Help with learning how to machine polish for the first time

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Help with learning how to machine polish for the first time



Came into work this Monday morning, checked my Private Messages and found the below....

I have a 2015 red Nissan 370, has 3000. miles, I drive it to work occasionally, I live in the South, its hot and extreme 90-100 degree temps.

I want to get started off correctly in taking care of it. It has a couple fairly light scratches and water marks but nothing major. I have clay barred the hood and it didn't remove the water marks.

I am scared to polish because I don't want to mess up clear coat or paint.

I wanted to order a Griots Garage orbital polisher since I am a novice. I considered the Meguairs Ultimate polish and the Wolfgang sealant 3.0. Will these products help me or do I need to order something else.

Thanks for any advice you can give me, I have been reading and watching videos for weeks now to where my head is spinning!!!

Where I live there are no professionals I trust to use the correct products and do it like I would want it done.

Shannon From Cherryville NC

PS my first time on this forum

Thank you for trust, I appreciate it when people read articles I've written or watch videos we've created here at Autogeek and then contact me for help with their detailing projects.


As a practice for the last 14 years I try to invest my typing time in the public forum where thousands of eyeballs can read the discussion for potentially forever versus type out answers only one set of eyeballs will ever see in a Private Message or in an e-mail. Even have an article on that....


Please post your questions to our discussion forum - Don't send them to me in a PM or E-mail...



Hang tight and I'll do my best to provide some help with your detailing project.


:dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I have a 2015 red Nissan 370, has 3000. miles, I drive it to work occasionally, I live in the South, its hot and extreme 90-100 degree temps.

I want to get started off correctly in taking care of it. It has a couple fairly light scratches and water marks but nothing major.

I have clay barred the hood and it didn't remove the water marks.

First detailing clay is for removing contaminants that are ON the surface not for defects that are IN the paint so chances are good what you're looking at are imprint rings which are shallow etchings IN the paint that form in an irregular circular pattern mimicking the shape of water drops that formed and then dried. Something CORROSIVE in the water was strong enough to eat or etch into the paint and the only way to make these imprint rings disappear is to abrade the surface with a polish or compound and thus remove enough clearcoat paint to LEVEL the paint surface.

Click the links below and look at the pictures and see if what you're seeing on your car's paint resembles the pictures of the imprint rings in the articles.


Imprint Rings - A specific type of water spot on car paint by Mike Phillips


2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with Water Spot Imprint Rings

I am scared to polish because I don't want to mess up clear coat or paint.

I completely understand how you feel. I wish I have $5.00 for every time someone posted this and then I shared the below link. Click on the link and look at the people in the pictures and take my word for it... if these people can do it you can do it too...

Machine polishing paint - It's not that hard and with modern dual action polishers it's real safe!

I wanted to order a Griots Garage orbital polisher since I am a novice. I considered the Meguairs Ultimate polish and the Wolfgang sealant 3.0. Will these products help me or do I need to order something else.

Those two products are good but the Ultimate Polish is a FINE cut polish and my guess is you'll need something just a tick stronger.



Click this link and read a story about how someone BRAND NEW to machine polishing removed the holograms swirls out of the paint on their 350Z, kind of like the exact same thing you want to do as holograms swirls and water spot imprint rings are both BELOW SURFACE paint defects and are removed the exact same way.

How To Remove Horrible Rotary Buffer Swirl Marks out of a 350Z using the Wolfgang Twins

Thanks for any advice you can give me, I have been reading and watching videos for weeks now to where my head is spinning!!!

That's a common result of spending time on AGO - It's actually a good thing in that we have lots of great forum members and lots of great information.

Where I live there are no professionals I trust to use the correct products and do it like I would want it done.

There's probably people in your area that actually do know what they're doing, my guess is we have forum members in your area that are up to speed with both head knowledge and skills and experience, it's just a matter of finding them. I do things like this,

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...a-single-stage-paint-1953-jaguar-project.html

Shannon From Cherryville NC

PS my first time on this forum

Thanks for joining the AGO forum and I'm confident we will see you through to success with our car detailing project!


:dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Here's a tool, pad and product combo that guarantees success for anyone their first time machine polishing.

Griot's Garage 6" Dual Action Polisher
Griot's Garage 5" Backing Plate
Griot's Garage 5.5" BOSS FOAM Buffing Pads
Wolfgang Uber Compound
Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover
Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0

To properly buff out your own car you need more than three pads. I wrote an article that explains and shares how many pads it takes to do the job right. I normally share this with people to give them an idea of how many pads to buy and then tell them to let their budget be their guide.

How many pads do I need to buff out my car?


For your car, my guess is the water spots are mostly on the horizontal surface and to remove them you're going to need,

Wolfgang Uber Compound with the Orange Griot's foam cutting pads
Still a very safe combination as the Uber Compound uses great abrasive technology and foam is also very safe to buff with. Get three pads, one for the roof, one for the hood and one for the trunk lid.


Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover with the Yellow Griot's foam polishing pads
The Total Swirl Remover is a MEDIUM cut polish and you would use this AFTER you compound the horizontal panels and then just use this and yellow pads on the sides of the car. Get 4-6 pads for the entire car, horizontal panels and side panels.


Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 - use this with ONE black Griot's foam finishing pad to machine apply the sealant.


Call customer care at 1-800-869-3011 and cite this thread. They can help you get everything you need plus answer any further questions you have as they are all great detailers themselves.

 

[SLW370REDZ]

I apologize, I am new to this forum, still trying to figure it all out. Thanks!

 

[SLW370REDZ]

If I get the water marks removed, will they come back after I use sealant?

 

[tenblade2001]

great thread for new folks

 

[PaulMys]

I apologize, I am new to this forum, still trying to figure it all out. Thanks!

Never a need to apologize for any question asked on this forum. We all have been where you were at one time.

Well, Maybe not Mike. I think he was born with a polisher in one hand and a bottle of polish in the other.

 

[AZ Mike]

This forum is a great place to ask questions. We are all willing to help and as said before, we have all been where you are.

 

[shadwell]

Using a quality sealant correctly will help prevent water marks but its no guarantee against them..

Best way to prevent is;

Not leave long periods between washes where by contaminated rain water may dry and bake onto the paint and be left to etch.. ie clean regularly.. whether this means waterless wash, rinseless wash or traditional wash is up tp you and the best solution for the level of dirt and any water restrictions you may be under..

Not leave water on the car following cleaning.. ie dry the car often using a detailing spray as a drying aid many of these will help maintain the sealant protection too "topping up" if you like.. washing when its shady or not ful sun makes this al lot more straight forward..

As you suggested using a quality sealand wax or coating or your choice to protect the paint..

Storing the car under cover... keeps an awful lot of dirt and damaging sun off the car extending your wash periods and preventing a lot of the issues to start with...

All the best.. in 12 months time you'll have figured out what you need and probably go loooking for things to fix up...