Quote:
Originally Posted by Super Tanooki
... So here's what I want to do. I want to wash and dry the car the best I can. Then I want to polish (if possible) and wax the car as best I can by hand. Taking on all this advice, I'll get the grit guard buckets (I already had those on my list  ), I'll order those towels ( Are they for washing or just drying, or both?), and I'll throw away my shammy and towels. 
Surely not everyone on here who wants to take care of their paint goes the whole hog with all the machines, right? I mean, is it impossible to polish to any extent without a machine? Is the below statement really true?
So, no machine means no polishing - to ANY extent? Is that how it is?
If so then I guess I'll keep my swirls for now, and just clean, clay then wax the car and maintain it as it is right now until I'm ready to go to Junkman-levels of perfection. 
But I feel that statement is a little too black-and-white. Is there no grey area? If I CAN achieve some degree of polishing by hand - without damaging the clear coat - then that's all I want to achieve for now. Again, that's for now. |
Here's the deal with polishing. First off, polishing is what makes the paint shine (NOT WAX, for those who may confused about that). Using a polish to remove haze, swirls and scratches in and on your paint results in the shine you want from your paint. The bottom line is that
if you are using a polish product by hand, you are still polishing the paint. However,
and this is a big however, how effective you are going to be at polishing the paint by hand
totally depends on the condition of the paint that you are working on. Polishing paint by hand that is in the condition that you see on the Camaro that I posted earlier is a waste of time unless you are doing 20 to life and have nothing better to do.
So yes, you can polish paint by hand, but it is a waste of time unless the paint you are working on is damn near flawless to start with. That's the deal on polishing by hand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Super Tanooki
Can I use SwirlX by hand? Is the Adam's Swirl remover much better? If so, would it then be ill-advised to use the Megs Tech Wax after the Adams polish? Also, the Tech Wax came with a little buffer pad in the box. Is that garbage too?
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SwirlX is a polish. Yes you can use it by hand. It is not all that effective when used with a machine so you really diminish its effectiveness when you use it by hand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Super Tanooki
I'll get those towels you suggested - but which towels should I use for each stage: Wash, dry, polish, wax?
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The towels that I directed you too are only for removing polish and wax. NOTHING ELSE. They are NOT drying towels, and I don't use them with quick detailers because they just drink up the quick detailer and push it around.
Waffle weave towels are made for working with liquids, be that drying the car or using a quick detailer. They suck up water and you can use a small towel to dry a car once you use
the pooling rinse technique to substantially dry the car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Super Tanooki
And Claying - it seems pretty easy and non-invasive. After using a clay bar on a spot, I just wipe clear with detail spray and drying cloth, right?[/B]
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Yes, but you need to polish paint after claying because claying will leave the paint slightly dull looking, unless you clay like a pansy. When you
see me clay, you know that the paint is clean of all contamination, however, you will need to polish the paint to bring the ultimate shine back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Super Tanooki
That'll do me for now.
Again, please don't think you've wasted your time, or that I'm dismissing your expertise. I will come back to this thread, now bookmarked, and go for that perfect finish in a few months, and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to provide me with such extensive information. |
Hey, I appreciate the fact that you are true to yourself as far as what you want to do and what is realistic for you. In no way do I feel dissed or as if I wasted my time, as not only you will benefit from this thread. I am always more than willing to offer assistance and you can feel free to call on me at any time. I will be more than happy to offer any assistance.