Polishing By Hand

[RBJR]

Has anyone had any success polishing small sections by hand? If so what technique and product did you use?

Thanks.

[RBJR]

Has anyone had and success polishing small sections by hand? If so what technique and product(s) did you use.

Thanks in Advance!

[Mike Phillips]

Sure, work a small section of paint at a time, about 8" to 12" squarish or so.

Use a product that uses abrasive technology the manufacture states can be used by hand.

Apply firm pressure and use a fast hand movement. Towards the end of working the product to this one section reduce pressure.


I taught how to remove swirls and scratches by hand for years and followed this by showing how to remove swirls and scratches using the entry level tools like the PC, Megs and Griot's DA Polishes. After people watch how much work it is and how long it takes to remove swirls and scratches out of just one small area by hand they always want to get the machine.

Modern clear coats are much harder than traditional single stage paints and it is this hardness factor that makes removing defects, which is another ways of saying, removing a little paint, more difficult and time-consuming.

It also takes a little bit of talent to do it in a way that you don't leave scratches behind at the same time you're trying to remove them and your application material is important also.


Here's two questions,

1. What are you working on?
2. What are you trying to accomplish?

Also, good netiquette is to only post a topic one time, posting a topic twice causes confusion. I merged your two posts together.

[RBJR]

Mike, thanks for responding. I didn't know posting the same question in two different group of topics was improper netiquette. I thought if I posted in two different categories I might get that many more responses.Thanks for letting me know that and I won't do it again.

I was going to be working on a section of the trunk area of my car to get rid of some scratches that don't appear deep. I wanted to polish out the scratches and then wax. However after reading your reply I may rethink that process.

I was tell Raymond today on the phone in your customer service department how I wish I lived closer so I could get you or 1 of your team members work on on my car. It is in very good shape but I would love to see it taken to the next level. With that said do you have a referral in the MD/DC/VA area that can do close to the workmanship you and your team can?

Thanks.

[FUNX650]

do you have a referral in the MD/DC/VA area

I will suggest messaging Vegas Transplant

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ransplant.html



Bob

[Mike Phillips]

Mike, thanks for responding. I didn't know posting the same question in two different group of topics was improper netiquette. I thought if I posted in two different categories I might get that many more responses.Thanks for letting me know that and I won't do it again.

No problemo... I've been working on forums from the time they were introduced and there's always a learning curve for all of us including myself and so when I have the opportunity to share I try to do so in a professional manner. I actually have a list of articles on specifically how to interact on a discussion forum in my article list under the heading,



Tips, Techniques and How-to Articles for Interacting on Discussion Forums

I was going to be working on a section of the trunk area of my car to get rid of some scratches that don't appear deep. I wanted to polish out the scratches and then wax. However after reading your reply I may rethink that process.

There's no harm in trying and a good way to try is to get some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and some clean, soft foam applicator pads. This product works exceedingly well by hand to remove defects out of clear coat paint.

The key is to only work a small section at a time, about a foot squared but no larger and that's because if you try to tackle too large of an area at one time you really can't, with your hand and arm, effectively work the abrasives into the paint to cause them to take little bites out of the paint and thus level the surface.

So tackle small sections at a time and when starting a new section overlap a little into the previous section. Continue this until you've worked an entire panel.

I've buffed out cars working ONLY by hand. So it can be done. Most of this has been when restoring antique, thin single stage paint on SIV or Special Interest Vehicles.

I share some tips on working by hand with Ultimate Polish in the below Live Broadcast video when we restored a show car finish on the single stage paint on a 1970 Mach 1 here at Autogeek. We did NOT use UC because the paint was too thin but the techniques I share using UP would apply.


Video and Pictures - 1970 Mustang Mach 1 Detailing Clinic at AutogeekOnline.net

Video from the Live Broadcast - 1970 Mustang Mach 1

Products used, all applied by hand...
(Except the Ultimate Compound)

I was tell Raymond today on the phone in your customer service department how I wish I lived closer so I could get you or 1 of your team members work on on my car. It is in very good shape but I would love to see it taken to the next level. With that said do you have a referral in the MD/DC/VA area that can do close to the workmanship you and your team can?

Thanks.

See who Bob recommended above, he's very professional. Also you could start a thread with a title that shared what you're looking for...


This is from my list of articles on how to interact on a forum... always meant and intended to help people help themselves...


How to write a good title for your thread