Getting Silverstone to POP
07-14-2018, 09:20 AM
#12
I would also add glaze between polish and waxing. Won’t last long but will add a lot of depth to your clear coat, it’s a step a lot of show car people do. Polish is always an abrasive no matter how fine. Glaze is supposed to fill in the micro valleys in your clear coat, making it more flat before wax/sealant.
07-15-2018, 03:44 AM
#13
I have a PC DA. I am comfortable with the wash and clay bar and decontaminate part of the process. I am comfortable with the waxing part of the process. I have zero confidence about specifically what to use in the polish phase. I don't know what pad to use (I have a set of Lake Country foam pads). I don't know what polish or compound to use. I'm worried about doing damage because of my lack of experience in the polish phase. I suspect that this is the key step that I need to focus initially to improve my results. I think I used to get better results, short term at least, in the old days when I used Turtle wax which I assume is a polish. I've actually considered using turtle wax as a polish and then putting wax on top of that.
Can one of you guys give a specific list of the pad(s) and polish/compound you would use with a DA to safely polish the paint on a low mileage car with paint that is in pretty good shape?
I have two cars to deal with, a Sebring Silver ap1 and a Silverstone ap1.
Can one of you guys give a specific list of the pad(s) and polish/compound you would use with a DA to safely polish the paint on a low mileage car with paint that is in pretty good shape?
I have two cars to deal with, a Sebring Silver ap1 and a Silverstone ap1.
Last edited by rpg51; 07-15-2018 at 03:52 AM.
07-15-2018, 04:13 AM
#14
I have a PC DA. I am comfortable with the wash and clay bar and decontaminate part of the process. I am comfortable with the waxing part of the process. I have zero confidence about specifically what to use in the polish phase. I don't know what pad to use (I have a set of Lake Country foam pads). I don't know what polish or compound to use. I'm worried about doing damage because of my lack of experience in the polish phase. I suspect that this is the key step that I need to focus initially to improve my results. I think I used to get better results, short term at least, in the old days when I used Turtle wax which I assume is a polish. I've actually considered using turtle wax as a polish and then putting wax on top of that.
Can one of you guys give a specific list of the pad(s) and polish/compound you would use with a DA to safely polish the paint on a low mileage car with paint that is in pretty good shape?
I have two cars to deal with, a Sebring Silver ap1 and a Silverstone ap1.
Can one of you guys give a specific list of the pad(s) and polish/compound you would use with a DA to safely polish the paint on a low mileage car with paint that is in pretty good shape?
I have two cars to deal with, a Sebring Silver ap1 and a Silverstone ap1.
"pretty good shape" is very subjective. Assuming you thoroughly washed the car, applied ironx, clay bar, and then prepped the area with a wax and grease remover, assess the amount of swirl marks or scratches on your car. Each panel is different so a single pad/polish combo may not work for the whole car. Also, I would advise taping sensitive areas first like headlight edges and trim.
no matter the pad or polish/compound, each brand generally separates their products by how much "cut" they can provide on the paint. Always try the least invasive method first and on an inconspicous area. Check out LC's pad chart: https://www.autogeek.net/lake-country-foam-pads.html
If you have decent paint condition with only minor swirl Mark's try their green pad and a light polish (look at meguiars, menzerna etc) Each polish will alsl tell you how much cut they provide. Finishing polishes and compounds are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. As a beginner, try pairing a pad and polish with the same amount of cut abilities. Once you complete your passes on your machine, wipe down and see where you are.
If you need more cutting ability it may not be wise to hit the same spot with a heavier cut pad/polish right away (you may end up cutting too much). Instead try that on a new panel. The overall aim is to not cut more than necessary. It's all a trial and error and experience thing. Practice makes perfect.
07-15-2018, 01:17 PM
#15
Thanks for the response. I don't want to learn on my S. I'll probably just keep doing what I've been doing and maybe have a professional really go at it someday. Or, wait until I retire when I'll have some more time.
07-15-2018, 04:14 PM
#16
I had the same apprehensions until I looked into the rupes polishers. It's really hard to mess up or damage your paint with those polishers. They are very intuitive and forgiving. Well worth the money.
07-17-2018, 09:20 AM
#17
I used a glaze last year after polish and before the sealant. It gave the car an amazing glow. It was fantastic. It will cause the sealant to last a shorter amount of time, but I’ve never had the car look better.
I would also add glaze between polish and waxing. Won’t last long but will add a lot of depth to your clear coat, it’s a step a lot of show car people do. Polish is always an abrasive no matter how fine. Glaze is supposed to fill in the micro valleys in your clear coat, making it more flat before wax/sealant.
Last edited by Nerd-Vol; 07-17-2018 at 11:06 AM.
07-17-2018, 11:04 AM
#18
I have a PC DA. I am comfortable with the wash and clay bar and decontaminate part of the process. I am comfortable with the waxing part of the process. I have zero confidence about specifically what to use in the polish phase. I don't know what pad to use (I have a set of Lake Country foam pads). I don't know what polish or compound to use. I'm worried about doing damage because of my lack of experience in the polish phase. I suspect that this is the key step that I need to focus initially to improve my results. I think I used to get better results, short term at least, in the old days when I used Turtle wax which I assume is a polish. I've actually considered using turtle wax as a polish and then putting wax on top of that.
Can one of you guys give a specific list of the pad(s) and polish/compound you would use with a DA to safely polish the paint on a low mileage car with paint that is in pretty good shape?
I have two cars to deal with, a Sebring Silver ap1 and a Silverstone ap1.
Can one of you guys give a specific list of the pad(s) and polish/compound you would use with a DA to safely polish the paint on a low mileage car with paint that is in pretty good shape?
I have two cars to deal with, a Sebring Silver ap1 and a Silverstone ap1.
I used Chemical Guys hex logic pads. I highly recommend checking out their videos as they show what pads to use for each scenario.
I initially started with their white polishing pad, which provides some cut. I used meguires Ultimate Polish. I found that wasn’t giving me the cut I needed to remove the swirls. I then went to their more aggressive orange pad and meguires ultimate compound. I then followed up with the white pad and ultimate polish.
After that I used a glaze then a sealant. The glaze is optional and I didn’t use one this year as I was willing to sacrifice the glow for longevity from my sealant.
This year, I only needed the white pad with ultimate polish. Then I applied two layers of sealant, and I will put a coat of carnauba on this weekend, prior to a meet.
Last edited by Nerd-Vol; 07-17-2018 at 06:22 PM.
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rpg51 (07-17-2018)
07-17-2018, 04:36 PM
#19
I initially started with their white polishing pad, which provides some cut. I used meguires Ultimate Polish. I found that wasn’t giving me the cut I needed to remove the swirls. I then went to their more aggressive orange pad and meguires ultimate compound. I then followed up with the white pad and ultimate compound.
After that I used a glaze then a sealant. The glaze is optional and I didn’t use one this year as I was willing to sacrifice the glow for longevity from my sealant.
This year, I only needed the white pad with ultimate polish. Then I applied two layers of sealant, and I will put a coat of carnauba on this weekend, prior to a meet.
After that I used a glaze then a sealant. The glaze is optional and I didn’t use one this year as I was willing to sacrifice the glow for longevity from my sealant.
This year, I only needed the white pad with ultimate polish. Then I applied two layers of sealant, and I will put a coat of carnauba on this weekend, prior to a meet.
07-17-2018, 06:03 PM
#20