Polishing technique...

R

Ryan

New member
I need to know, from anyone who has had success with polishing, how to get depth on todays clear paint? My method of polishing is compund with a leveler, polish with 3m Perfect It III, then a high speed glaze. It seems that after the polish step it never is perfect enough for me as far as depth is concerned. And I'd like to understand what it is I am doing wrong. The only idea I have is the time that I am polishing hte paint. Maybe too long or NOT long enough. Is it possible that I am not breaking down the 3m PI-III polish?

I am very close to getting it right. The paint is clean as hell but still does not reflect light well enough. is there anyone out there who can help?



Ryan
 
Yeesh... I've never used any of the stuff you mentioned, but volunteering more information would help. Like buffing tool as Auto Care mentioned, technique, and especially the pads you're using.
 
I use a Dewalt High SPeed for the first step, a Cyclo for the second and fourth, and the high speed again for step 3.



All products are made to work witht he tools I use for that step.

I just have issues with the final product depth.

Any help is appreciated



Ryan

rtbnj@comcast.net
 
We triple buff every single vehicle that we polish. Our first step is done with a high speed Black and Decker variable speed buffer. second step we follow up with the porter cable. Third step we use an orbital. Weather the vehicle is new off the showroom floor or 5 years old every vehicle gets our triple buff. Our optical clarity is magnificent using this method. Our customers are blown away with the shine and longevity.
 
Auto Care USA said:
We triple buff every single vehicle that we polish. Our first step is done with a high speed Black and Decker variable speed buffer. second step we follow up with the porter cable. Third step we use an orbital. Weather the vehicle is new off the showroom floor or 5 years old every vehicle gets our triple buff. Our optical clarity is magnificent using this method. Our customers are blown away with the shine and longevity.
Click to expand...



First we should define exactly what "buffing" or "polishing" is. I have come to believe that there are 3 basic types of true high speed processes including 1. compounding - to remove heavy to medium scratches/heavy oxidation/acid rain etching etc... 2. polishing/swirl removal - to REMOVE light scratching or "swirls" (not just fill them and cover them up) 3. "Glazing" - adds shine and depth to the finish. I think that to "polish" a vehicle with a porter cable and then follow up with an orbital is redundant IMHO if the vehicle is polished properly first. After we finish polishing a vehicle (up to 3 steps to CORRECT imperfections) we apply a high quality wax or paint sealant to protect the finish. It already looks the way it should look before we apply any protective coating.
 
Auto Care USA said:
second step we follow up with the porter cable. Third step we use an orbital.
Click to expand...
Umm . . . the Porter Cable is an orbital (aka DA). Are you using a different orbital buffer for the final step? If so, why?



Curious,

Tort
 
I'm confused about a few things. Like TortoiseAWD I wonder if Auto Care USA is talking about a PC as in random orbital or a PC rotary, or what :nixweiss Sorry if I'm missing something.



Ryan- Again, I wonder if I'm missing something. I count 3 steps (compound; polish; glaze) but you mention using the rotary for step 1; Cyclo for step 2 AND 4; and the rotary again for step 3.



Which pads are you using on the Cyclo for the PI-III? The green ones? If so, maybe you'd want to try a quick, light pass with the white (Cyclo's finishing) pads. Be sure you don't have any Velcro debris on the surface of the pads (it's a pain to get it off!).



I'm curious about this problem! The next time I polish a car I plan to use PI-III with the Cyclo. I COULD use the PC instead, but I'd rather not (love that Cyclo).
 
Accumulator...

I have not figured out how i do so much good work but cant seem to get to the point where i am happy. of course I am using another professional detailer as a comparison to my work. Comparing is tough because the person I am comparing to has years of experience and has a system of perfection in place. I know how a car should look when done right. It has been done to my car and i am stuck looking at it everyday as a reminder of where i want to go with detailing. I dont really need a hands on, God knows I practice enough. Rather some good tips about what to focus on and a process to use when I do practice.



Please feel free to contact me by email if you like to help out.



Ryan



rtbnj@comast.net
 
Ryan- I'd better not offer any specific advice until I've actually tried the PI-III with the Cyclo. I keep putting it off, as the S8 still looks great (after 6 months!) while some of my other cars REALLY need doing.



Wild guess, you need to work the product longer as opposed to not as long. Also see my previous post Re which pads to use and Velcro slubs. And MAYBE yours is one of those cases where a polish even milder than the PI-III should be used before the glaze. Think of how some people (Nick T. comes to mind) use SO many different grades of polish, actually differentiating between abrasiveness levels that most people could NEVER tell apart.



Yes, it can be frustrating when someone else can get your car looking better than you can.
 
One thing to keep in mind, is different paint tones/colors reflect light differently. Unfortunetly no matter how well you buff and detail your car, a white car is not going to get the same reflection as a black car (though I think if anyone that I have met has done the best with white, it would be anthony).



Generally speaking, lighter color cars don't have the same amount of depth as darker color cars.



Reflection of light (basicly what you are looking for when looking for more depth) occurs when light waves hit a surface that does not absorb the energy and instead reflects the light waves from the surface.



Different colors reflect and absorb different light waves and colors of the spectrum.



If your problem is that you feel your car still isn't swirl, orange peel, and oxidation free, then I would look into a better polishing method.
 
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