Newbie polishing questions

**Back40Detailer** · 10-06-2016, 03:57 PM

I just have a few quick questions on polishing.
1. I have seen videos of the polishing process, they spray a bit of pad conditioner on before starting. Do you do this every time you put product on, or just with a new/clean pad?
2. Once you use a pad with a particular product, would you ever use it with another (ie less aggressive), even if it's clean?
3. Say you do a test spot and you are unsatisfied with the results. Do you start a new test spot or work the same spot?

Thanks for any help you can provide

**Jeremy1976** · 10-06-2016, 04:16 PM

1. I always condition my pads prior to use with a quick spray of conditioner.

2. I use the same pads for all different types of products and applications. The key is to clean them as soon as possible after use.

3. Always same test spot.

**Rsurfer** · 10-06-2016, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Back40Detailer

I just have a few quick questions on polishing.
1. I have seen videos of the polishing process, they spray a bit of pad conditioner on before starting. Do you do this every time you put product on, or just with a new/clean pad?I never use a conditioner.
2. Once you use a pad with a particular product, would you ever use it with another (ie less aggressive), even if it's clean?Sure, if it's clean.
3. Say you do a test spot and you are unsatisfied with the results. Do you start a new test spot or work the same spot?I would start another test spot to get the true result of that polish.

Thanks for any help you can provide

**OCDetails** · 10-06-2016, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by Back40Detailer

I just have a few quick questions on polishing.
1. I have seen videos of the polishing process, they spray a bit of pad conditioner on before starting. Do you do this every time you put product on, or just with a new/clean pad?
2. Once you use a pad with a particular product, would you ever use it with another (ie less aggressive), even if it's clean?
3. Say you do a test spot and you are unsatisfied with the results. Do you start a new test spot or work the same spot?

Thanks for any help you can provide

1. I do this when the pad is dry, so generally just on the first use. After I've cleaned it then it is usually damp enough that spraying it again doesn't do much.

2. Pads are part of the formula. You can sometimes get the same results using a light polish on an aggressive pad or an aggressive polish on a light pad. So I don't make the pads exclusive to any one product. Just clean them and use it again. You wouldn't designate bowls in the cupboard for only certain types of cereal, would you?

3. It depends on what you are testing. I did a car this week that had a repainted hood that had different issues than the factory painted fenders. So I tested a spot on the hood until I figured out the process and then did the same thing to the factory painted surface. If the whole car is painted with the same paint then generally you can just test a spot and figure out what product and pad and polishing technique are going to get the results you want and then repeat that process on the whole car. I always check my results fairly frequently around the car as I'm polishing just to make sure I'm not running into something that requires me to change up the tactic a bit, so I won't say that once you get your process figured out that you can then just do the rest of the car blindfolded all the time, but usually it doesn't change much from one panel to the other.

**Back40Detailer** · 10-06-2016, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by OCDetails

2. Pads are part of the formula. You can sometimes get the same results using a light polish on an aggressive pad or an aggressive polish on a light pad. So I don't make the pads exclusive to any one product. Just clean them and use it again. You wouldn't designate bowls in the cupboard for only certain types of cereal, would you?

Well actually...

Thanks all for the quick help.

Awesome.

Lloyd

**custmsprty** · 10-06-2016, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Rsurfer

Definitely a new test spot. Testing where you already did a test spot would not yield a true result.

When I do a test spot if I don't get the result I want I'll move up to the next more aggressive pad before jumping to a more aggressive product. Then if I don't get the result I'm looking for I'll go back to the prior type of pad and go to the next more aggressive product on a new test spot.

One cannot stress the importance of having enough pads of each aggressiveness. It's the combination of product and pad efficiency that yield the best results. Once the pad becomes loaded up it becomes innefficient. It also heats up which damages the pad and cuts down on the pad life. So using more pads gives you better results and saves you money in the long run as it is less abusive to the pad. I toss mine in the washing machine after I use them with 3D MF Cleaner. I pretreat them with a mild apc.

This is a great example of dirty loaded up pads, you wouldn't want to keep rubbing this gunge on paint you're trying to polish!