compound or polish when to?

[ionic_slim]

Excuse the newbie question but what factors go into determining whether to compound or polish a car?

 

[House of Wax]

All depends on the level of defects and the type of paint. Rule of thumb is do a test spot to see what its going to take to correct the paint to your level of satisfaction. If the polish isn't removing everything or taking too long to do it, step up to a more aggressive pad and/ or switch to a compound

 

[ionic_slim]

Thanks - do you recommend using a microfiber pad or foam for newbies?

 

[House of Wax]

I prefer microfiber for compounding and foam for polishing and finishing work (although the Rupes microfiber polishing pads I tried were pretty darn nice).

 

[Accumulator]

ionic_slim- Same general opinions here. Whether to up the pad vs. the product is a personal preference issue (I tend to up the product, rather than using mild products with harsh pads, but that's just me).

 

[trashmanssd]

I only work for free on family, friends and personal vehicles, I also do my work trucks. So I tend to just polish and get out the fine scratches and bring the paint back up to a nice shine. I can live with a few deeper scratches that I dont get out because its free and I am not looking for near perfection. I rather air on the side of caution with the clear coat I don't want to burn through it chasing a scratch that's to deep.