DA Nerves

[Paulyfe12]

Got all this in the mail today, excited to get my hands on Hydes rustopper to stop the rusting of my rotors. I also got a Carpro Merino wool Mit, WG Sealant, TSR, SG and some pad cleaner and conditioner. Ordered a Griots 6 inch DA and a 3.5 inch backing plate. 4 orange pads, 4 White for 6 inch and 4 inch and a blue finishing pad. Also got 2 red CCS applicator pads and some CCS euro hand polishing pads. Im happy to get everything. But I must admit I'm still nervous to use the DA on my car. I have read tons of articles and watched hundreds of videos of Mike Phillips and other pros using a DA and its not a complicated thing once you have the knowledge. But I tried The meguiars Power DA system before and it honestly messed up my dads paint, left tons of swirls in it. I did everything you should do, cross hatch pattern, use right amount of product and worked it thoroughly, slow arm speed, etc. Didn't correct anything. Any comforting words anyone?

[Vivant511]

Practice makes perfect my friend :)

Once you get a better feel of different paint systems as being 'hard', 'soft', 'sticky', etc, your pad and polish choices will become easier as you'd be able to better gauge the level of correction which can be achieved by each combination.

Tape up a few shoulder width test spots and trial your products to see which combos you're most happy with. If you're not correcting then your pad and/or polish choice is still too fine and will need to be stepped up to something slightly more aggressive. And don't be scared to step it up with a DA as they are the safest of all polishing machines.

Watch Barry theal's abrasive isolation for a good base understanding of polishing mechanics....very useful.

Good luck, I'll watch over this thread and hopefully can give pointers if you need :)

[Lints]

I used a DA for the first time ever a few weeks ago. I practiced on my dad's John Deere tractor, as I had the same concerns as you, putting a tool I've never used on my cars paint.

If you can, practice on something that isn't as valuable as your car. I'm sure you can find an old hood or fender on Craigs list for $30 to practice on, and you can probably resell it once you're done.


I still haven't done any correction on my car, but having a small amount of experience really calmed my nerves, and of course you can never stop learning. Keep watching videos and reading forums and how tos to help build your knowledge and confidence. I am now really excited to do my correction, rather than being nervous about using a new tool.


Good luck!

[Kamakaz1961]

Got all this in the mail today, excited to get my hands on Hydes rustopper to stop the rusting of my rotors. I also got a Carpro Merino wool Mit, WG Sealant, TSR, SG and some pad cleaner and conditioner. Ordered a Griots 6 inch DA and a 3.5 inch backing plate. 4 orange pads, 4 White for 6 inch and 4 inch and a blue finishing pad. Also got 2 red CCS applicator pads and some CCS euro hand polishing pads. Im happy to get everything. But I must admit I'm still nervous to use the DA on my car. I have read tons of articles and watched hundreds of videos of Mike Phillips and other pros using a DA and its not a complicated thing once you have the knowledge. But I tried The meguiars Power DA system before and it honestly messed up my dads paint, left tons of swirls in it. I did everything you should do, cross hatch pattern, use right amount of product and worked it thoroughly, slow arm speed, etc. Didn't correct anything. Any comforting words anyone?


I would not worry too much. IMO you will do fine. Just remember try out a TEST SPOT. Do not forget to put a stripe mark on the backing plate so you can see if the backing plate is moving. Go slow and take your time. The GG 6" is a great DA and it is a free floating DA so I am almost positive you can't burn the paint. About 5 to 10 (15 lbs Max) pounds of downward pressure. Remember in the shade or garage (preferred).

Remember the Orange Pad is for medium scratches the White is for Polishing and the Reds are for LSP. You are using Wolfgang product...very top notch product. If your test spot looks great...then just repeat the same technique 2ft x 2ft

Again, you will do fine....Please show some before and after pics. :Picture:

[Pureshine]

Where are you located?

[Paulyfe12]

I live in New Paltz NY.

And thank you guys for the reassurance

[swanicyouth]

Do a test spot. But, it's important to look at your test spot's work in the sun. Don't go by garage lights - because you can't see squat with them most of the time.

[Pureshine]

I live in New Paltz NY.

And thank you guys for the reassurance

Ok I'll send you a pm and you call me if you want.

[Paulyfe12]

Well what if you have one of these!!!! Mwahahahahaha

and thanks Pure Shine

[swanicyouth]

Well what if you have one of these!!!! Mwahahahahaha

and thanks Pure Shine

I got fancy flashlights too, but nothing is as good as sunlight IMHO. I've been burned once - but only once. Then I learned.

[Paulyfe12]

Haha I understand what you mean, theres no substitute for the big bulb in the sky. I was just having some fun

[mg6045]

If thats your white VW in the picture, the good thing is that color on the GTI in all my experience has a rock hard clearcoat. so you can go at it aggressively with the DA and you wont be putting any hazing or swirls in it with the wolfgang polish's.

I taught my dad how to use a DA on his 32' ford. I personally think the easiest way to get someone comfortable using those tools is to have them wax or seal the car a few times with the machine and a finishing pad on slow speeds (3 or 4). after he waxed the car once he was fully accustomed to the machine. just keep the pad flat and make sure its always spinning instead of jiggling.

For correction the next thing I showed him was to correct and/or clean up all the chrome on the car (which his has a lot of). Showing him the 50/50 shots really opened his eyes to how easy and effective that specific DA polisher is (the Griots). I also bought him the 3" griots, but the reality is that the 6" Griots is easier to learn on as its easier to hold onto without the machine tipping over.

the final step in his training was to correct with a 1 step polish. Its my personal belief that when teaching someone to polish the last thing you want to do is overwhelm them. And telling someone that the process is going to take 2 or 3 machine correcting steps will easily overwhelm or scare them away. So I decided that a 1 step with Menzerna PowerFinish and a polishing pad would make him happy, and I was right. When he showed his friends a 50/50 shot on the black fenders they were all blown away and he was considered to be the next coming of jesus to all his old timer friends !

Another key tip is to use a really soft pad that contours. It just makes polishing easier and it feels more gentle. basically anything you can do to make the whole process feel simple, comfortable, and effective is the easiest way to feel like a pro right away.

hope that helps. If i can teach a 65 year old who is extremely hard headed to do this, trust me you can too. everyone is always afraid they are going to ruin the paint, but after waxing the car once with the machine on low speed , you quickly get over this and realize the tool is actually more gentle that polishing by hand with a compound.

[Paul A.]

That's a great idea, mg6045...if you have never taken a machine to paint, try an LSP application with a soft finishing pad and just the weight of the machine applied to "feel" how it operates first. Try that on maybe a beater, the wife's, whatever. You WILL NOT do any damage short of dropping it on the vehicle and you will quickly feel how comfortable it is.

I like that advice and like you said, you're not overwhelmed with multiple steps of correction at first...just get used to how it feels. I promise once you do that you will want to progress and do more but approach it at your comfort level. However i clearly understand how taking a machine to your pride and joy is mentally intimidating but that's only in your head.

I also promise that as soon as you turn it on and begin to feel it working in your hands you'll say the same thing i said some years ago...

"What the heck took me so long to do this and what was i afraid of?"

I wish i was closer and could talk you through it in person.

[Kamakaz1961]

Do a test spot. But, it's important to look at your test spot's work in the sun. Don't go by garage lights - because you can't see squat with them most of the time.


:iagree: Absolutely correct!! My garage is lit up better than a Christmas tree. However, there are some small spots that will be missed. Only in the Sun can you see all your work....whether it be good or bad. Additionally, if I put an expensive coat of wax or a wax that has a high carnauba content in it; I will put the car out in the Sun for at least 1/2 hour or more to activate the wax (hygrogate). This will show the ghosting or hazing of the wax. A simple QD wipe down (in the shade or garage) will take care of that.

If it is just a sealant, that will not happen (hygrogate).