polishing by a rookie

[2007NNBS]

im polishing my truck tonight and then waxing it what techniques should i use to get a mirror like finish and what products can i buy off the shelf in a local store to do the job right

[makdaddy626]

Are you polishing by hand or with a machine, what type? PC, UDM, rotary?

For over the counter polishes, try some of the Meguires professional products or 3m products - maybe someone will chime in with more specific advice as I'm not that familiar with these lines but have seen people get great results with them.

[2007NNBS]

im gonna use a rotary buffer with microfiber pads.

How long should i polish one panel ive allways heard to break the polish down but i dont want to burn the paint

[makdaddy626]

If you're new to machine polishing, I'd be leary of starting off with a rotary on anything but a scrap panel...

Also, I've never heard of using mf pads for anything but removing waxes and sealants, not for correcting (not saying it's never done, just that I've never heard of it)

There are several videos available on the AG site that show the correct process for polishing and should give you some idea about how to tell when a polish is correctly broken down.

[2007NNBS]

what should i get to polish it with i have the machine that u slip a cover over the foam pad on it

[richy]

I'd be staying away from the rotary if you are new to it. you will probably want to invest in a ra polisher b/c it's much safer. there are some great videos on this site to help you in that regard. a great finish is all in hte preparation. read a lot and try the pc. the last thing you want to do is burn your paint...better to use a product by hand for hte time being.

[2007NNBS]

well i will put it on by hand if i dont have the right machine for me i have allways waxed with it for years just never polished with it

[richy]

To properly do any kind of correction work, it requires heat and speed. Either a random orbital or rotary (the best) polisher will accomplish that. A product like Duragloss 501 by hand will clean up your paint somewhat and followed by 105 will give you dynamite protection...hope that helps.

[lethalxls1]

To polish you will need the proper foam pads. The micro fibre pad is for removing wax(like already stated above). The first thing to do is decide how much paint correction will be needed-are the swirls heavy,medium or light? Does the car have any scratches? Is the paint oxidized? How hard is the clear coat?(there is a chart floating around these forums about this {for example- Corvettes are known to have very hard clear coat}. After figuring out these things you can then decide what polish will be best for your application- for example-heavy cut polish,medium cut polish,light cut polish and also what foam pad you will need to do the job-orange,yellow,white and so on -certain foam pads also have cutting power(different colors have different levels of cut) and other foam pads have no cutting power and are used for finishing polishes,wax application etc. When a heavy or medium cut polish is used it must be followed with a light cut polish to get maximum gloss. Cut is a word that means its level of abrasivness or polishing power. Do some reading on these things-order some polish,pads and go get a junk fender or hood or maybe you have a friend with a car that has seen better days and practice on it. Once you feel confident move on to your car. Dont get discouraged.Good luck!!

Dont go buy another polisher-the one you have is fine. They are just warning you that damage can be done-but if you take the right steps this can be avoided. Even a PC 7424 da can burn paint. Also the edges on a cars body have thinner paint and are the main areas that get burnt by polishing.

[makdaddy626]

The last thing anyone on this forum would want to do is discourage you from learning and becoming better at caring for you vehicle, rotaries, in the hands of an experienced detailer can produce true showcar results in very little time, but, can just as quickly destroy a paint job. As was said before, a DA polisher, such as the PC or UDM is a great starting point (where most of the people here started) and can produce really great results. There is an upfront cost to get the right equipment but it's worth every penny.

Good luck to you and let send in some pics. Happy detailing!

[2007NNBS]

Well I Worked On My Hood Lastnight And Got Alot Of The Swirls Out Of It But There Is Still Some Left In There What Will Take Them Out My Polish Says For Small To Medium Swirls And Scratches Do I Need To Get One Step Up Or Polish It Again...i Used The Machine Lastnight With A Microfiber Cover