Advice for someone who hasn't done this yet.

[CASH XRS]

Hey guys, I have been reading a lot about DA polishers and reading Mike's articles comparing them by hand. From what I have seen, the Porter 7424XP is the best way to go for newbs AKA me haha. I have never used a power polisher before, but I plan to really start detailing on the side and I know this would help.

For the record, I will mainly start off by doing my car and my fiancee's car and move from there to family members and a few friends. It'll offer me practice without worry of really screwing up paint, which I hear isn't too big a worry with this polisher thru trial and error along with proper technique anyways.

Ok, so, your advice is needed here. I am still contemplating buying one or not because I BELIEVE I will get good use out of it, even if it's just for my car but I plan on branching out to others soon.

My plan was to stick to simple for now. So I was going to go with this packages as suggested in another thread and combined with Mike's post:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/20573-1-step-vs-3-step-process-hand.html

I was going to buy (or consider):
-Porter Cable 7424XP
-Lake Country 5" Backing plate
- 6 pack of Lake Country 5 1/2" Flat pads. Maybe 2 six packs. I was leaning towards this as the color choices:
- 1 Yellow
- 3 Orange
- 3 White
- 1 Black
-Meguiar's Ultimate Compound
-Meguiar's SwirlX
-Some choice of Wax, perhaps the NXT Tech wax used in the article?

Remember, I am trying to go for ease of use here and simplicity to start off. Any and all suggestions are welcome. I alsop know Mike said to try and stick to all the same product for a synergy which is why I wouldn't mind getting the Tech Wax. Let me know what you guys think of this package and how to adjust/fix anything I should consider instead.

Few quick questions:
-More or less padsof color choices?
-Is there a major difference between the white, blue and black pads? They all say they can be used for polishes, waxes and sealants?
-Big newb question here. I have been reading as much as possible but still can't understand: What is the difference between polishing after compounding and applying a wax? I have heard that after compounding you can just apply a wax? From my understanding (please correct me if I am wrong) is this:
-Clay to rid the paint of above surface contaminants.
-Compound to get rid of swirls and scratches within the paint.
-Polish to bring out even MORE shine and ENHANCE what the compounding has already done.
-Apply a wax to form a sealant and protective coating over the compounded and polished surface.
Right, wrong??

Even what you guys use would be great too. Thanks in advance!!

-Cash

[5.4 Shelby]

Compunding is heavy defect removal.

Polishing is light defect removal (including those instilled by compounding). You should jsut about always polish after compound.

Wax/seal to protect/bring out last bit of shine.

You kit will be a good place to start especially if you double the pads. Get blue instead of black. Make sure you have several microfibers to wipe off the cmpd/polish/wax.

white for polishing, black for super fine polishing (PO85RD), blue for wax/sealant.

Own the yellow for heavy compounding, but, you wont need to use them much. Mostly orange/white/blue.

[tw33k2514]

Few quick questions:
-More or less pads of color choices? Get 2 six packs 4 orange 4 white 3 black 1 blue
-Is there a major difference between the white, blue and black pads? They all say they can be used for polishes, waxes and sealants? White has a little cut, while blue and black do not. However black is a stiffer foam, so it will not always work for waxes on soft paint.
-Big newb question here. I have been reading as much as possible but still can't understand: What is the difference between polishing after compounding and applying a wax? I have heard that after compounding you can just apply a wax? From my understanding (please correct me if I am wrong) is this:
-Clay to rid the paint of above surface contaminants.
-Compound to get rid of swirls and scratches within the paint.
-Polish to bring out even MORE shine and ENHANCE what the compounding has already done. All of those thoughts are correct.
-Apply a wax to form a sealant and protective coating over the compounded and polished surface.
Right, wrong??
Give this a read Carnauba Car Wax vs. Paint Sealants, carnauba wax reviews, paint sealant reviews (http://www.autogeek.net/qude101.html)

Even what you guys use would be great too. Thanks in advance!!

-Cash


I would ditch the NXT personally. The durability is terrible. I would look at either Collinite 845 or Blackfire Wet Diamond.

One thing to remember is that after you compound and polish you are going to want to remove the oils from those products before you move on to applying your wax or sealant. This can be done by using a something like Griots Pre-Wax Cleaner or CarPro Eraser. It can also be achieved using IPA (isopropyl alcohol). Doing this will allow the wax or sealant to bond better to the paint. It also will allow you to properly inspect your work. Because the oils from the compound and polish can hide defects.

Your Choice of Ultimate Compound and SwirlX is spot on. It is a great combo to start out with. And both are very easy to work with.

[CASH XRS]

Would Meguiar's #26 Wax be a decent enough choice? I want to be somewhat cost effecient while giving a good product. It seems to have a ton of positive reviews.

Also, it sounds like I won't need the yellow pad too often? The orange will do a good job fo rmost of the defect I guess then? My car is a Navy Blue and I can easily see a ton of swirls in the sunlight, the Orange pad is a good pad for this kind of stuff?

In regards to a pre-wax cleaner, it basically turns into this process?:
-Clay
-Compound
-Swirl Remove
-Pre-wax cleaner
-Wax

Should I look into something like Meguiar's ColorX thats a cleaner and sealer or should I split it into 2 dedicated steps like a Griot's pre wax cleaner than Meg's #26?

[tw33k2514]

Would Meguiar's #26 Wax be a decent enough choice? I want to be somewhat cost effecient while giving a good product. It seems to have a ton of positive reviews.

Also, it sounds like I won't need the yellow pad too often? The orange will do a good job fo rmost of the defect I guess then? My car is a Navy Blue and I can easily see a ton of swirls in the sunlight, the Orange pad is a good pad for this kind of stuff?

In regards to a pre-wax cleaner, it basically turns into this process?:
-Clay
-Compound
-Swirl Remove
-Pre-wax cleaner
-Wax

Should I look into something like Meguiar's ColorX thats a cleaner and sealer or should I split it into 2 dedicated steps like a Griot's pre wax cleaner than Meg's #26?


Your process is correct, and I would stick with Griots pre-wax cleaner and then your wax.
Meguiars 26 is a good wax. You should have no problem using it.

[shoeless89]

I started off using Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. It works pretty well and is the medium range. I wouldn't consider it a true compound like Meguiar's 105 but it gets the job done. I'm pretty sure Ultimate Compound is a DAT product so you have to work it long enough to break down all the abrasives. IMO this enables it to finish better then some SMAT products, but with SMAT products you can quit polishing anytime during the buffing cycle. So their are pros and cons to both types of products.

Like Ben said, I would ditch the NXT wax. I would for sure go for BlackFire Wet Diamond or Collinite 845. BFWD is a little more user friendly but 845 is a little more durable IMO.

You could always pick up a different polish. My go-to polishes are Meguiar's M105 and M205. They can tackle pretty much anything. They do take a little getting used to but I love them. I'm slowly starting to experiment with Menzerna polishes and thus far I have been VERY impressed. Another great begginer polish(es) are Total Swirl Remover 3.0 and Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0 then you could top it all off with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0. You would be staying all with the same product line and they are fantastic products.

As far as a prewax cleaner goes I use Griot's Pre-wax cleaner and/or CarPro Eraser. Both are great products, Griot's is a little more cost effective though.

The pads I use the most are LC 5.5" Orange/White/Red. I don't think I've ever used my yellow pads. And Black is pretty rare also. I say 3 Orange 3 White and 1 Red (or Blue) would be enough for most projects. Remember to change and clean your pads often. Otherwise they will wear prematurely and you will lose performance. I've learned this the hardway.

[5.4 Shelby]

I started off using Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. It works pretty well and is the medium range. I wouldn't consider it a true compound like Meguiar's 105 but it gets the job done. I'm pretty sure Ultimate Compound is a DAT product so you have to work it long enough to break down all the abrasives. IMO this enables it to finish better then some SMAT products, but with SMAT products you can quit polishing anytime during the buffing cycle. So their are pros and cons to both types of products.


UC is a SMAT product. UC and SWirl X are basically the consumer version of M105/205. They are a good starting point for the OP. Eventually he will broaden his horizons and try 105/205.

Megs #26 is a great wax. You will love it. As shoeless said, Collinite 845 is also a fantastic wax. It has a slightly higher learning curve for some than #26. Whatever you use, go thin, thin, thin on the application. Only a few drops on your pad will go a long way.

[CASH XRS]

Awesome, thanks for the help so far guys. Looks like I am starting to figure out my polisher package!!

[CASH XRS]

So one other thing I thought of this morning. If I was detailing someone's car, but was not compounding. Would the process just simply be Clay, Pre-wax cleaner and then wax?

[shoeless89]

So one other thing I thought of this morning. If I was detailing someone's car, but was not compounding. Would the process just simply be Clay, Pre-wax cleaner and then wax?

Yes and that is the bulk of the business I do

[opie_7afe]

id just buy the 7424XP or 7346(both same machine different accessories included) as it makes waxing a car so much faster, i call it the lazy mans way to wax LOL. not that im lazy i just dont feel like im working when using a PC to apply wax. so easy and fast i love it. i dont really use the PC for compounding as i use a rotary for that(much faster but more danger) but plenty of pros here only use a DA and get awesome results. they really are easy to use and get great results. and i find pre-wax cleaners pointless i just use some polish such as m205 or optimum polish 2 (mainly use the opt polish 2 for this) to prep the paint before a wax. why do i do this? most prep "polish" has fillers in it and dont really correct paint. so id rather use a mild polish to enhance shine, remove some defects while leaving the paint ready for wax.(ive never had durability issues with not doing a IPA wipe, but then again i use 845 which has a pretty high solvent count so in my mind that would clean the surface enough. but that would be my suggestion on the paint prep polishes...also remember the DA will be useful for other stuff not related to detailing like maybe sanding down a table for some polyurethane, removing water spots from shower doors. put brushes on one to scrub carpets or tile. can find plenty of uses for one!.