Interesting how everyone has different detailing ideas that they swear by

[Bri26]

Interesting how everyone has different detailing ideas that they swear by. Some of the ones that I have observed -

Flat pads are better than dimple pads.

Waffle pads run cooler than flat pads which makes them better.

Slow arm motion is better when running a da polisher.

Fast arm motion is better when running a da polisher.

Microfiber pads run too hot and shouldn't be used.

Wool pads should only be used on a rotary.

Iron remover isn't needed if you clay the vehicle.

A da polisher still does a lot of work if the pad stall out.

If the pad stall out, then the machine just vibrates and isn't really doing anything.

What are some of the ones that you have heard?

[Eldorado2k]

You might not get many replies to this simply because it requires a person to tout a method they like while putting down a method they dislike or even worse… And there’s little to no wiggle room for the latter, because the truth is anyone who’s good at what they’re doing can make just about any method/setup work for them and produce great results. In other words, there’s more than 1 way to skin a cat.

For example just because I personally don’t like using synthetic clay pads on a polisher to decontaminate paint doesn’t mean they’re wrong or negative in any way because I’m sure there’s plenty of people who love to use them and have great results.

Also, there’s nothing wrong with using microfiber pads.

[Don M]

You might not get many replies to this simply because it requires a person to tout a method they like while putting down a method they dislike or even worse… And there’s little to no wiggle room for the latter, because the truth is anyone who’s good at what they’re doing can make just about any method/setup work for them and produce great results. In other words, there’s more than 1 way to skin a cat.

For example just because I personally don’t like using synthetic clay pads on a polisher to decontaminate paint doesn’t mean they’re wrong or negative in any way because I’m sure there’s plenty of people who love to use them and have great results.

Also, there’s nothing wrong with using microfiber pads.

Not to forget, we are ALL different and do things differently, but it doesn't mean any of us are WRONG in how we do things. If an individual gets the results that please/satisfy THEM, then those methods are correct for them. I do things a certain way because partially it was how I was taught years ago, but mostly because of what I've learned throughout the time I've been detailing through trial and error (If you never make a mistake, then you'll never learn anything).

I take in EVERYTHING that different people on this and other forums say about how and why do do certain things and ADAPT THEM so those methods work for ME and give ME the results "I" want, so while my methods may be SIMILAR to someone else's, they are not going to be exactly alike.

As for having a DA polisher pad 'vibrate' VS 'spin' I feel that both ways get results, because with either motion, they are still rapidly moving compound or polish across the surface of the paint and 'erasing' (so to speak) scratches and swirls. And if you're applying a wax or sealant with a DA, spinning or vibrating is irrelevant as long as the wax/sealant is being applied evenly and thinly.

[Danube]

The one saying - Wool pads should only be used on a rotary - was widely accepted on this forum for ages, otherwise it would be heresy to use a wool pad on a DA.

Another one was - if you drop clay bar on the floor, chuck it in the rubbish bin. This one was exceptionally ridiculous indeed.

[Eldorado2k]

I’ve got 1. And this is what I call 1 of the biggest myths when it comes to detailing… I hate it so much that I’ll go as far as calling it a flat out lie.

-When people say that “you must pay the most attention to the rocker panels when claying, because those are usually the dirtiest areas of the vehicle”.

I call B.S. to that.Same goes for the wheels.
For the longest time many people have been lead to believe that theory, but based on my experience [and I can’t see why everyone else’s would be any different] the rocker panels are the area of the vehicle where I spend the least amount of time having to Claybar because 99% of the time there’s little to no bonded contaminants to be found down there. Same for the wheels. I can’t even remember the last time I even clayed wheels because doing so is usually a complete waste of time.

Yet still to this day you’ll find people advising noobs to pay extra attention because the rocker panels/lower areas are the dirtiest most contaminated areas of the vehicle… Just last week I had to correct a dude on youtube who was giving that advice and challenged him to say otherwise based on actual experience, because I’ve clayed hundreds of vehicles including some of the heaviest contaminated anyone can come across and even those vehicles almost never have any bonded contaminants on the lower half of them.

There’s a good reason it’s called “fallout” and it lands on top of the horizontal panels, which is why it usually only affects the top half of the doors.