Looking at DA Polishers

[Mr Grump]

Due to events beyond my control, my  car now has light swirl marks 😢

So I was looking at fixing this myself with a DA polisher, and it appears the DAS6 V2 might well be suitable for my needs.

I was thinking of pairing it up with a medium and finishing Menzerna pad and polish.

I also thought it would be a good idea to pick up something like the Auto Finesse Swirl spotter lamp.

 

So my question is A: is there any others I should consider ?

and B: does anyone know of any discount codes for reliable online stores like CYC or similar.

 

Cheers

 

Edited 22 April, 2022 by Mr Grump

[vrs'burks]

Autobrite direct still have there easter sale on at the moment.

 

They have a hand held light in the sale and a few of their polishers.

 

https://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/product-category/sale/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpImTBhCmARIsAKr58cxJAp2OxnFfvx6e7II5ppUDt1MGVl-y9BU9DXBDlKZMmP-8WHQFlRUaAvy3EALw_wcB

[UndertheRadar]

The rupes lhr15 Bigfoot is a fantastic polisher. Makes detailing paintwork a lot easier on your body as it’s very refined during use. They also do a brilliant range of polishes and pads to complement the machine.  
most half decent led handheld lamps will show swirls. I have a few of different sizes and lengths for use with different panels. 

[Mr Grump]

Thanks guys, another question if i may:

What is good for cleaning after polishing before waxing /LSP ?

Is 99% Isopropyl alcohol good, or mixed with a specific percentage of de-ionized water, or best to use something like Bilt Hamber cleanser fluid ? 

[vrs'burks]

48 minutes ago, Mr Grump said:

Thanks guys, another question if i may:

What is good for cleaning after polishing before waxing /LSP ?

Is 99% Isopropyl alcohol good, or mixed with a specific percentage of de-ionized water, or best to use something like Bilt Hamber cleanser fluid ? 

 

Don't use iso neat, or you could ruin the finish you achieve.

 

I use it 50/50 with water.

 

If you have chance check out "White details" on YouTube. . .the guy has an insane eye for detail when it comes to sorting a car, he also shares tips etc for best practices.

 

He even did a comparison (I think on Instagram) on a freshly polished panel vs after it's been wiped over with isopropyl. . . The panel looked amazing freshly polished, after it had been wiped revealed there was still dammage present that the oils/residues from the polish had been inadvertently hiding.

 

Edited 23 April, 2022 by vrs'burks

[UndertheRadar]

There are loads of panel wipes available on the market. The last one I tried was Krystal prep. Worked very well with no issues. Once you start getting that fussy over your paint, you need to consider the cloths your using, as even the slightest thing will line your finish before you can add any sort of coating. 

[Mr Grump]

Well all the bits that make up my "beginners polishing kit" have arrived, just got to wait for a good time and the nerve to tackle the job now 😄

 

 

[numskull]

I have two DA’s, a DAS-6 PRO from Clean My Car and a Makita LTX 18v unit. I never use the DAS now as the Makita gives an hour of heavy use. It was expensive but I have 3 LTX batteries which I use for all my Makita power tools so it was a no brainer. It’s an amazing bit of kit. 

[UndertheRadar]

The clay mitts are a good job, but I use them more as a maintance it’s during washes. A clay bar will dive a much better and cleaner finish IMO. 
I’ve been using these from the bay of evil for years and find them a good sized and very good quality bar. Never had an issue with marring either. I use them with a quick detailer as lube. 
good luck with the job when you get around to doing it. 👍🏻
 

[ckyliu]

I was given much useful advice at https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/478648-daro-polishing-machine-advice/?tab=comments#comment-5548053

 

Specific panel wipe chemicals are available but you can use a solution of 10-20% isopropyl alcohol IPA (aka isopropanol) that's nearly as good and a lot cheaper (under £2.50/L once diluted to <20% with distilled water). 4 plush microfibres are recommended for removing the polish before going on with the IPA, the Korean Edgeless 350 gsm plush is cost effective at around £2.50 a towel, there's also Interdetailings Open Pile and Rags Edgeless 300, then flip the cloth over and go in with the IPA spray. Make sure you get all the polish out the shut lines before it bakes in, the edgeless clothes are great for this.

 

Scholl S3XXL, Koch H8.02 or Meguiars Ultimate Compound I would recommend to do a 1 step polish on harder paint with a medium foam pad, work them until they go from milky to clear as they're oily and diminishing. The diminishing should help avoid overdoing it, again using a softer pad will reduce the cutting action too. As these are oily they will need cleaning up afterwards with panel wipe so you can see the final result. I'm not familiar with Menzerna's range so can't advise there but they have a good reputation so I'm sure you'll be fine, if they're oily make sure you panel wipe to check your results, otherwise the oils will fill/mask defects temporarily.