Pads & polish

[Pessimal]

What do people reccomentpd as a good pair to start off with?

 

I've recently bought a ryobi cordless polisher (the decent one, not the cheap one), I know its not as good as a corded one, but I have the batteries!

 

Anyway, my grey superb estate is looking tatty everywhere and i thought I would have a  go at polishing it up and get rid of some of the marring, swirls and scratches!

 

So as the title suggests, what are good combo's to start with?

 

Many a moon  ago I would have bought some dodo juice lime prime and had a go,  but I assume thing's have got better since.

 

And as for pads, I haven't got a clue! Do I go with a soft pad to start with to minimise how much work the polish can do, or does someone have a good combo that will remove some of the swirls without needing too much refinement.

 

Thanks

[varooom]

Basic advice here to give you a rough quick guide.

 

Make sure it's dual action polisher, very safe to use compared to just an orbital.

 

Rule I stick to with polishing is to start with soft pad and a light cutting compound, always wet the pad with quick detailer spray, and not too much polish.  Work over a smaller area and make sure to fully work the polish down.

 

Check results with a decent light, usually LED torch is good for this.  If the scratches remain, then you need a little more product and try again.  Depending on the paint hardness, and if it has had a respray, you might find it acts differently.  You can then maybe swap to a medium pad on same low cut compound, or soft pad with medium cut.  It's something you get a feel for.

 

Practice on a scrap panel, but it will not have same finish as you car, but good to try.

 

Slow is fast, don't rush, and watch some YouTube vids as well to see advice also.

 

 

You may already know, but maintaining the finish is harder, so make sure your wash technique is good so you don't damage the finish.

[Pessimal]

would these be any good as starter polishes for a cordless DA?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/menzerna-Polishes-Medium-Finish-Polishing/dp/B07HQP3J1X/

[varooom]

19 minutes ago, Pessimal said:

would these be any good as starter polishes for a cordless DA?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/menzerna-Polishes-Medium-Finish-Polishing/dp/B07HQP3J1X/

It seems the pads are trash, so might not last too long.

 

The polish is OK, but maybe you should look at Menz's 3-in-1 polish they do, sort of a medium/fine cut and lays down a basic wax.  Could be useful until you get the feel for it all.

 

Pads wise, might be worth looking at some alternatives.

[ckyliu]

I recommend and oily diminishing polish and a medium foam pad, just be careful with heat build up in the pad, swap it periodically. VAG paint is pretty hard so anything too gentle won't make much difference! As the below are oily, you will need to clean up after with panel wipe or IPA to see how you got on.

 

Polish one-step gentler option: Scholl S20 Black 1 Step Compound or Sonax EX 04-06

Polish more aggressive option (may need a second pass with something above to refine):  Scholl S3XXL, Koch H8.02 or Meguiars Ultimate Compound

 

Pads:  At a minimum you'll want a couple of medium polishing pad but as I say, VAG paint is hard, so might need a cutting pad if the paint is bad. A pad with minimal cut for refining and application of waxes and glazes should also be hond. Chemical Guys Hex (orange then blue on hard German paint, green then black on softer Japanese paint), Scholl Spider (blue or purple, then oranges) and Meguiars Pro pads are all highly recommended. Wool and microfibre pads are more aggressive, generate more heat and more difficult to clean out whereas foam ones are a little gentler so suit beginners better.

 

Remember to prime the pad first and spread polish across your working area (typically 2 ft x 2 ft but oily polishes will let you do upto a quarter bonnet) before whacking up the speed. Once primed you'll only need 3 pea sized blobs of polish, which should be worked until they go from milky to clear, that might take 3-4 minutes, anything more than that is probably pointless; 4+ passes (2 vertical, 2 horizontal, overlap your lines by 50%) moving at 1-2" per second across the same area, applying a little pressure and you should be good to go.