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How do you guys clean your pads as you work on a vehicle? Say my orange pad is loaded with compound after doing a few panels; how would you go about cleaning the pad mid detail? I usually just switch to another pad. Tips? Tricks? :thanks

I'm going to be doing a car with single stage paint, and I was wonderring if you guys add the cost for new pads into these jobs since they'll be permanently stained after using them on the SS paint.

Bought the thing in December and the paint was in awful condition from the get-go as it was a left over 2008. Swirls everywhere, linear swirls or whatever they're called from using a dealer lot brush torture device. Not to mention the huge gouge created when my grill slammed into the front of...

I'm usually prety adept at touching up scratches, but I can't seem to nail the one on my STi which was caused by my grill slamming into my fender/front bumper... friggin wind the last few years has been unreal. I have most of the scratch fixed, but theres one part where the touch up paint isn't...

Just used my new Makita rotary today on my dad's 2005 Escape and had some issues with it. Well, not really with IT, but the polish I used. I tried M105 for the first time on an orange LC CCS smart pad and the compound kept caking up on me. I tried using a greater and lesser amount, still caking...

Just a quick question. I just got my Makita rotary today and was wondering how many of you guys tape off the edges of panels so you dont accidentally burn through these delicate areas. I have never done this in the past and am curious as to how common the practice is. Another question. Do any...

I finally had a chance to wash the STi yesterday, and yes it's kinda clean, but there's junk stuck all over the paint (like tar, and all kinds of clag all over the lower panels), bazillions of swirls, and when I dried it with S&G and a MF, the towel stuck to it like glue. :wall Probably won't...

I found these videos whilst researching the rotary I'm gonna get and am curious about this guys technique. He leans the machine over quite often while buffing. The speed seems relatively low, but I'd think this isn't the safest way to go about it. Can any rotary pros chime in? I've used them...

Just wondering what pad size you guys use most often for your rotaries. I have 8" pads for my Porter cable rotary that I'm replacing (but never use), and 5.5 and 6" for my PC. Do you prefer 6, 6.5, 7 or 8 inch pads and why?

I'm in the market for a rotary, so I checked some of the reviews on Autogeek for the Makita, and lo and behold, Mr Bob Vila has a unique use for this tool. lol. Check out the first review before one of the Autogeek folks change it. Makita 9227C 7 inch Circular Polisher I'll PM them now so...

Just wondering if any of you guys have pinned your business card to one of those bulletin boards in various establishments. If so, did you get any appreciable amount of business from it?

...when I caught a glimpse of the swirls in my new STi. I just bought the thing on 12/27 and it's been either single digits, snowing, covered in salt or raining since then, so I haven't really been able to stop and check out the paint under good light. Well, I was in a parking lot with big...

Well, it's been downright frigid here for a month straight which is not conducive to washing, and I refuse to go to the swirlomatic. I was painful to look at it in it's current condition, so I parked the STi in the sun and went to work. Actually I skipped work today cuz I had a root canal and...

I just bought a new 2008 STi and recently had a clear bra put on. I had asked the guy if he wanted me to wash it before I brought it in, and he said no, I'll take care of that. I thought fine, it's been cold and miserable, so I haven't had a chance to look closely at the car, let alone detail...

I just detailed a 2002 Imola Red M3 and the customer said that after washing it the first time, he noticed swirls already and that it the water didn't bead nearly as much as it did before. I told him that some swirls were probably still there after I finished as I couldn't remove ALL of them...

I stumbled on a great method to apply Poorboy's QW+ and QD+, unless soneone has already mentioned it of course. I wanted to get a quick coat of wax on the WRX since I don't have time for a proper detail (doing my masters research) and decided to wet one of those German red and white sponges so...

I've noticed alot of people here forego the bucket wash for a S&W wash even if the car is pretty dirty. I usually only do that if the car has been washed a day or two prior and is basically just dusty. Could you guys post some pics of the worst conditions you would use S&W on? This way I can...

Well, I started washing my car yesterday after checking the local radar to ensure there was no rain coming my way, and whadd'ya know... just about ready to dry off and it starts coming down. Now I could hear my neighbors' banter on their porch saying how it sucks to be me and such, bla bla bla...

Been trying to get this car done for about two months now. It's a 1997 Mustang Cobra that sits outside 24/7 and is almost never cleaned. If it is, it's done with the one bucket, old wash brush scratcharama method. Inital condition of the car was awful. As you can see, lots of inperfections...

We haven't had a dry Friday here in nearly 2 months. Yesterday, not a cloud in the sky, tomorrow, probably beautiful. But nooo, my one friggin day off a week and it rains. Picked up the Mustang that I've been trying to get done for months now, get through the wash, clay and rewash, dry the car...