch X to get the rid of the minute blemishs then some of their gold class wax over top

Matt

www.meguiars.co.uk/

and no I don't have shares in the company

[firefox1712]

The higher the cariba (?) wax content the better. The higher the more costly.

Swissol do a real special that is very high in cariba wax but a jar costs over £100. Aparently you get a real 'wet-look' gloss finish.

Other good ways of getting a really good finish is to use a colour wax the same colour as your car - I think these may also contain a very mild cutting agent - Turtle Wax etc..

Don't know much about machine polishers - I wuold always be worried about catching an 'edge' and getting deep scuffs.

[seamus]

Have used a cyclon polisher in the past with good results, mainly when cutting back, but for general day to day polish wouldn't bother, zymol superb but very expensive and is literally applied by hand - there is a new one on the market which is exceptionally cheap alternative to zymol with carnuba wax, supposed to give that deep gloss.. bu66ered if I can think what it's called now though.. no doubt halfords stock it..

[firefox1712]

I think I mean CARNUBA wax - doh!

[Gerry Attrick]

Thanks for the comments. I'll be giving it a wash and some polish at the weekend . At the moment it's sitting on the drive under an Argos car cover looking very disconsolate , while I change the clutch on my son's Punto - a bu##er of a job - no room to manouvre - piffling little input shaft and tiny clutch plate splines - UJ grease up to my arm pits and a different spanner size for each nut.