I know the word is bad on the cheap ebay rotary polishers, no speed setting etc but if used properly can they still make a nice job?

can anyone run through how to properly use a machine to polish the car?

its anybodys guess wether i get it right or not everytime i have a go! sometimes its perfect others its full of trails

and also how do you properly lubricate when your polishing?

:confused:

I know the word is bad on the cheap ebay rotary polishers, no speed setting etc but if used properly can they still make a nice job?

can anyone run through how to properly use a machine to polish the car?

its anybodys guess wether i get it right or not everytime i have a go! sometimes its perfect others its full of trails

and also how do you properly lubricate when your polishing?

:confused:

HI there matie, Firstly am not keen on buffers with no speed settings, as you cant work your cut, polish or wax into the paint slowly before speeding it up.

its took me over a years worth of training with 2 main car dealers to get mine "perfect".

I cant really advise on how to do it properly, as it depends on buffer, pads, Wax's, polishers, paint etc. But try Detailingworld.com for a general advise. its good.

And for lube, I use a mix or car shampoo and water. Apply wax, cut or polish by hand, Then spray on top, slowly work in using your polisher. Then speed up slowly making sure it does not get warm. its hard to explain if am honest. you just know when its right.

Hope that helps.

All the best

Nick

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Edited 24 March, 200917 yr by DGW
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If you head straight for a Rotatry type machine mate then you will be in at the deep end, especially if there is no speed setting and you would be best to practice on a scrap panel of some sort........

You then need to get a range of pads and polsihes to practice with to ensure that your correcting the paintwork slowly but surely and not leaving any buffer trails for example........

Trouble is all paintwork is different so your scrap panel needs to be a similar marque to ensure you can take your practice knowledge onto your own paintwork without causing any damage as some may be tougher or softer than others..............

very good way to put it, I would recommend a DA (dual Action) polisher as there is less chance of messing up than a Rotarty type.

All the best

nick

If you head straight for a Rotatry type machine mate then you will be in at the deep end, especially if there is no speed setting and you would be best to practice on a scrap panel of some sort........

You then need to get a range of pads and polsihes to practice with to ensure that your correcting the paintwork slowly but surely and not leaving any buffer trails for example........

Trouble is all paintwork is different so your scrap panel needs to be a similar marque to ensure you can take your practice knowledge onto your own paintwork without causing any damage as some may be tougher or softer than others..............

i hear i da isnt as effective as rotary?

i have a whole estate of my own that cost 50 quid to practice on so thats no problem, but just to do my own cars is it worth the cheap option, or should i just get the real deal?

how do you lubricate the mop properly?

i hear i da isnt as effective as rotary?

i have a whole estate of my own that cost 50 quid to practice on so thats no problem, but just to do my own cars is it worth the cheap option, or should i just get the real deal?

how do you lubricate the mop properly?

DA's aren't necessarily less effective, they just correct defects at a slower rate. Some would argue, myself included, that this results in a greater degree of control and less likelihood of paint damage than with a rotary, and are therefore better for starting out.

I think a decent DA is a wonderful thing if you're willing to put in a bit of time, effort and care. I managed to completely correct my paintwork on my forst attempt thanks to a bit of research on here and Detailing World...my car now has mirror-finish paintwork

The likes of the venerable Porter Cable or PC (which, being 110V, requires a transformer), Meguiar's G220 (quite pricey) and Kestrel DAS-6 (like the one I own) are effective and generally highly regarded. They sometimes crop up for sale secondhand on sites such as Detailing World or even eBay, so I would just get a proper DA.

In my experience, a quick spray of a quick detailing product such as Last Touch does a good job of lubricating the pad. Some of the modern polishes from the likes of Menzerna have quite good self-lubricating properties anyway so constant re-lubricating can be avoided.

Here's an excellent guide to DA polishing from Detailing World:

Machine Polishing by Dual Action Polisher - Full Guide - Detailing World

Hope this helps!

Andrew

i hear i da isnt as effective as rotary?

i have a whole estate of my own that cost 50 quid to practice on so thats no problem, but just to do my own cars is it worth the cheap option, or should i just get the real deal?

how do you lubricate the mop properly?

Leodhasach has pretty much hit the nail on the head to be honest and a DA will stuggle to break through defects as quicky as a rotary and will also in most cases not touch deep scratches and marks, having said that a DA has it's place in most Trader's kit..............

Any form of Quick Detailer is a great way to lubricate the pad before you apply any polish to it and can be used again and again in the polishing process..............

I've just purchased my first dual action polisher, the kestrel, as mentioned above! Just gotta wait for it to arrive now! Also bought paint and wet and dry paper to try tackle the stone chips on the front. Think I'm being a bit optimistic seeing as I've never used a p/c before but hey if it goes pear shape the bonnet wont cost to much to have resprayed!!!

Nfox, if your re-spraying the bonnet yourself then the prep work has to be 100% perfect! without any exageration, paint sitting proud or shy by even a millimeter is very noticeable in small spaces.

if you want to do it properly you will need a sanding block to flat it off properly and i like jawels production paper as it doesnt clog up so much

its all in the prep when doing bodywork! the spraying is the easy part

i was told by my mates gaffer, absolutely perfect is only just good enough

i'v done a few spray jobs myself and you get it with practice, good luck!