Tips on paint correction
Discussion
Advice required gents please.
I have been thinking for a while about buying a DA polisher and all the various pads and products required to sort out the paint on my cars.
I have 2 metallic black cars in the family which could certainly benefit from some machine polishing. The paintwork is not bad, but I appreciate that you cant get a fantastic finish by hand, so I want to take it to the next level.
I am just a bit bewildered by all the various products and brands on the market; the different type of pads and polishing machines etc. I could just do with a basic kit that will do what I need without getting into it to deeply, and some advice on using these products and the DA. I didn't want to cause damage to the paint, so any advice and guidance would be much appreciated.
Thanks
I have been thinking for a while about buying a DA polisher and all the various pads and products required to sort out the paint on my cars.
I have 2 metallic black cars in the family which could certainly benefit from some machine polishing. The paintwork is not bad, but I appreciate that you cant get a fantastic finish by hand, so I want to take it to the next level.
I am just a bit bewildered by all the various products and brands on the market; the different type of pads and polishing machines etc. I could just do with a basic kit that will do what I need without getting into it to deeply, and some advice on using these products and the DA. I didn't want to cause damage to the paint, so any advice and guidance would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Hi Andrew
I was in the same position as yourself in that I love looking after my cars but had been daunted by the thought of using a machine polisher myself. On the advice of my professional detailer I bought this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAS6-Pro-Dual-Action-Mac... & then booked a lesson with him (not his advise but I wanted to). This is a reasonably easy machine to master as the main disc has coloured quarters on the back so you can see if & how fast its spinning (keep it spinning is the idea of course). Its certainly been worth it as in 3 months I've used it to do 3 complete cars & two partials that I would have otherwise done by hand.
I was in the same position as yourself in that I love looking after my cars but had been daunted by the thought of using a machine polisher myself. On the advice of my professional detailer I bought this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAS6-Pro-Dual-Action-Mac... & then booked a lesson with him (not his advise but I wanted to). This is a reasonably easy machine to master as the main disc has coloured quarters on the back so you can see if & how fast its spinning (keep it spinning is the idea of course). Its certainly been worth it as in 3 months I've used it to do 3 complete cars & two partials that I would have otherwise done by hand.
No problem, good luck with it.
Divide a panel into smaller areas, a bonnet for instance I would divide mentally into a grid of 9 areas. Put two or three small blobs of liquid onto the pad & spread it around the area to polish without the DA turned on, then start on a slow speed making sure its spinning & you can then turn the speed up. With experience you'll be able to do this with your little finger as you're polishing. To finish I then turn the polisher down again before turning it off & lifting it from the panel just before it stops revolving (this helps to ensure you don't covered). Move over the area in a grid pattern, up & down & then back & forth covering the area. The thing with that polisher is if you press too hard it will stop the disc turning (you don't need to press anyway just let the product & the polisher do the work, you're just there to hold it & move it). Don't go too high a speed or for too long. Wipe off any residue with the cloths it comes with then move onto the next area until the whole panel is done. Its worth noting the condition of the panel to start with so you know if you've made progress. Get a torch & look at the panel at different angles to see the light scratching & hazing & then look at it again afterwards. It might not be a professional mirror finish with no marks but it'll be better & worth the effort.
p.s. Don't mix compounds on a polishing pad. I've subsequently bought more pads from ebay (EuroParts) so I can mix & match the compounds & pads (softer pad/higher compound, harder pad/lower compound etc).
HTH
Divide a panel into smaller areas, a bonnet for instance I would divide mentally into a grid of 9 areas. Put two or three small blobs of liquid onto the pad & spread it around the area to polish without the DA turned on, then start on a slow speed making sure its spinning & you can then turn the speed up. With experience you'll be able to do this with your little finger as you're polishing. To finish I then turn the polisher down again before turning it off & lifting it from the panel just before it stops revolving (this helps to ensure you don't covered). Move over the area in a grid pattern, up & down & then back & forth covering the area. The thing with that polisher is if you press too hard it will stop the disc turning (you don't need to press anyway just let the product & the polisher do the work, you're just there to hold it & move it). Don't go too high a speed or for too long. Wipe off any residue with the cloths it comes with then move onto the next area until the whole panel is done. Its worth noting the condition of the panel to start with so you know if you've made progress. Get a torch & look at the panel at different angles to see the light scratching & hazing & then look at it again afterwards. It might not be a professional mirror finish with no marks but it'll be better & worth the effort.
p.s. Don't mix compounds on a polishing pad. I've subsequently bought more pads from ebay (EuroParts) so I can mix & match the compounds & pads (softer pad/higher compound, harder pad/lower compound etc).
HTH
Well, the polisher arrived yesterday, and today, I have done the bonnet on my wife's sapphire black 125i M Sport.
What a difference!
I tried to take some before and after shots but they didn't really come out too well, but under the fluorescent lights in the garage, all the swirls have gone and comparing one half of the bonnet that had been done against the other was like night and day.
My only question is regarding how to clean the pads. I would imagine that after a few days, once the product has dried on the foam pad, this will become hard and would be too abrasive to use again without cleaning it first. What method do you guys use to clean them with and how many pads should I have to be able to keep going rather than having to clean them all the time.
Thanks
What a difference!
I tried to take some before and after shots but they didn't really come out too well, but under the fluorescent lights in the garage, all the swirls have gone and comparing one half of the bonnet that had been done against the other was like night and day.
My only question is regarding how to clean the pads. I would imagine that after a few days, once the product has dried on the foam pad, this will become hard and would be too abrasive to use again without cleaning it first. What method do you guys use to clean them with and how many pads should I have to be able to keep going rather than having to clean them all the time.
Thanks
TBH I'm not sure how well those pads would stand up to washing. At the same time as the polisher I bought one of these http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing-accessorie... . Run the polisher on a low speed & & run the brush over it.
Glad to hear you got decent results first time out. Makes it all worth while.
You'll be looking around for other things/cars to do now.
Glad to hear you got decent results first time out. Makes it all worth while.
You'll be looking around for other things/cars to do now.Gassing Station | Bodywork & Detailing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff