Is it better to polish by hand or by machine?

[sito]

Is it better to polish by hand or by machine?

does someone have an answer?

[Matt-erhorn]

Machine is better, in particular a Dual Action polisher. A DA is better because it spins fast but also has an oscillation motion that prevents damaging your paint. By having this kind of power, the machine can cut defects faster and insure more uniform pressure and cut than you can do by hand.

[hernandez.art13]

Yeah by machine. Are you looking into buying a machine?

[Vegas Transplant]

...Just to note... compounds and polishes that can be used successfully by hand means they'll remove defects without leaving their own defects. This is actually a MIGHTY task and I would sat not all, maybe even not most products in the compound and polish category can do this. Menzerna is one that can.

Here's proof...

How to remove wetsanding scratches by hand - FG 400 (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/58151-how-remove-wetsanding-scratches-hand-fg-400-a.html)


Paint panel machine sanded using #3000 Triazact...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/787/Remove_Sanding_Marks_by_hand_001.jpg


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/787/Remove_Sanding_Marks_by_hand_009.jpg

And if a person can remove sanding marks by hand well sanding marks a just a type of below surface defects and this mean you could remove ANY type of below surface defect with enough passion behind the pad...








Hmm.... good luck with that...

You can't even tackle 2' x 2' section with a Porter Cable as this is too large an area to work so only if you're Hercules the Detailer are you going to remove below surface defects to an area that large by hand. If you did remove all the defects to an area that large by hand you would be to tired to do the rest of the car.

I've rubbed entire cars out by hand and I've been doing this a long time and I'm here to tell you it's not only very muscle intensive it takes more skill than turning a simple tool like a Porter Cable 7424XP on and simply guiding it over the paint.

Instead, take a 16" square microfiber towel and place it on a panel, for example the hood and work an area this size or smaller.

Spread the product out using an overlapping circular motion because the EASIEST way to spread a product out by hand is by using an overlapping circular motion. THEN switch to straight line motions and,


Push down firmly, I would even say hard.
Move your hand at the speed of light
Do this for about 1-2 minutes.
Be sure to use enough product to keep plenty of lubrication and abrasives on the surface.

Keep in mind when you're doing this type of AGGRESSIVE work to your car's scratch-sensitive paint you will often remove the defects you were going after but that paint won't look perfect, at least not after the first step. That's where you have to re-polish with a less aggressive product and pad and use a more gentle polishing action with your had.

Removing swirls and scratches mean removing paint and to do this by hand you have to press hard and move your hand fast otherwise the abrasive won't take little bites out of the paint and level it. Make sense?




Good here...




You're good here.




Depends on what you're trying to do and how good you end up being at working by hand.

If you're trying to remove swirls and scratches you're going to need the more aggressive product. Heck in the article I shared above I'm using the Menzerna FG 400 COMPOUND to remove #3000 grit sanding marks induced by machine. The only thing easier to remove than #3000 grit sanding marks by machine is #5000 grit sanding marks by machine.

(Hand sanding marks are ALWAYS a lot harder to remove than machine sanding marks, I demonstrated this in my wetsanding class at Mobile Tech this year).


Here's what I would recommend...

Test out everything you've described to one small section on the hood or trunk lid of your car, that is map out a section about a foot squared or like I said, the size of a 16" microfiber towel and do all the steps. Polish, re-polish and then seal.

Then inspect the results. See if your happy. Gauge your happiness or un-happiness to how much work you did and how much time you invested. Remember... we didn't make clear coat paints, car manufactures order their paints to their specs from paint manufacturers.

In the OLD DAYS it was very easy to rub out an old single stage lacquer or enamel paint job because this was REAL paint, not hard plastic.

Hang on and I'll dig up the article you should read...

Not trying to scare you from tackling your car by hand but letting you know it's a lot more work than doing it by machine. As long as you don't have show car expectation you should be okay.


:)

:buffing:

[Rsurfer]

Is it better to polish by hand or by machine?

does someone have an answer?

Do you mean actually removing clear coat (polishing) or just applying a wax/sealant?Feed back please Most neubees will call polishing..waxing/lsp.

[sito]

Yeah by machine. Are you looking into buying a machine?

I bought a polisher from Canadian tire in Canada. I don't know how good it is. I am just hesitant to use any machine because it might damage the paint during polishing process.

[sito]

Yeah by machine. Are you looking into buying a machine?


Do you mean actually removing clear coat (polishing) or just applying a wax/sealant?Feed back please Most neubees will call polishing..waxing/lsp.

I already applied wax. I usually polish by hand.

[hernandez.art13]

Post it up maybe someone here has knowledge of the machine and can help you out.

[Vegas Transplant]

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/20257-man-versus-machine.html


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/22982-lesson-white-paint-teaches-us.html


:buffing:

[cleanmycorolla]

I bought a polisher from Canadian tire in Canada. I don't know how good it is. I am just hesitant to use any machine because it might damage the paint during polishing process.

i'm assuming it is one of the random orbit ones? not a dual action? if so then that thing you purchased, well I'd just use my hands....

[Quickstrike32]

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/20257-man-versus-machine.html


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/22982-lesson-white-paint-teaches-us.html


:buffing:

I just watched the man versus machine video and I'm convinced to buy a polisher. I need to spring for a PC or HF DA and some pads to fix my dealer destroyed Camry.

[FUNX650]

i'm assuming it is one of the random orbit ones? not a dual action? if so then that thing you purchased, well I'd just use my hands....
You might be thinking of a "wax spreader".

DA Polisher vs. RO Polisher:
Isn't it just a matter of semantics?
They both work the same way to move the pad:
By use of a "Free Rotating Spindle Assembly".

And:
Doesn't Griot's Garage 6" polisher go by the name:
Random Orbital Polisher (ROP)?

Bob

[BobbyG]

Paint correction or polishing should be done using a machine vs. by hand. When using a machine you'll increase the consistency of your results and improving the final results.

Here's some great information by Mike Phillips that will help you.


Sectional Pass With a DA Polisher (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-car-garage-how-videos/24074-show-car-garage-video-how-do-section-pass-when-machine-polishing-da-polisher.html)
Removing Swirls (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/20021-definitive-how-article-removing-swirls-scratches-water-spots-using-porter-cable-7424xp-g110v2-griot-s-garage-polisher.html)
DA Trouble Shooting Guide (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/37769-da-polisher-trouble-shooting-guide.html)
Waxing With a DA Polisher (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pinnacle-wax/28651-how-machine-apply-wax-using-da-polisher.html)
How to prime a foam pad when using a DA Polisher (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/35292-how-prime-foam-pad-when-using-da-polisher.html)
DA Polisher Articles - Help for Newbies to Machine Polishing (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/questions-about-porter-cable-7424xp-7424-7336-griot-s-meguiar-s-dual-action-polishers/38399-da-polisher-articles-help-newbies-machine-polishing.html)
How to MAXIMIZE your DA Polisher (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/27166-how-maximize-your-da-polisher.html)

[Mike Phillips]

To the OP...

If you want to remove things like swirls and scratches you want to work by machine, it will take you forever to work by hand and you'll never get as good of results.

Previously posted in this thread was a quote by me in a thread I replied to last week where a new member asked pretty much the same type of question.

Here's the link to that thread and I'd recommend reading it. Lots of good info for you in the thread.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/82679-menzerna-pf2500-sf4000-hand.html



Here's another article on the topic of machine polishing... look at the pictures...


It's not that hard... (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/55512-s-not-hard.html)



:)

[molarman]

u cant go wrong with a flex polisher; also have a porter cable, but the flex is better