How to work by hand - tools of the trade by Mike Phillips

[Mike Phillips]

How to work by hand - tools of the trade by Mike Phillips


When working by hand, one of the first things you need to figure out is what type of applicator to use and then how you're going to hold it. Here's a traditional method, not how in order to GRIP the applicator I must sandwhich it between my thumb and 4 fingers and this means the face of the applicator is never fully in contact with the paint but instead, just a portion of the applicator pad and this portion has increased pressure points where my fingertips press into the pad.



Nothing wrong with the above applicator and technique, but there is a different way that some may find easier and more effective.



The Nanoskin Hand Strap Applicator
Here's how to make working by hand easy... the Nanoskin Hand Strap Applicator, which has a velcro strap on one side to fit the applicator snug onto your hand and with velcro on the other side which enables you to attach pretty much ANY buffing pad that also has a velcro backing.




Adjustable velcro strap to custom fit any hand...





Velcro hook on the opposite side enables you to attach any pad with Velcro "loop".





This hand applicator strap was intended to be used with the Nanoskin Autoscrub Pad to let you mechanically decontaminate paint with a pad that is also used by machine when attached to a velcro backing plate.





This is a Lake Country ThinPro 5.5" red foam waxing pad





Here's the velcro strap snugged up around my hand and attached....





And this picture should tell the rest of the story - now I'm ready to start hand waxing my car's paint.




To apply a compound simply attach a foam cutting pad. To apply a polish simply attach a foam polishing pad.




Which pads to use?

As for pads, the Lake Country ThinPro pads are a great choice.

Why?

Because they are THIN. Why is a thin pad important when working by hand? Because with a thick foam pad, the foam will absorb a lot of the product you're using. You want the product on the car paint not inside a thick foam pad. (think about it).

ThinPro pads come in 3.5", (this fit the Nanoskin 3" Hand Strap), 5.5", (these fit the 5 3/4" Hand Strap pad but it's not a perfect fit), and 6.5" (these fit the 5 3/4" Hand Strap but 6.5" pads tend to be a tick on the large size for most people)





On Autogeek.com

Nanoskin Hand Strap Applicator - 5 ¾ inch

Nanoskin Hand Strap Applicator - 3 inch

Lake Country ThinPro Foam Pad System

[Firehouse Mike]

I'll routinely do really tight or small areas by hand (inside door handles for example). I prefer to use hand applicators for paste waxes and some sealants. Just feels right and I think gives better coverage than via machine.

Mike