CAR POLISH

[Gretschem]

Menzerna is great stuff...try juice polishes as well

www.juicepolishes.com.au

[Raven]

Rocket

I purchased the concourse 900 polisher kit from "waxit" that came with the four Menzerna polish compounds and the Lake country buffing pads. I spray painted my car at home with black acrylic paint and let it cure for a while before I wet sanded it, followed with the buffing.  I used the random orbital polisher on the acrylic paint as it is not as aggressive as a traditional sander polisher. The finished paint on the car was like glass. Once the car is complete I will use the final stage sealant/wax on it followed with mothers carnauba wax. I have fluorescent lights in my garage which show everything on the paintwork. The gloss and sheen was so Good that if I rub my finger on the paint it would show as a scuff mark that needed a light buff to bring it back up again. I hope the wax/sealant will protect the paint from this happening, other wise it would drive me nuts.

[StephenSLR]

Does the polish/wax you choose also depend on what paint you have, how old it is, etc.?

s

[rocket]

Rocket

I purchased the concourse 900 polisher kit from "waxit" that came with the four Menzerna polish compounds and the Lake country buffing pads. I spray painted my car at home with black acrylic paint and let it cure for a while before I wet sanded it, followed with the buffing.  I used the random orbital polisher on the acrylic paint as it is not as aggressive as a traditional sander polisher. The finished paint on the car was like glass. Once the car is complete I will use the final stage sealant/wax on it followed with mothers carnauba wax. I have fluorescent lights in my garage which show everything on the paintwork. The gloss and sheen was so Good that if I rub my finger on the paint it would show as a scuff mark that needed a light buff to bring it back up again. I hope the wax/sealant will protect the paint from this happening, other wise it would drive me nuts.

Hi raven, i had a look at concourse 900 polisher kit on the waxit site. Looks like good value buying. Guess you must be happy with the performance of the buffing machine, especially to have a glass like finish.

Used to paint a lot of cars myself and always used acrylic lacquer because i knew that after scuffing and buffing it would leave a great shine. Must say now that the new 2 pak paints are excellent to use and leave a beautiful shine - but unless i was painting in a spray booth i would still use the acrylic.

I think if scuff marks are showing easily on the black paint then a sealant would be the best option. After a couple of coats of sealant have cured, then you could top it off with a wax.

Look forward to seeing your car. Looks fantastic in your avatar pic.

Rocket.

[rocket]

Does the polish/wax you choose also depend on what paint you have, how old it is, etc.?

s

Hi Stephen, Yes - The polish/pad combination depends totally on the condition of your paintwork. If the paint is very heavily oxidised/faded it can be better to wet sand before polishing.

Assuming the paint is reasonably good, you would wash,clay,polish.

Then you test a few different polish/pad combinations and use the combination that will give the best result in the quickest time.

There are quite a few choices. Check out the following Links. firstly Menzerna Polishes -

http://www.detailedimage.com/menzerna_chart.php/

Then the Pad chart - Pads come in different densities from quite thick/rough to very fine.
http://www.auto-geek.net/charts/buffing-pad-chart-lc.htm

Takes a bit of experience to work out which are the best combinations.

Generally speaking if i give a car a 3stage Menzerna polish it will be -\
1) P203S on an orange or white pad.
2) PO 106FF on a white or green pad
3) PO85RD on a black fine polishing pad

Beats the old days when i would use Repo Extra Cut to hand polish a car with old paint. That was bloody hard yacka!

[StephenSLR]

Beats the old days when i would use Repo Extra Cut to hand polish a car with old paint. That was bloody hard yacka!

What, no Turtle Wax?

s

[Brumby1]

Hey Rod
Does that mean I now have to buy a polisher  and stuff to keep the Luke shine 

Jack

[66 Hertz]

Hey Rod
Does that mean I now have to buy a polisher  and stuff to keep the Luke shine 

Jack

reading my mind Jack!.... 

[rocket]

 welll....... you could always borrow mine and DIY  

Stephen, Turtle wax is actually quite a good product nowadays i am told.

Today i took the Grande to work and gave the rear quarter panel a 3 stage Menzerna polish followed by jetseal 109. Took plenty of photos which i will post tonight.

Rocket.

[Brumby1]

Should be able to manage it after you have shown me how a couple of times 
Looking forward to the pics
Grande was looking good when I saw it

Jack

[rocket]

Was going to do a full "Autopian" Polish on the Grande next week, but after discussions with Jeremy, we decided the Blue Mach1 will receive the treatment next week as part of preparations for the Perth Nationals. We do not want any last minute rush to prepare the 2 Mach 1`s like last year.

In the meantime, i took the Grande to work today so that i could do a 3 stage Menzerna polish on part of the car to show interested people what is involved. Washed the car before i left home so that i could go straight to the Clay stage.

Firstly, here is my pad selection. Different coloured pads are used depending on how agressively you need to polish -

These are the 3 Menzerna polishes to be used -

The polishes are a year or so old. The codes have now changed.I have ordered a new batch to do the Mach1 next week.

Items required to do the claying are the clay, clay lube, quick detailer to clean up afterwards and clean Microfibre cloths -

I broke off a bit of clay, kneaded it, then formed a disc about the size of a 50c piece. Claying is easy, just spray a bit of clay lube on the panel, then rub the clay gently across the surface. You can hear and feel a slight scratching noise as the clay pulls dirt out of the paint. Only took a couple of minutes to clay the whole quarter panel. Next step was to spray quick detailer on the panel, then wipe it off with the microfibre cloth -

Time to start polishing. For the first stage i used menzerna P203S ( New Code name PF2500) which has a cut of 3.0 out of 5, and a gloss of 4.0 out of five. Chose a white pad for this stage because the paint was already in very good condition with absolutely minimum swirls.
Just put 4 pea sized dobs of polish on the pad, squirt the pad with just one small application of quick detailer to lube the pad, dab the pad on the panel then spread the polish evenly with the buffing machine on slowest speed no.1 It is important to do a small section about 400mm square each time -



Only takes a few seconds to spread the polish evenly, then you crank up the machine to highest speed no.6 and work that polish. I go over each area about 6 times very slowly which takes about 4 minutes. Once the polish is completely broken down it will go clear and there will be next to no residue.
I then spray quick detailer and wipe the area with a microfibre cloth to completey remove any left over polish -

Stage 1 now complete. Looking better -

Will continue next post shortly.

 

[rocket]

Should be able to manage it after you have shown me how a couple of times 
Looking forward to the pics
Grande was looking good when I saw it

Jack

Happy to show you - heck i can even do it for you.
When you saw the Grande this morning, that was before i put it in the workshop to start polishing. It does not really need polishing, i just feel it had lost a tad of gloss over the last couple of years.

Rocket.

[rocket]

Continued

You may have noticed the masking tape on the quarter panel. The idea of this is to tape up body seams, lights, chrome etc so that polish does not get stuck in there. It is far easier to tape these areas up first instead of the hassle of trying to clean the polish out afterwards. Most important not to leave the tape there for a long time. Tape up, polish then remove the tape before the tape dries out and becomes difficult to remove.

Polishing stage 2. For this stage i used Menzerna PO 106FA ( New Code name SF4000) cut of 2.5 out of five and gloss of 5.0 out of five.
Chose a green finishing pad for this stage as gloss was required - not cutting. Same again - 4 pea sized dobs, bit of quick detailer to lube the pad, dab the pad on the paint, spread on low speed then 4 minutes working the polish. Only difference this time was i then turned the speed back to medium no.3 and went over the area for another minute or so to begin burnishing/ jewelling the paint. Then sprayed quick detailer and wiped panel clean -

Then onto stage 3 . For this i used a finessing polish  PO85RD ( new Code name SF4500 ) with a cut of 1.0 out of five and a gloss of 5.0 out of five.
Pad choice was a black finishing pad. Process this time after applying and spreading polish was 4 minutes on speed 6 followed by 2 minutes on speed no.3 burnishing/jewelling. Now we have that gorgeous Menzerna shine -

Now it was time for the LSP - last step of the process to protect that paint. Went for ChemGuys jetseal 109 applied with the buffing machine on a blue pad. No need to work it right into the paint. just dabbed it on and spread using speed no.2. Only took a minute.
Then i sat down and watched it dry for an hour before buffing it off with a microfibre cloth.
Took the car outside to see how it looks. More than happy with the result -

This photo should give you an idea of the difference a good polish makes. Only the rear quarter panel has been polished so far.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Rocket.

[mwizz]

That's a great tutorial Rod, thankyou

[Raven]

Great demo. Well done

[66 Hertz]

Rod. Your the man! That was great.
It's posts like that I love.   

[rocket]

Thanks guys, Just wish i had better photography skills. I use automatic mode - aim and shoot.

Will post up more pics as i do the blue mach1 next week.

So that shows the process of machine polishing, but very few people have the equipment or will to go to those lengths. What about hand polishing?
Came across the following thread in the members cars section -
 http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/index.php/topic,18622.0.html

The thread has a couple of pics showing hand polishing of MJ`s 67 Convertible. He and his wife have done an excellent job of hand polishing. Here is one of the photos -

In one of the photos they appeared to be using the Meguiars Deep Crystal range. Went out to the garage and found a couple of polishes that i have used by hand successfully in the past -

Here is a Link to some suitable polishes in the Meguiars current range -

http://www.meguiars.com.au/products/car-care/paint-care/polish-protect/

I think the 2 step products in the above range would be the best for somebody who wants to hand polish and then wax their paint.

Anybody else out there use products they consider good for hand polishing?

Rocket

[Ash]

Good stuff, Rocket. This is what forums are all about. Appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge and experience. 

[Brumby1]

Thanks for the tutorial Rod
I always used Meguiars on my cars with lots of hours but never matched the shine you have on yours or the red mac
Perhaps a convert         time will tell.
Not too much wrong with your pics mate.  Will cost more for lights, reflectors, back drops and a lot of patience waiting for the right light conditions in outdoor shots. And thats just for starters.
Hmmmmm I probly will want to keep the shine I get it back with

Jack

[jusTANG]

great info,

so can you share where you ordered your polish from and the pads for your polisher.

You may have said and if you have said I apologise share again 

[rocket]

No worries.

Justang, I  ordered the Menzerna Polishes online from Waxit -
http://www.waxit.com.au/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&manufacturer_id=18&Itemid=1
The three i ordered are PF 2500, SF 4000, UF 5000.
No idea which ones you are after, the three above allow for a 3 stage polish. If i was just doing a one stage it would be SF 4000.
I buy in one litre bottles because i use a fair bit of each polish, but if you check out the above link - it is also possible to buy in 250ml bottles
and you can get a mixed pack of 3 or 4 polishes.

I buy Lake Country CCS pads in lots of 6 from Autogeek - see link -
http://www.autogeek.net/lake-country-ccs-6pack.html
If you buy them in bulk from Autogeek, i would suggest you request they ship via US Postal Service to keep the price down.

Or you could buy pads locally from the waxit site, or chemGuys.com.au
ChemGuys link -  http://www.chemguys.com.au/Paint_Polishing_CCS_Pads_For_Rotary_And_DA_Polishers_s/43.htm

Most oftened used pads in my Lake Country pad kit are Orange - Heavy Polishing, White - Medium Polishing,  Black - Finishing Polish

Rocket.

[jusTANG]

Thanks Rocket, I will be placing an order for sure have a few cars to clean polish up. Might talk to some locals and maybe hook up a group buy to reduce shipping .

My cars all have pretty good paint. I have kept them polished and waxed. My mustang paint is very thin however I keep it really waxed to protect whats left.
the shopping cart is a AU1 Tickford thats paint is in good nick for the age and been looked after. EF XR8 Wagon  has good shine. All cars have been kept clay bared. some others I maintain are newer cars or brand new.  I have used three stage polishing, cleaner, polish then wax for years so you would suggest the lines you got? Used smart wax, Meguiar's before that and mothers freebies
I will be cleaning up a couple of cars that have been neglected a bit. What would you suggest with them, they will be clay bared and then will need a good cut.

here was some photo's of when I got the coupe
http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/index.php/topic,7954.msg71765.html#msg71765
I remember them days like they were yesterday.

[Nobby76]

Great little Australian forum, http://forums.finalinspection.com.au/ (have to register to see topics)

Got heaps of advice here and learned most of my tricks here. 

Main detailer on this forum (http://www.finalinspection.com.au/) used to stock all Menzerna and other high end brands, has taken to making his own products now though.  Haven't used them but he is a very good detailer!!

He recommends Makita machines at the moment, I still have a Flex i bought back from the USA, and love my Menzerna!!! I'm lazy and use Optimum Wax though

[rocket]

Great little Australian forum, http://forums.finalinspection.com.au/ (have to register to see topics)

Got heaps of advice here and learned most of my tricks here. 

Main detailer on this forum (http://www.finalinspection.com.au/) used to stock all Menzerna and other high end brands, has taken to making his own products now though.  Haven't used them but he is a very good detailer!!

He recommends Makita machines at the moment, I still have a Flex i bought back from the USA, and love my Menzerna!!! I'm lazy and use Optimum Wax though

Hi Nobby76, I am familiar with the final inspection forum and acknowledge the fantastic work that Damian does polishing cars. Personally i no longer check out that forum as i do not like the fact it is necessary to register and log in to read the forum.

Glad you brought up the subject of different types of buffing machines. The Makita 9227CB is an excellent rotary polisher in the hands of a professional. I bought one myself a few years back and immediately fitted a 6" backing pad to suit the 6.5" Lake Country pads that i use. Never used it much because having become used to the Flex forced rotation RO 3401 VRG, i just found the Makita too heavy and had trouble controlling it on the paint surface. Professionals who use the rotary polishes everyday become very skilled in their use and they do the job very quickly, but they are dangerous tools in the hands of us weekend warrior types. Rotary polishes create a lot of heat and can burn through paint very easily in inexperienced hands.

Found this explanation of different types of buffing machines - ironically from final inspection. Very well written article. Check it out -
http://www.tigersoft.com.au/Detailing101Polish.html

I bought the festool shinex rotary after using the makita because it is lighter and easier to handle. Unfortunately our panel beater quickly cottoned onto the fact it is easy to use and he started using it to sand body filler which made his job easier, but ruined the machine for polishing duties, so i just let him carry on and went back to using the very easy to handle flex machine.

Point of all this - For those new to machine polishing cars i would recommend a random orbital machine because they are easy to handle and it is very difficult to burn through paint.
Another couple of points for those new to this - never keep the machine still in one place. It must always be moving - slowly across the surface. The tendency for newbies is too move it way too fast. It is not a race, just move at approximately 100mm every 10 seconds or so. Also never ever buff across an edge or you will go through the paint. Always buff across to an edge but not over it.

Rocket.

[rocket]

Thanks Rocket, I will be placing an order for sure have a few cars to clean polish up. Might talk to some locals and maybe hook up a group buy to reduce shipping .

My cars all have pretty good paint. I have kept them polished and waxed. My mustang paint is very thin however I keep it really waxed to protect whats left.
the shopping cart is a AU1 Tickford thats paint is in good nick for the age and been looked after. EF XR8 Wagon  has good shine. All cars have been kept clay bared. some others I maintain are newer cars or brand new.  I have used three stage polishing, cleaner, polish then wax for years so you would suggest the lines you got? Used smart wax, Meguiar's before that and mothers freebies
I will be cleaning up a couple of cars that have been neglected a bit. What would you suggest with them, they will be clay bared and then will need a good cut.

here was some photo's of when I got the coupe
http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/index.php/topic,7954.msg71765.html#msg71765
I remember them days like they were yesterday.

Justang, Enjoyed reading about your car and also checked out the photos. You have that car looking excellent.

I answered Nobby`s post first to explain a bit about buffing machines. Do you currently have a polishing machine? If so, Rotary or RO?

As far as polishes are concerned i would suggest the same three that i just bought - PF2500, SF 4000, SF 4500, all in one litre bottles. Each bottle will polish about 6 cars, but use sparingly. Less is more. Never use any more than 4 pea sized dobs on your pad to polish a 400 x 400mm area. 

I would suggest the Lake Country Pads using an orange pad with the PF 2500 for the first stage, White pad with SF 4000 on the second stage and black pad with SF 4500 for the third stage. But experiment on each car before you start. Try different pad/polish combinations with the objective of using the combination which does the job requird in the quickest time.

Remember to only polish cool paintwork, preferably in a garage. Never polish ( or wash a car ) in direct sun. Always keep the polisher moving slowly and never buff across an edge. Expect to take 12-15 hours per car when using a RO polisher and 3 stages.

Oh.. I am not sure that any polisher will completely shine up your bonnet. But give it a go. If it does not shine up consider having the bonnet resprayed at some stage.

Hope this helps.

Rocket.