TriniTuner.com  |  Latest Event:  

Forums

Car Polishing 101

Tuning advice, problems and troubleshooting

Moderator: 3ne2nr Mods

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » May 13th, 2010, 7:53 am

Nice thread on a detail of an M3.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... ?t=1985189

Another here:
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... ?t=1983690

Take a look at the before....before picture has a non-hazy/sharp reflection, but also has the minor swirls almost every car has in some form or fashion :|

Image

Image

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » May 16th, 2010, 8:31 pm


User avatar
~Vēġó~
3NE 2NR Moderator
Posts: 45606
Joined: April 18th, 2003, 12:18 am
Location: Being the Change that I want to See
Contact:

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby ~Vēġó~ » June 18th, 2010, 4:49 pm

^^^^good links man!!!

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » July 26th, 2010, 11:01 am

Excellent write up for those who want to try swirl removal by HAND! :shock:
[url]
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/s ... hp?t=10656[/url]

I would probably use the AutoGlym SRP or maybe a mild Menzerna Polish, followed by a 1Z Einszett Glanz wax (for added glaze).


Here's a demo of the Meguiar's Folks using Scratch X:

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7011
Last edited by Alpha_2nr on July 26th, 2010, 7:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
TECH N FIZ
Posts: 0
Joined: October 17th, 2006, 11:31 pm
Location: Flemming St. Longdenville, Chaguanas.
Contact:

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby TECH N FIZ » July 26th, 2010, 2:41 pm

i got rid of some swirl using some prestone......worked good, but i think i'll hv to check Tintman for ah detail up.

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » July 26th, 2010, 3:45 pm

^^All most polishes do is hide it. And most "non speciality" polsihes that are OTS available can't cut away at the clear coat enough (at least in one go) to remove swirls. The only "common" OTS polish might be the Meguiars NXT TechWax. Other than that, youd need to use an orbial polisher (Porter cable 7424 is the easiest to use) to actually cut away at the clear coat and get back a smooth clear shine, swirl free. Also, using orbital polishers at too high an rpm will burn the paint or cause buffer trails. Without the right pad or polish, it will not totally remove swirls either.

Swirls are only visible under bright focused light. These paint defects won't nomrally show themselves under mos circumstances.

The picture i posted above (red car) show a before with using a cutting polish followed by glaze IIRC. The other link (grey M3) used a Menzerna Power Finish with a SwissVax Glaze (never seen either sold in Trinidad).

Image

User avatar
Karim Khan
3NE 2NR Power Seller
Posts: 1031
Joined: July 16th, 2005, 10:55 pm
Location: Professional Detailer 784-9290

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Karim Khan » July 27th, 2010, 10:10 pm

From my understating some POLISHES DO cut the clear coat. Over use of a cleaner polish over time WILL cut your clear coat.

Polishes like the Meguiar's M83 dual action cleaner polish and the M82 is designed to cut, but it is not as aggressive as a Compound. PURE POLISHES DO NOT CUT and it does not contain any abrasive components. IN the old days where paint surfaces did not have clear coats pure polishes was used to give the surface a brilliant high gloss and fill in swirls but with the advent of clear coats pure polishes will not fill in swirls, it would just give you a brilliant high gloss.

In Trinidad and Tobago it is very difficult to find pure polishes. Most polishes sold in TnT contain a mixture of components that cleans, polishes, and protect and sometime fill in swirls.

Also the Meguiars NXT is not a polish, it is a WAX which is used as a LSP ( Last Step Protection). The last time i spoke to the guys from Meguiars they told me that the NXT does not have any heavy cleaning properties and it can be used as often as you like and it would not damage your paint from extreme over use. It does however "fill in fine swirls" but it was not designed to remove it. the NXT was designed for the car enthusiast would love to wax their car very often.

And Alpha you are right swirls are only visible under bright focused light.

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » July 28th, 2010, 9:54 pm


User avatar
Chemical
I LUV THIS PLACE
Posts: 1048
Joined: May 17th, 2007, 3:09 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Chemical » July 29th, 2010, 6:45 am

I've used the NXT & its pretty good ....especially on black plastic, however it only lasts 2 mos max.

I've switched over to AutoGlym & that works excellent & lasts months using the Turtle wax car wash from P/smart (approx 6 mos).

Only downfall is if this polish gets on black rubber / plastic its real ketch ass to remove. It leaves a white residue.

Can get the AutoGlym @ Tiny & sons in Curepe or Car Plus Cipero Rd, San Fernando.

Need to get the swirl marks off my 08 Tiida (Pretty bad ) - It came like that from Japan.

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » July 29th, 2010, 10:28 am

Only downfall is if this polish gets on black rubber / plastic its real ketch ass to remove. It leaves a white residue.


AutoGlym FastGlass removes it if it doesn't remain there too long.


Need to get the swirl marks off my 08 Tiida (Pretty bad ) - It came like that from Japan.


May need an more abrasive polish (M105 meguiars?) or something that will require more work to use if it's less abrasive.

Keep in mind lots of "detailers" out there do a once-over on the car at too high a speed on their polisher, with a "generic" polish, and you can actually end up with more swirls....or even worse...holograms / buffer trails...as a result.

There are some local guys out there however, who know what they're doing. Generally, a good detail job, even by machine, to remove swirls and below surface defects maight take almost a complete day to do, with multiple pads and polishes.

Alternatively..........


You could do things by hand, and use a cleaner polish (Scratch X? Autoglyum high Def. paint cleaner?), and use a polish with lots of fillers, to hide the swirls (Nxt 2.0 has some fillers, AG Ultra Deep Shine has lots more fillers) and then seal with a wax.

You'd have to keep repeating that as you once the wax/sealant wear away, the fillers will go with it, and the swirls will reappear.

The only way to permanantly remove the swirls is via cutting away at the clear coat.......which is back to my first point (by machine).

User avatar
Karim Khan
3NE 2NR Power Seller
Posts: 1031
Joined: July 16th, 2005, 10:55 pm
Location: Professional Detailer 784-9290

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Karim Khan » July 29th, 2010, 9:58 pm

Chemical wrote:Need to get the swirl marks off my 08 Tiida (Pretty bad ) - It came like that from Japan.


I would highly recommend the Swirl x. IF you dont know how to use the Meguiar's M105 you can servilely mess up your paint.

The key to a good job is the prep work once you do a good job at the prep stage everything else is easy!!! But this only come with years of experience.


You remove scratches by hand, it would just take longer than a machine.Their are some very good cleaners that are designed to be use by hand like the Meguiars swirl x, scratch x, M83 , M82 and even the Mother's cleaner wax .

Once you have a good technique and load of time, you can remove scratches by hand.

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » July 30th, 2010, 6:50 am

^^But isn't SwirlX alot more aggresve than Scratch X?

User avatar
Chemical
I LUV THIS PLACE
Posts: 1048
Joined: May 17th, 2007, 3:09 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Chemical » July 30th, 2010, 8:55 am

Thanks guys for the advice...but i ain't going to attempt that by myself.

Don't have the energy but would the orbital polisher from P/smart work ? or do I need one of the more expensive one.

User avatar
Chemical
I LUV THIS PLACE
Posts: 1048
Joined: May 17th, 2007, 3:09 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Chemical » July 30th, 2010, 8:57 am

Oh I forgot to mention Bel Air store in Marabella sells most of the Meguiars products @ excellent prices....better than Automotive Art in El Secorro.

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » July 30th, 2010, 9:05 am

Don't have the energy but would the orbital polisher from P/smart work ? or do I need one of the more expensive one


NOOOOOOO!!!


Most times, it's not the polisher...it's the very buffing pad which does the most damage to paint (leaves holograms, buffer trails etc), due to poor materials, incorrect application and the like.

If you want to do it yourself, import/go to the local Porter Cable agent (posted somewhere on 'tuner) and get a PorterCable 7424 XP. Best there is for an amateur.......almost impossible to burn your paint/damage clear coat with that, due to the clutch stup of the rotating pad, vs. the direct drive of other buffers.

Meguiars' sells some good buffing pads on amazon (white, yellow, and their orange cutting pad).
Last edited by Alpha_2nr on July 30th, 2010, 4:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Chemical
I LUV THIS PLACE
Posts: 1048
Joined: May 17th, 2007, 3:09 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Chemical » July 30th, 2010, 11:00 am

Thanx

http://www.autogeek.net/po.html

Was actually looking @ this a while now.

User avatar
Chemical
I LUV THIS PLACE
Posts: 1048
Joined: May 17th, 2007, 3:09 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Chemical » July 30th, 2010, 11:01 am


User avatar
groundpilot
Street 2NR
Posts: 30
Joined: August 3rd, 2010, 1:24 am

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby groundpilot » August 5th, 2010, 10:55 pm

fellas me eh kno too much bout detailing right so bear wid meh ah lil bit... buh wats clay block where can i get that? how much fer it, wat exactly duz it do?

User avatar
cinco
TriniTuner 24-7
Posts: 18211
Joined: January 6th, 2006, 3:21 pm
Location: Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?
Contact:

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby cinco » August 6th, 2010, 6:50 am

google mothers clay bar
it is a small block of "clay" which you use to pull microscopic debris out of your paint it works almost like a sponge and drags the material out of the paint/clear of the car and it gets deposited in the bar

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » August 6th, 2010, 8:57 am

^^Correct! It helps remove stuff that gets embedded in the paint, like brake dust particles for example.

User avatar
Chemical
I LUV THIS PLACE
Posts: 1048
Joined: May 17th, 2007, 3:09 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Chemical » August 6th, 2010, 9:22 am

After that step, you MUST use a CLEANER WAX on it before polishing. Mothers usually sells it in a box as a package.

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » August 6th, 2010, 6:35 pm

^^Yep. Came across the Mothers Three Stage detail (wash, cleaner, wax) and the claybar kit in that Automotive Place (Nukar?) in West Mall.

oxidation
Sweet on this forum
Posts: 369
Joined: October 14th, 2007, 12:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby oxidation » August 8th, 2010, 8:58 pm

i saw online that plp clay their windshield has anyone done this

User avatar
groundpilot
Street 2NR
Posts: 30
Joined: August 3rd, 2010, 1:24 am

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby groundpilot » August 8th, 2010, 9:47 pm

kool thanks guys, can iuse d clay bar on enamel cuz my car is white buh nuh clear coated so can i??????

User avatar
AYE_SOLDIER
Shifting into 6th
Posts: 2027
Joined: April 5th, 2007, 2:41 pm
Location: "you cant fake fresh!"

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby AYE_SOLDIER » August 13th, 2010, 3:22 pm

from the advice of tintman on the forum (thanks btw)
here's my ride
(1)washed
(2)clayed
(3)polished
(4) waxed

Image

User avatar
Karim Khan
3NE 2NR Power Seller
Posts: 1031
Joined: July 16th, 2005, 10:55 pm
Location: Professional Detailer 784-9290

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Karim Khan » August 13th, 2010, 9:23 pm

AYE_SOLDIER wrote:from the advice of tintman on the forum (thanks btw)
here's my ride
(1)washed
(2)clayed
(3)polished
(4) waxed

Image


Aye_Soldier the car looks great!!!!

User avatar
AYE_SOLDIER
Shifting into 6th
Posts: 2027
Joined: April 5th, 2007, 2:41 pm
Location: "you cant fake fresh!"

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby AYE_SOLDIER » August 13th, 2010, 9:53 pm

thanks meng! :)

User avatar
~Vēġó~
3NE 2NR Moderator
Posts: 45606
Joined: April 18th, 2003, 12:18 am
Location: Being the Change that I want to See
Contact:

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby ~Vēġó~ » August 14th, 2010, 12:01 am

^^^very nice man!!!

User avatar
Alpha_2nr
punchin NOS
Posts: 3868
Joined: August 17th, 2005, 9:12 pm

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby Alpha_2nr » August 14th, 2010, 9:22 am

TintMan wrote:
AYE_SOLDIER wrote:from the advice of tintman on the forum (thanks btw)
here's my ride
(1)washed
(2)clayed
(3)polished
(4) waxed

Image


Aye_Soldier the car looks great!!!!



Car looks gr8 dude! However, you took a picture in the dark, which will hide any surface defects.

Do one in the midday sun....say with a shot of the bonnet etc. It'll help us determine how well the polish worked. It'll also help point out any areas that may need a secondary polish application (cleaner, then polish and wax).

Also, what polish did you use? How many wax layers were applied?

User avatar
AYE_SOLDIER
Shifting into 6th
Posts: 2027
Joined: April 5th, 2007, 2:41 pm
Location: "you cant fake fresh!"

Re: Car Polishing 101

Postby AYE_SOLDIER » August 14th, 2010, 10:40 am

thanks dude
i know its a nite shot thats all i have :(
clay - mothers
polish - autoglym super resin polish
wax - mothers pure carnauba wax (couldnt afford the autoglym hi def)
and one layer of wax was applied. (i never known u can put on layers after layers)

i will take a shot in the day when i get a chance.

Advertisement

Return to “AUTOMOTIVE TECH”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests