Auto Detailing Guide - Polishing
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- Overview
- Frequency
- Why you want to use a buffer
- Choosing the proper polish
- Choosing the proper pad
- How-To
- Facts and Tips
- What's after polishing?
Overview (Return to Top)
Polishing is the step in the detailing process that yields the most dramatic difference in your paint. The objective of polishing is to remove imperfections in the paint, such as swirls, scratches, water spots, etchings, and oxidation. Having these imperfections in your paint means that light that passes through gets refracted, ultimately dulling the finish, yielding less gloss and depth, less reflections, and can turn into an eye sore. When these imperfections are removed, your paint will have the highest level of gloss and reflections are mirror like, with sharp accurate detail.
Imperfections are essentially dips and valleys in your paint. For example, a swirl mark is a very thin and shallow scratch on the surface of your paint. To eliminate these imperfections, you need to remove a small amount of your clear coat (paint) by utilizing the micro abrasive particles found in polishes. When you polish, the abrasives will break down and even out your clear coat to the same level. The smoother your paint is, the less imperfections you'll have.
Properly polishing your paint is what often differentiates one detail from another. Being able to remove nearly all imperfections in the paint is what high end professional detailers strive for. Car dealerships, body shops, and quantity over quality detailers are typically the most common places that are associated with polishing incorrectly, potentially adding imperfections to your paint rather than removing them.
Improperly polishing your paint can leave behind marring, holograms or buffer trails, and potentially even burn through the clear coat and paint. Most of these imperfections are caused by using improper techniques with a rotary buffer. An easy way to avoid these issues is to use a quality random orbital buffer, which is very paint safe when used correctly.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about properly polishing your vehicle to achieve the absolute best finish possible.
Frequency of Polishing (Return to Top)
Since you remove a tiny bit of clear coat each time you polish, you want to polish only when needed. We typically recommend polishing twice a year, during your larger details. After a thorough multi-step polishing session, if you properly maintain your vehicle using the correct washing and drying products and techniques, your paint should stay in good condition. Future polishing can often be done with a mild finishing polish which will not have a significant impact on your clear coat. Between polishing sessions, you may want to spot treat some isolated imperfections, such as a light scratch, a scuff or removing paint transfer. In general, if you plan on keeping your car for about 5 years or less, you could polish almost as much as you want without much worry of removing too much clear coat. If you are concerned about removing too much clear coat, it may be in your best interest to invest in a paint thickness gauge to monitor your paint levels.
Why is it important to use a buffer when polishing? (Return to Top)
While you can polish by hand, it is highly recommended to use a quality buffer for maximum results. When you remove imperfections in your paint, you are breaking down micro abrasive particles in the polishes to even out your clear coat. To do this by hand, you need to use a fair amount of pressure while moving the pad rather quickly. To put it in perspective, the standard in the industry for buffers is the Porter Cable 7424 XP. This buffer can generate 6,800 oscillations per minute at full speed, which is the speed recommended using when removing imperfections in the paint. Imagine trying to move your arm 6,800 times per minute for hours on end, all while exerting 10 ~ 15 lbs of pressure on the applicator pad.
There are three primary types of buffers on the market today, a random orbital buffer, a dual action buffer and a rotary buffer. Each type of buffer has it's pros and cons, and we offer at least one buffer for each type. The buffers we offer and will go in to detail with are the Porter Cable 7424 XP random orbital, the Flex XC3401VRG dual action buffer and the Makita 9227C rotary buffer.
Porter Cable 7424 XP
The Porter Cable 7424 XP is often referred to as the standard in the auto detailing industry. We've yet to come across a buffer at a lower price point that has enough power to effectively break down polishes like the Porter Cable 7424 XP can. This is on of the main reasons why the PC 7424XP is our best selling buffer.
The PC 7424XP is one of the first buffers detailing enthusiasts gravitate to for two main reasons, the lower price point and minimal risk of damaging your paint. The PC 7424 XP is a random orbital buffer, which means it oscillates rather than spins. This helps reduce the amount of heat generated on the paint and is very safe to use. Even at full speed, the risk of damaging your paint is very minimal.
Pros:- Low cost compared to other quality buffers on the market
- Minimal risk for damaging your paint, even at full speed
- Easy to control and maneuver
- Various backing plates available for different sized pads
- Can easily bog down when applying pressure due to the small motor
- Has it's limitations on deeper imperfections
- Very time consuming to achieve professional results
- Backing plate not included
Product Recommendations
Flex XC3401VRG
The Flex XC3401VRG dual action buffer is one of the few products that has made a major impact in the auto detailing industry in the past few years. The XC3401VR has the ability to correct imperfections nearly as fast a rotary buffer, but has a fraction of the risk involved. The Flex is a true dual action buffer, meaning it oscillates as well as utilizes forced rotation.
When it comes to choosing a buffer, the Flex is the best all around bet for any level detailer. It can correct twice as many imperfections in half the time compared to the Porter Cable. That alone makes it worth the extra cost in the long run, not to mention you'll achieve even better results. The ergonomics of the buffer and unique features make it easy to operate, even for first time buffer users.
Pros:- Fast correction of swirls, scratches, water spots, oxidation and more
- Powerful motor that will not bog down under pressure
- Up to 9,600 OPM and 480 RPM at full speed
- Variable speed trigger allows you to reduce the speed on the fly
- Professional like results nearly every time you polish
- Up front cost of the buffer
- Lack of various backing plates to change the pad size
Product Recommendations
Makita 9227C
The Makita 9227C is a rotary buffer that is perfect for the high end detailing enthusiasts or professional detailer. Rotary buffers can correct paint imperfections faster than a random orbital or a dual action buffer, however, they take lot of practice to master and have a higher risk of damaging the paint when used incorrectly.
The 9227C uses the standard 5/8" - 11 UNC spindle thread that most rotary buffers utilize, so finding a backing plate is not a chore.
Pros:- Standard in the industry for professional paint correction
- Fast correction of swirls, scratches, water spots, oxidation and more
- Slow starting RPM speed of 600
- Not recommended for beginner detailers due to the risk of damaging the paint
- No variable speed trigger
- Does not include a backing plate
Product Recommendations
Choosing the Proper Polish (Return to Top)
With so many polish options available, it can be difficult to choose which product will work best for your needs. Each polish has their pros and cons, while a few excel in almost everything. Polishes can vary from a non-abrasive chemical cleaner to a very abrasive compound. The overall objective of polishing is to rid the surface of imperfections. In an ideal world, you would always use the least aggressive polish and pad combination to get the results you are looking for. The problem with going this route is it can be very time consuming to test lots of polish and pad combinations and it can be costly to stock up on multiple polish and pad combinations. As you become more experienced, you will be able to assess your paint and have a good idea what level polish you will need.
As a detailing enthusiast, it is recommended to have at least one polish of each level on hand to tackle any type of imperfection that may come your way. Listed below are the various types of polishes and what each polish is typically used for.
Compounds
Compounds are the most aggressive, most abrasive type of polish and will remove the largest amount of clear coat in the shortest period of time. Compounds are commonly used on severely neglected vehicles and to clean up wet sanding marks. Compounds will almost always leave behind some marring, hazing, or holograms and should always be followed up with a finer polish or multiple polishes.
Product Recommendations
Cutting Polishes
Most polishes that correct moderate paint imperfections fall into the category of a cutting polish. They are a step below compounds in terms of aggressiveness and usually do not finish down as well as a finishing polish. On most paint, it is recommended to follow up a cutting polish with a finishing polish to remove any micro-marring, hazing or holograms as well as increase the depth and gloss. Some cutting polishes are capable of finishing down very nicely on certain paint.
Product Recommendations
Finishing Polishes
The point of most finishing polishes is to remove very minor imperfections in the paint, such as micro-marring, hazing and holograms. Finishing polishes typically will not remove imperfections deeper than a very light swirl. They are also used to burnish the paint to achieve an exceptional level of gloss and depth.
Product Recommendations
Paint Cleaners
Paint cleaners are designed to enhance the depth and gloss while properly prepping the paint for a sealant or wax. Sometimes paint cleaners can have micro abrasives or they can be non-abrasive. They typically will not remove imperfections that require leveling the clear coat, but can remove some oxidation and mineral deposits.
Product Recommendations
Choosing the Proper Pad (Return to Top)
When it comes to selecting the proper pad for polishing, you want to always make sure you match the aggressiveness of the polish with the aggressiveness of the pad. A mismatched combination could add imperfections such as hazing, micro-marring or holograms in your paint, so it is important to properly select the right pad.
Our current pad offering in order from most aggressive to least aggressive looks like this:
- Purple Foamed Wool
- Yellow Cutting Pad
- Orange Light Cutting Pad
- Green Very Light Cutting Pad
- White Polishing Pad
- Black Finishing Pad
- Blue Finessing Pad
Purple foamed wool pads are the most aggressive pad we offer. These are typically used on rotary buffers, but can also be used on a dual action buffer or random orbital. What makes them so effective on a rotary buffer is that it offers lots of cutting power with less risk of damaging the clear coat. Because of the air between the wool fibers, the paint remains cooler at high speeds, compared to a foam pad with similar cutting ability. This is often the choice of professional detailers when using a compound or medium cutting polish. We always recommend following up with finer polish and pad combinations to achieve maximum results when using a purple foamed wool pad.
Yellow cutting pads are the densest foam pad, making them the most aggressive in terms of cutting ability. The yellow cutting pads are commonly used for heavy correction using a compound on neglected vehicles. Yellow cutting pads are often used instead of a purple foamed wool pads when looking for maximum cut on a random orbital or dual action buffer. We always recommend following up with finer polish and pad combinations to achieve maximum results when using yellow cutting pads.
Orange light cutting pads are one of the work horse pads for many professional detailers. They are most commonly used to apply medium cutting polishes and do a very good job removing swirls, scratches and other imperfections in the paint. We always recommend following up with a finer pad, such as a white polishing pad or black finishing pad whenever using an orange pad.
Green very light cutting pads are becoming more and more popular, especially with the advancements in polishes. They are typically used to apply medium cutting polishes or finishing polishes, when imperfections are not too deep. Green pads are unique in the sense that you can get good correction out of them, but you also have the potential to finish down nicely. If you decide you want even more depth and gloss, we recommend following up the green pad with a black finishing pad.
The white polishing pad is one of our most versatile polishing pads. It is commonly used to apply medium cutting polishes, finishing polishes, and chemical polishes. White pads have the ability to finish down nicely without the need of a finer pad, however, you may opt for a finer pad to get the maximum depth and gloss.
Black finishing pads are commonly used to get increased depth and gloss with a finishing polish. They are also used to apply all in one products, paintwork cleansers, glazes, sealants, and liquid waxes. Very versatile pad that should be in any detailers arsenal.
Blue finessing pads are our softest and most porous pad. They are commonly used to apply last step products as they have virtually no bite to them. Blue pads are sometimes used to burnish the paint with the finest polish, Menzerna PO85RD, to bring out the maximum depth and gloss.
Product Recommendations
Comparing Smaller (4") Pads vs Larger (6.5") Pads:
Different pad sizes can have an impact on how the buffer breaks down a polish, control, maneuverability, and how fast you can cover an area.
Smaller pads in general will offer you more control with any buffer, as it can reduce the tendency for the buffer to hop or skip on the paint. Smaller pads also make it easier to maneuver buffers in tighter areas and closer to trim pieces.
One thing with the smaller pads is they will fill up with product faster than a larger pad. For maximum results, especially when polishing, it's best to swap the pads out for fresh ones more frequently with the smaller pads. We recommend changing the pad out for a fresh one every couple panels (usually 5 or 6 pads per coat) as a rough guideline to follow. In general, the fresher the pad, the better the results.
On random orbital buffers, such as the Porter Cable 7424 XP, the smaller the pad, the more effective you'll be able to break down abrasive particles in polishes. This is due to the fact that you are concentrating more energy in a smaller area. Larger pads on a random orbital do not break down polishes as effectively as smaller pads. Believe it or not, since smaller pads can break down polishes faster, even though the surface area is much less, you can often polish your vehicle faster when using smaller pads with a random orbital. The same information holds true on dual action buffers, however with the Flex XC3401VRG, you are limited to which pads you can use because of the proprietary backing plate.
With a rotary buffer, the opposite holds true. Smaller pads offer less bite than a larger pad. On a rotary buffer, the outer edge of the pad is spinning the fastest. The larger the pad is, the more cut you are going to get out of a rotary buffer. This can correct imperfections faster than smaller pads, however the risk of damaging the paint or leaving behind hazing or holograms is much higher with larger pads on a rotary buffer.
Larger pads on any buffer are beneficial for spreading product more effectively, such as a sealant. This is due to the fact that you are covering a larger surface area and you aren't necessarily trying to work the product into the paint, simply applying a coat as thin as possible.
Common Polish and Pad Combinations
As you polish more and more, you will begin to establish some go-to combinations to use. There are just a few examples of popular polishing combinations.
Popular 2 Step Combinations:- Step 1: Menzerna Super Intensive Polish PO83 on orange pads
- Step 2: Menzerna PO106FA on white pads
Product Recommendations
- Step 1: Menzerna Power Finish on green pads
- Step 2: Menzerna PO85RD on black pads
Product Recommendations
- Step 1: Menzerna Intensive Polish on orange pads
- Step 2: Menzerna Final Polish II on white pads
Product Recommendations
- Step 1: Optimum Spray Compound on orange pads
- Step 2: Optimum Spray Polish on white pads
Product Recommendations
- Step 1: Poorboy's World SSR 2.5 on orange pads
- Step 2: Poorboy's World SSR 1 on white pads
Product Recommendations
- Step 1: Menzerna Super Intensive Polish on orange pads
- Step 2: Menzerna PO106FA on white pads
- Step 3: Menzerna PO85RD on black pads
Product Recommendations
- Step 1: Menzerna Power Gloss on yellow pads or purple foamed wool pads
- Step 2: Menzerna Super Intensive Polish on orange pads
- Step 3: Menzerna PO106FA on white pads
Product Recommendations
- Step 1: Menzerna Power Gloss on yellow pads or purple foamed wool pads
- Step 2: Menzerna Intensive Polish on orange pads
- Step 3: Menzerna Final Polish II on white pads
Product Recommendations
- Step 1: Meguiar's M105 Compound on orange pads
- Step 2: Meguiar's M205 Polish on white pads
- Step 3: Menzerna PO85RD on black pads
Product Recommendations
- Step 1: Poorboy's World SSR 3 on yellow pads or purple foamed wool pads
- Step 2: Poorboy's World SSR 2.5 on orange pads
- Step 3: Poorboy's World SSR 1 on white pads
Product Recommendations
How-To Properly Polish (Return to Top)
Properly polishing your paint to remove imperfections can take lots of practice to master, but if you follow these steps as closely as possible, you'll get the best results in the shortest amount of time. Before you polish your vehicle, the paint should already be washed and clayed for maximum results.
Using proper lighting to display the imperfections in the paint
In order to know if you are getting the results you are looking for when polishing, it is extremely important to invest in quality lighting. One of the most cost effective light sources you can purchase is a handheld light gun by Brinkmann. Using the proper lighting will reveal imperfections in your paint and give you a clear understanding if the polishing combination you selected is going to give you the results you'll be looking for. Read this indepth article on the differences between the two Brinkmann lights for more information.
Caring for your pads
As you polish and your pads become saturated with product, you are going to want to swap them out for fresh pads after every couple of panels. To maximize the life of your pads, it's highly advised to keep a 5 gallon bucket of water with some Snappy Clean solution mixed in. As you are done with a pad, simply put it in the bucket to begin soaking to release and dissolve the polish right away. This will help keep your pads in like new condition without much work. When you are done letting the pads soak in the solution, take them out and blast them with a stream of water from your hose or pressure washer. Allow them to completely dry and store them in a labeled Ziploc bag with the product you used with the pad. It is best practice to only use 1 product per pad.
Taping up your vehicle
To help reduce the risk of damaging any part of your vehicle, it is best to tape off the areas you want to protect. By properly taping, it also allows you to get as close to trim pieces as possible without damaging them. The standard tape in the industry is 3M Low Adhesive Blue Painters Tape. This will release easily from your paint with little to no residue left behind and is easy to clean up. We recommend taping off any area you do not want to polish or get any product on. Common areas to tape are your trim pieces, around emblems, headlights, tail lights, around clear bras, and more. When in doubt, tape it up, it's better to prevent a problem than to create one. Check the image at the top of this page for a taped up Ferrari 360 Spyder.
Porter Cable 7424 XP Polishing How-To
- Step 1: Attach the appropriate backing plate to the Porter Cable buffer
- Step 2: Center your pad on the backing plate
- Step 3: Apply 3 pea sized drops of polish in a triangular pattern towards the outer edge of the pad
- Step 4: Visualize your working area, starting with a small 12" x 12" box on a horizontal surface
- Step 5: Trace your working area with the polish on your pad with the buffer off
- Step 6: Turn the buffer on a low speed setting (1 ~ 3) and spread the polish evenly through the entire 12" x 12" working area
- Step 7: Turn the speed dial of the buffer up to 5 or 6 and start in a corner of your 12" x 12" working area
- Step 8: Begin to apply roughly 15 ~ 20 lbs of pressure on the head of the buffer
- Step 9: Working from one corner to the next, move the buffer at a pace of 1" per second while exerting the 15 ~ 20 lbs of pressure
- Step 10: Once you reach the opposite corner, follow the same path back to where you started, but overlap your first pass by approximately 50%
- Step 11: Continue this pattern until you have polished your entire 12" x 12" working area
- Step 12: Polish the area again, but this time use the opposite direction (if you were working top to bottom then bottom to top the first time around, change it to left to right and right to left overlapping movements)
- Step 13: Polish the area the same as you did the first time, but this time use slightly less pressure
- Step 14: If the polish is broken down (usually looks like a clear milky haze), shut the buffer off
- Step 15: Using a clean microfiber towel, remove the broken down polish from the paint
- Step 16: Assess your work with your light source to ensure you have achieved the results you were looking for
- Step 17: Repeat steps 3 through 16 until the entire vehicle has been polished
Note: After every couple of panels, replace your pad with a fresh one for maximum results. If you are working with a limited number of pads, clean out the pad after every few sections using a medium bristled tooth brush and the buffer on a low speed (do this away from the car as it can potentially dust quite a bit).
Product Recommendations
Flex XC 3401 VRG Polishing How-To
- Step 1: Center your pad on the backing plate of your Flex XC 3401 VRG buffer
- Step 2: Apply 3 pea sized drops of polish in a triangular pattern towards the outer edge of the pad
- Step 3: Visualize your working area, starting with a small 12" x 12" box on a horizontal surface
- Step 4: Trace your working area with the polish on your pad with the buffer off
- Step 5: Set the speed dial to your desired working speed (between 4 and 6 is recommended)
- Step 6: Using the variable speed trigger, spread the product around your 12" x 12" working area at a low speed
- Step 7: Starting in one corner of your working area, pull the trigger to full speed and lock in your speed
- Step 8: Begin to apply roughly 15 ~ 20 lbs of pressure on the head of the buffer
- Step 9: Working from one corner to the next, move the buffer at a pace of 1 ~ 2" per second while exerting the 15 ~ 20 lbs of pressure
- Step 10: Once you reach the opposite corner, follow the same path back to where you started, but overlap your first pass by approximately 50%
- Step 11: Continue this pattern until you have polished your entire 12" x 12" working area
- Step 12: Polish the area again, but this time use the opposite direction (if you were working top to bottom then bottom to top the first time around, change it to left to right and right to left overlapping movements)
- Step 13: Polish the area the same as you did the first time, but this time use slightly less pressure
- Step 14: If the polish is broken down (usually looks like a clear milky haze), shut the buffer off
- Step 15: Using a clean microfiber towel, remove the broken down polish from the paint
- Step 16: Assess your work with your light source to ensure you have achieved the results you were looking for
- Step 17: Repeat steps 2 through 16 until the entire vehicle has been polished
Note: After every couple of panels, replace your pad with a fresh one for maximum results. If you are working with a limited number of pads, clean out the pad after every few sections using a medium bristled tooth brush and the buffer on a low speed (do this away from the car as it can potentially dust quite a bit).
Product Recommendations
Makita 9227C Polishing How-To
- Step 1: Attach the appropriate backing plate to the Makita buffer
- Step 2: Center your pad on the backing plate
- Step 3: Apply 3 pea sized drops of polish in a triangular pattern towards the outer edge of the pad
- Step 4: Visualize your working area, starting with a small 12" x 12" box on a horizontal surface
- Step 5: Trace your working area with the polish on your pad with the buffer off
- Step 6: Turn the buffer on the lowest speed setting and spread the polish evenly through the entire 12" x 12" working area
- Step 7: Turn the speed dial of the buffer up to a comfortable working speed (between 1000 ~ 1500 RPMs is common)
- Step 8: Very little pressure is needed when using a rotary buffer, try to use just a hair more than the weight of the buffer
- Step 9: Working from one corner to the next, move the buffer at a pace of 2 ~ 3" per second while making sure you always keep the buffer moving
- Step 10: Once you reach the opposite corner, follow the same path back to where you started, but overlap your first pass by approximately 50%
- Step 11: Continue this pattern until you have polished your entire 12" x 12" working area
- Step 12: Polish the area again, but this time use the opposite direction (if you were working top to bottom then bottom to top the first time around, change it to left to right and right to left overlapping movements)
- Step 13: Polish the area the same as you did the first time, but this time use even less pressure
- Step 14: If the polish is broken down (usually looks like a clear milky haze), shut the buffer off
- Step 15: Using a clean microfiber towel, remove the broken down polish from the paint
- Step 16: Assess your work with your light source to ensure you have achieved the results you were looking for
- Step 17: Repeat steps 3 through 16 until the entire vehicle has been polished
Note: After every couple of panels, replace your pad with a fresh one for maximum results. If you are working with a limited number of pads, clean out the pad after every few sections using a medium bristled tooth brush and the buffer on a low speed (do this away from the car as it can potentially dust quite a bit).
Product Recommendations
Hand Polishing How-To
- Step 1: Dispense about 2 pea sized drops in the center of the foam hand applicator pad
- Step 2: Outline your 12" x 12" working area
- Step 3: Using as little pressure as possible, spread the polish evenly in your working area
- Step 4: Using a good amount of pressure, work the polish into the paint using overlapping motions
- Step 5: Continue working the product into the paint until the polish on the paint turns to a clear milky haze
- Step 6: Using a clean microfiber towel, remove the broken down polish from the paint
- Step 7: Assess your work with your light source to ensure you have achieved the results you were looking for
- Step 8: Repeat steps 1 through 7 until the entire vehicle has been polished
Note: Your results are going to be very limited compared to the results you can get with a quality buffer. The amount of energy you need to exert to break down a polish and the time involved typically leads a buffer sale before your next polishing session. Also, as your applicator pad becomes saturated in product, swap it out for a fresh one for maximum results.
Product Recommendations
Facts and Tips: (Return to Top)
- The smaller the section you work in, the better your results will be
- Do not rush the polishing process, it is very time consuming but the results are worth it
- When using a random orbital or dual action buffer, apply roughly 15 ~ 20 lbs of pressure
- Always match the aggressiveness of the product with the aggressiveness of the pad
- Swap out your pad for a fresh one every couple of panels for maximum results
- Keep a bucket of water and Snappy Clean solution by your side to soak your pads as soon as you are done
- Using the proper lighting when polishing is important to assess your results accurately
- Smaller pads offer you more control and can get in tighter areas
- Larger pads can spread products quickly, which is great when applying a sealant
- Rotary buffers should be used by experienced detailers and professionals
- Tape off your trim, glass, and any other area you do not want polish to potentially damage
- Use 3 pea sized drops of polish per working area, many detailers use too much product
