Polishing vs Basic car care

[mfbmike]

Originally Posted by Stay Fresh Car Care

The ONLY way to prevent constant paint correction is proper washing techniques and proper washing products.

This.

Use two buckets, good microfibers and use common sense and you, in theory, will never ever have to perform paint correction or take an orbital to your paint.

[AVodka14]

Originally Posted by aegisdrgn

As far as the orbitals and associated materials, here's my thinking, which may not apply to you, just take it with a grain of salt.

With proper paint sealant and no crazy shit happening (driving in sandstorms, parking lot hijinks, etc), paint correction is only necessary after 6 months, FOR ME.

Paint correction to my satisfaction takes me a few hours (slower is better, especially when you're losing clear coat every time that polishing pad touches the car). An orbital vs hand polishing is definitely more efficient and will save you time.

I can tell you take great pride in how your car looks - if I could do it again, I would have learned a lot more about car detailing before I did anything to it, would have saved me the mistake of clay barring frequently (where did those long, straight scratches come from???) and cheap microfiber towels (how am I getting swirls?!?!?)


I recommend going through the @Junkman2008 's videos https://www.youtube.com/user/Junkman2000/videos

They are long, but very detailed about the products he uses, and his techniques.

Exactly. I learned more about proper wash and drying techniques a little too late with my baby. I recommend watching @Junkman2008 for proper orbital use, kind of orbital, and washing techniques.

I now only use a quality borderless and tagless microfiber cloth to wash, 2 buckets, and a waffle weave cloth to dry. Borderless Blonde is a must have as well.

I will be getting my orbital polisher and obligatory products to go with it. Then will do my first and hopefully only polish soon. Then just maintain the car as it should have been from the get go.

Remember everyone. If the car reaches the dealership's hands, the car has been molested.

[Lord Peth]

Originally Posted by aegisdrgn

Fact: If you use a clay bar, you are putting scratches on your car (clay bar works by picking up contaminants, and then guess what, the contaminants are pulled along for the ride as you sweep the clay bar across your car, even with lots of detail spray/lubricants under the clay).

Fact: Any type of paint correction (polishing/rubbing compound) is taking clear coat off your car.


Solution: Wash and wax properly, regularly. Paint correction is to be done sparingly and infrequently (clay followed by polish). Use paint sealant to keep results of paint correction longer than just waxing. Most paint sealants allow you to put wax on top of it.

Clay bar does not scratch your clear coat. Sealant is pure synthetic wax. It is a wax replacement. Some claim it doesn't provide as deep a glow as carnauba but it lasts much longer.
Otherwise what this guy said.

[Stay Fresh Car Care]

Originally Posted by Lord Peth

Clay bar does not scratch your clear coat. Sealant is pure synthetic wax. It is a wax replacement. Some claim it doesn't provide as deep a glow as carnauba but it lasts much longer.
Otherwise what this guy said.

Sir, Claying DOES cause marring!

You are pulling the embedded dirt and debris out of the clear coat and rubbing it against the surface.

Please message me is you need me to explain in details.

People fail to realize the purpose for claying!

YOU CLAY because you want all the contamination out of the pores and surface of the clear. If you do not clay, polishing will remove these and contaminate the buffing pad causing marring and swirls.

You can not look at these facts any other way!

[dem00n]

Originally Posted by mfbmike

This.

Use two buckets, good microfibers and use common sense and you, in theory, will never ever have to perform paint correction or take an orbital to your paint.

But it doesn't work like that. No matter what, you'll get swirl marks in the long run. It's up the owner to what end does he have to correct the paint due to swirl marks.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by AVodka14

... Remember everyone. If the car reaches the dealership's hands, the car has been molested.

Originally Posted by Lord Peth

... Sealant is pure synthetic wax. It is a wax replacement. Some claim it doesn't provide as deep a glow as carnauba but it lasts much longer.

On perfectly corrected paint, NEITHER one of them are going to make anything glow. Waxes abd sealants are for PROTECTING paint. If you want your paint to shine or glow, you POLISH it to perfection. That goes for anything that shines. You don't apply waxes or sealants to chrome, glass, jewelry, brass, aluminum or paint to make them shine, you POLISH them. That is "shineology 101", as I prove in this video of a car I fixed without ONE DROP of wax on it.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XGwQDVbOgo"]Guess The Wax... - YouTube[/ame]

Originally Posted by dem00n

But it doesn't work like that. No matter what, you'll get swirl marks in the long run. It's up the owner to what end does he have to correct the paint due to swirl marks.

Not true at all, as my own car proves. If you know what causes swirl marks and you take steps to avoid doing those things, swirl marks will NOT be an issue in your life. You may pick up a bit of damage here or there from normal use of your car but swirl marks require NEGLECT. You have to be doing something wrong over a period of time to create swirl marks. Don't make that mistake and you won't be dealing with that type of damage.