hoonami

i have bought pc7424(??) and pinnacle's product(swirl remover and liquid wax) and lakecountry pads from autogeek.net last spring. and i've detailed it last summer but results weren't as great as i expected. i am trying to go with another manufactures, i know that bodyshops uses 3m product, i want show car quality shine with my pc. it will take some time and practice but i want to do it myself rather than taking it to the detailers. now question is...
what is the difference between polishing and buffing?
and what does compound and glaze do?
let me get this straight also,
1. wash
2. dry
3. clay
4. wash
5. dry
6.
7.
8. wax

what should be steps 6 and 7?
i really don't wanna use lot of those chemical, i wanna use simple but yet effective products. any recommendations?
and do you guys know what they use at detailing shops?
how do i shampoo the carpet inside my car?

thanks,
Tae

radicalrev

iTrader: (2)

6. polish
7. glaze

i dun really tend to wash again after claying...more like after polishing if needed....

Chris@GlimmerGlass

iTrader: (3)

Polishing and buffing are really just interchangeable words imo. I've heard polishing be used from everything from compounding to waxing. Just a generalized term I guess. I use it to define a light abrasive, finishing product that will do light cleaning and defect removal, but mostly to refine and burnish the finish to a high gloss.
A compound imo, is a moderate to heavy abrasive used to level the finish(clearcoat) and remove mild to moderate defects.
Glaze is a usually a filler or oil heavy product used to enhance the depth and gloss of the paint while filling in minor swirls and scratches to hide some defects. (body shops are notorious for this and usually use a heavy glaze to "detail" an exterior, only to have the problems return after the first rainfall or car wash).
The products used at detail shops will vary greatly based on the shops preferences. It is my understanding (and I need to double check), but I was told that 3m has been dropped as the chemical choice of GM and replaced by Optimum Polymer Tech.

Now, how bad is your car? It'll depend on what I'd recommend you go with. Any pics?

hoonami

i will take some pictures soon, weather isn't allowing me to take any pics(it's been raining for 3days). and my car was just in bodyshop getting hood, front bumper, and part of driver side fron/rear door painted. so front and driver side is pretty clean and smooth(but i still think i could shine it more) but back and driver side is not(has lot of swirls and light/medium scratches). now the product i've tried is pinnacle product, which was intermidiate and light swirl remover, but it just didn't give me a result i was expecting.
let's say if i took my car to a carwash to get detailed, do they use heavy or light polish(???)? i basically want to get rid of scratches and swirls and bring back the deep shine if possible. and rather do it myself

jfelbab

If it were me I'd:

1. Wash
2. Dry
3. Examine the condition of the paint to see which of the following steps are needed
4. Clay with QD lube and wipe up with MF
5. Polish with appropriate level of polish(s) to achieve correction needed
6. Apply wax or sealant. Two coats if time allows.

Depending on your cars condition you may wish to use a glaze prior to waxing. A glaze will mask some defects if any remain after the polishing and will usually make your paint look wetter. Glazes evaporate over a month or so but there is no denying the masking of light defects is quite remarkable.

When claying, if you wipe up the area with a MF you won't need to re wash and dry the vehicle prior to polishing. Any slight leftover QD will be removed by the polishing stage anyway.

When polishing, work a single 2'x2' area with the polish and examine the results. If the marring is not removed on the first pass do it again. If the marring is still not removed, you should step up to a more aggressive polish and or pad and see how that works. There are some things that you may not be able remove no matter what you use but you should see improvement. When you are satisfied with the results in that 2'x2' test area, you now know what is needed for the rest of the vehicle. Continue on and do the rest of the vehicle polishing small 2' x 2' areas at a time.

When using the PC, it is not necessary to use a lot of polish. After one or two passes clean the pad by applying a clean folded cotton towel to the pad and turning on the PC. Rub the towel over the face of the pad to remove the excess polish and lubricating oils. When the pad gets saturated with spent polish and oils it doesn't remove defects.

When polishing, apply only enough pressure to the PC to slow the rotation of the pad. If you apply too much pressure the pad will stop rotating and the polishes ability is also diminished.

There are a number of good youtube videos showing the polishing process that you may find helpful in perfecting your PC polishing technique. Here is one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89323lmQ2LI

In my mind, polishing is the process of removing paint defects. Buffing is the process of removing wax residue. Granted, these terms are often used interchangeably.

Remember it is usually not recommended that you wax or seal freshly painted panels for at least 90 days. Ask your painter what he recommends. You can clay and polish newly painted panels however.

butterbeer

check out the chris@glimmerglass thread YO!
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=370475