Polishing Advice

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by ghazzi1397

whats the proper way of cleaning the pad?

I clean mine a little differently than most folks, and they get really clean. Check out this thread.

It you can't do it the way I do, I suggest using some APC on the pad and using a soft sponge to scrub the pad clean. You need to be careful not to scrub too hard and damage your pads. It doesn't take a lot of agitation if you haven't clogged the pad up with too much product.

[ghazzi1397]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

I clean mine a little differently than most folks, and they get really clean. Check out this thread.

It you can't do it the way I do, I suggest using some APC on the pad and using a soft sponge to scrub the pad clean. You need to be careful not to scrub too hard and damage your pads. It doesn't take a lot of agitation if you haven't clogged the pad up with too much product.

Thank you

[Parkmad]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

If you are in the garage, you shouldn't experience any dusting unless you are using a dirty pad, a pad that has not been fully cleaned or you are using too much product. You are doing the right thing by taping everything up but make sure that when you clean your pads, you do a very thorough job. To see if you did a good job cleaning your pad, spur the pad while it is spinning with a very blunt object (like the handle if a screwdriver). If a bunch of dust starts falling, then you didn't do a good job cleaning the pad.

From those options, I guess it's too much product. The pads were brand new. I will try less during the next session and see what happens.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by Parkmad

From those options, I guess it's too much product. The pads were brand new. I will try less during the next session and see what happens.

Have you watched my videos and seen how little product I use?

[SILVER BULLITT]

very helpful you are junkman . ive read and seen alot of your vides and you are a smart cat !!!!!!!! very knowledgable

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by SILVER BULLITT

very helpful you are junkman . ive read and seen alot of your vides and you are a smart cat !!!!!!!! very knowledgable

Thanks man, just don't ask me anything hard! You'll change your mind real quick!

[h2oplay]

junkman,

I've seen you use your 2001 vette in your videos, how many times have you used swirl remover/polish on it, and is it still the factory clear coat?

I'm trying to judge how many times it can be done to a GM car without making the CC too thin.

I'm guessing you've done it many times over it's lifetime.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by h2oplay

junkman,

I've seen you use your 2001 vette in your videos, how many times have you used swirl remover/polish on it, and is it still the factory clear coat?

I'm trying to judge how many times it can be done to a GM car without making the CC too thin.

I'm guessing you've done it many times over it's lifetime.

Absolutely not!

The full paint correction process is NOT something that you do over and over again! What you should do is use SHR to remove all the damage from your clear coat. After that, you NEVER do the things that created all that damage in the first place (i.e. incorrect washing and improper dust removal). Once you get your paint completely corrected, the only thing that you should ever have to do is touch up the very minor hairline scratches that you may pick up from time to time. These scratches can easily be remedied with the use of FMP, which is an extremely light cutting polish.

The complete paint correction process should be a one time event in the life of your car. This is why the washing process is so critical to the appearance of my car. There is a reason that I do everything that I do. There are no shortcuts. Not from the soap I use, the microfiber towels I use to the foam gun and the 2 buckets. Everything that I do avoids me having to ever get as aggressive as SHR or any similar product with my paint again.

Think of it this way. Say you wake up one day and realize that you are really overweight. You subscribe to a service like Jenny Craig and spend thousands of dollars to learn how to exercise, eat right and loose all the weight necessary to improve your health. After you finally arrive at your ideal weight, you don't just throw everything you learned out the window, quit exercising and start woofing pizzas down everyday. That would be counter-productive to everything that you have just accomplished. At the same time, woofing down pizzas during the weight loss process will kill any positive results that you could achieve. Using a incorrect process while washing your car is "woofing down pizzas". Using low grade microfiber towels, washing without a foam gun, grinding dirt into the finish while removing dust and removing dirt without washing the car properly are all "woofing down pizzas". You cannot experience the look of paint like I have on my car by woofing down pizzas. Perfect paint is a commitment and you won't realize or experience it until you fully commit to perfect maintenance.

Thanks for asking this question as it is a very important one that a lot of people don't think about. You only have so much clear coat on the car and you want as much of it as possible to remain on the car. You are NOT going to remove it very fast with the PC and SHR (thus the reason some folks experience having to do a lot of passes to remove some really bad damage), and is also why that combination is so safe for the novice to machine polishing. Never the less, getting as aggressive with your paint as SHR should be a one time event in the life of your paint. You may have an accident that requires you to go back to SHR but ideally, SHR should be a one and done event once your paint is perfect.

Great question! I like the way you're thinking because it shows that you are thinking. It also shows that you understand what is happening during paint correction. Keep those gears turning!

[BrianGriffin78]

I would not rewash the entire car if you are doing a section at a time. I would just detail spray the section and clean off all the dust and dirt and you are ready to polish. I mean that is crazy to wash your car everytime you do a new section. If more than a few days goes by then wash your car again. I am talking about if you are polishing within a couple of days from eachother.

I washed my car last night, did some sections, will go back later today after work clean off the sections that got a little dusty, and polish those sections. I am not going to wash my car again, lol.

Like Junkman said, it is hard to do the entire car in one shot, and I feel you would be spreading yourself thin if you tried.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by BrianGriffin78

I would not rewash the entire car if you are doing a section at a time.

It depends on whether or not the car was dusty, or dirty.

[BrianGriffin78]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

Absolutely not!

The full paint correction process is NOT something that you do over and over again! What you should do is use SHR to remove all the damage from your clear coat. After that, you NEVER do the things that created all that damage in the first place (i.e. incorrect washing and improper dust removal). Once you get your paint completely corrected, the only thing that you should ever have to do is touch up the very minor hairline scratches that you may pick up from time to time. These scratches can easily be remedied with the use of FMP, which is an extremely light cutting polish.

My hood is almost perfect after using the SHR, except maybe a fine line here and there. You suggest to just use the FMP and using that over and over is ok? Dylan said that using SHR over and over will take hundreds of polishing jobs before even having to worry the slightest about the clear cloat.

[BrianGriffin78]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

It depends on whether or not the car was dusty, or dirty.

I won't take any chances and will spray down that section before using the PC. Last thing you want is to be polishing a dusty/dirty car, lol.

I also spray detail spray on that section before polishing, it seems to have a better effect for me.

[h2oplay]

[QUOTE=Junkman2008;2308191]Absolutely not!

The full paint correction process is NOT something that you do over and over again! What you should do is use SHR to remove all the damage from your clear coat. After that, you NEVER do the things that created all that damage in the first place (i.e. incorrect washing and improper dust removal). Once you get your paint completely corrected, the only thing that you should ever have to do is touch up the very minor hairline scratches that you may pick up from time to time. These scratches can easily be remedied with the use of FMP, which is an extremely light cutting polish.

Thanks Junkman,

I'm sure I'll come up with a few more thought's that need to be set straight....

I switched all my methods of washing, towel types/use months ago after watching the videos. It was an awakening for sure. I've also made sure I store those in a place where cross contamination will not take place, so I'm walking the talk for now. I'm going for the PC and paint correction process as soon as winter hits and she's tucked in her warm cave.


I'll have to do some test spots, FMP may be the only thing I really need to clean it up with when I get my PC.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by BrianGriffin78

My hood is almost perfect after using the SHR, except maybe a fine line here and there. You suggest to just use the FMP and using that over and over is ok? Dylan said that using SHR over and over will take hundreds of polishing jobs before even having to worry the slightest about the clear cloat.

And I agree in general, but understand the key words to what I'm saying. Once you get your paint PERFECT, you should never have to go back to SHR. If you are doing everything right when it comes to touching your paint, there will not be a reason to do so. It is the whole thinking behind preventive maintenance. You do the things necessary to keep you from having to do more work than necessary. If you are constantly going back to SHR, then there is a problem with the way you are touching the paint.

Like using detail spray to remove dirt...