A new one for me....Corn Starch Buff

Scott P

Scott P

New member
I read this on a Mustang forum while looking through a few threads. The original question was how to avoid swirl marks on a new black car.

What causes the swirl marks is not having a clean applicator or polishing pad....the oxidized paint that comes off the car gets the pad dirty and them you just smear it around with the buffer.....there are lots of high-tech ways to get rid of the swirl marks or to make it so they aren't there to get rid of....but the easy way is corn starch....after you are done buffing the car, if you have swirl marks, either put some corn starch on the buffing pad or on the painted surface and buff it again...amke sure you use a clean buffing pad..the corn starch will absord the dead paint and the uncured wax that it is clinging to and come right off.....and you can go pretty fast with the buffer...shouldn't take more than another ten minutes for the whole car....been using this method on all colors cars for over thirty years

I've heard of a lot of techniques in my years, but the corn starch buff is new to me. How old school is this one? I don't want to poke fun, but I am curious to the origins of this one.
 
Scott P said:
I read this on a Mustang forum while looking through a few threads. The original question was how to avoid swirl marks on a new black car.

What causes the swirl marks is not having a clean applicator or polishing pad....the oxidized paint that comes off the car gets the pad dirty and them you just smear it around with the buffer.....there are lots of high-tech ways to get rid of the swirl marks or to make it so they aren't there to get rid of....but the easy way is corn starch....after you are done buffing the car, if you have swirl marks, either put some corn starch on the buffing pad or on the painted surface and buff it again...amke sure you use a clean buffing pad..the corn starch will absord the dead paint and the uncured wax that it is clinging to and come right off.....and you can go pretty fast with the buffer...shouldn't take more than another ten minutes for the whole car....been using this method on all colors cars for over thirty years

I've heard of a lot of techniques in my years, but the corn starch buff is new to me. How old school is this one? I don't want to poke fun, but I am curious to the origins of this one.
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I can't vouch for CS on paint but can when it comes to polishing aluminum wheels, once you are done polishing the metal and all the black residue is on the metal...put some BS or flour on a rag and wipe the metal all of the residue will come off no problem, leaving your metal streak free. Done this many times.


I would agree with this is on SS paint, if you are lifting old paint from the surface, there is allot of residue that is lifted while polishing or compounding...that said you have to clean the pad almost every time you start again...other wise you will start to see blotches of black residue start to stick to the car, and those smeared around on the car can cause some swirls or buffer marks.

I can see where some CS on a rag would asorb this and take it off.

SS paint is a different process than clear coat cars, takes longer and you have to move slower around the car

However on CC paint I don't see this as an issue
 
CS is the really really old school way to do things. I didn't know anyone still did things like this. Also I though you had to mix CS with something else like oil or water???
 
Gosh I've been doin' this toooooooo long!!! :)~

That was something we did with lambswool pads back in the day... It didn't really help remove the swirls though, it was more like a fine polish that helped remove the heavy coumpond marks. I couldn't imagine anyone doing it on anything today though -- paint's, materials, processes, and knowledge have advanced far beyond the days when gas was less than 65¢ per gallon; it does make me wonder though...
 
dr_detail said:
Gosh I've been doin' this toooooooo long!!! :)~

That was something we did with lambswool pads back in the day... It didn't really help remove the swirls though, it was more like a fine polish that helped remove the heavy coumpond marks. I couldn't imagine anyone doing it on anything today though -- paint's, materials, processes, and knowledge have advanced far beyond the days when gas was less than 65¢ per gallon; it does make me wonder though...
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I will say as I stated on polished aluminum its the bomb
 
It was old school stuff that was used on the lacquer paint that was used at the time. You had no swirl remover,foam pads or a PC. All you had was that brown compound that looked like mud. Corn starch was a very fine abrasive that was used for a polish. You buffed it dry with a wool pad, and then you had to wash the car because of all the corn starch dust. The next step was to go over the car with Dupont #7 cleaner and polish, and the car would look pretty good. Corn starch could also be used for a easier removal for Simonize Paste Wax.
 
Larry A said:
The next step was to go over the car with Dupont #7 cleaner and polish, and the car would look pretty good. Corn starch could also be used for a easier removal for Simonize Paste Wax.
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I thought I was the only one here that had used Dupont #7. :)

Also, I'm glad you said "easier" in regard to removal of the Simonize Paste Wax because nothing made it easy. Easier, yes. Easy, never. :)

Charles
 
Everyone has different time periods that define "the good old days" for them. Mine were probably the mid to late 90's. :lol:

I've never heard of using corn starch as a polish though. With all of the new products out today with a very wide range of abilities, I don't see the point of using something like corn starch on paint. Sort of like using Dawn as an automotive soap.
 
Larry A said:
Charles, are you and me the only ones that remember "The good old days".
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If you remember using #7 then maybe you remember Dynamite Cleaner.
I think I still have a can of DuPont #7 :crazy2:
 
In Nov 06 i received a can of Dupont #7 , and posted a pic in this thread http://www.detailcity.org/forums/detailing-product-discussion-misc/20061-dupont-7-new-car-wax.html?highlight=dupont Texas TB posted a few himself..Theres a few other products you guys might remember..CharlesW was very familiar with them..

joescarwash085.jpg



http://www.detailcity.org/forums/de...61-dupont-7-new-car-wax.html?highlight=dupont
 
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