Can I ruin my paint with a DA Polisher?

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CleanCarGuy

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Will be doing a full detail on a White 2013 Traverse, and will be picking up a DA Polisher (prob a Porter Cable or Griots). Will wash, clay, polish (using M205 or Ultimate Polish) then protect with Collinite.

I have NEVER used a DA Polisher. Always have detailed by hand. My question is, can I ruin my brand new truck's paint with a DA. For example, If i use M205 or Megs UP (to polish) with the DA and do NUMEROUS passes on the paint, can or will it actually eat at the paint. If I run the DA polisher with 100 passes on the same area, the same as, say, 10 passes? Just want to make sure I dont harm the paint. Is there some sort of "limit" to how many "passes" you can do on a specific area? Im alittle OCD, so knowing me, I'll have a tendency to keep the DA polisher on forever, LOL.

Im very anxious to use the DA polisher, just alittle worried that I cant ruin the paint.

Keep in mind that the car is pretty new, so paint is not old nor does it have alot of defects.
 
If you really try you could ruin it, but odds are you wont.

Why not offer to polish a friend or neighbors beater to get some practice?
 
CleanCarGuy said:
Will be doing a full detail on a White 2013 Traverse, and will be picking up a DA Polisher (prob a Porter Cable or Griots). Will wash, clay, polish (using M205 or Ultimate Polish) then protect with Collinite.

I have NEVER used a DA Polisher. Always have detailed by hand. My question is, can I ruin my brand new truck's paint with a DA. For example, If i use M205 or Megs UP (to polish) with the DA and do NUMEROUS passes on the paint, can or will it actually eat at the paint. If I run the DA polisher with 100 passes on the same area, the same as, say, 10 passes? Just want to make sure I dont harm the paint. Is there some sort of "limit" to how many "passes" you can do on a specific area? Im alittle OCD, so knowing me, I'll have a tendency to keep the DA polisher on forever, LOL.

Im very anxious to use the DA polisher, just alittle worried that I cant ruin the paint.

Keep in mind that the car is pretty new, so paint is not old nor does it have alot of defects.
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What a da does is take off paints clear, you are taking off very little to remove the swirls and other damage. You need about 8 section passes or until you can barely see the correction fluid . then wipe off and check your results
 
I had the same fears when I started as well. Look up on here, or on YouTube, Mike's definition of a "section pass". Stick to that, inspect your results, and if you're not satisfied, do another section pass. Based on what pads you have to compliment the Meg's 205 (or 105), you'll not want to go over one to two section passes per section. Some scratches just won't come out because of their depth in the paint, but the micro marring and swirls should be able to come out just fine (you'll be surprised what you can do with the DA). Your car is pretty new so I wouldn't worry about grinding down the clear if you stick to the section passes as prescribed by Mike. If you were to polish your car numerous times over its life then yeah, you'll be worried diminishing your clear coat.
 
CleanCarGuy said:
White 2013 Traverse,

with the DA and do NUMEROUS passes on the paint, can or will it actually eat at the paint.
If I run the DA polisher with 100 passes on the same area, the same as, say, 10 passes?

Is there some sort of "limit" to how many "passes" you can do on a specific area?

Im alittle OCD, so knowing me, I'll have a tendency to keep the DA polisher on forever, LOL.

Keep in mind that the car is pretty new, so paint is not old nor does it have alot of defects.
Click to expand...
With the vehicle being pretty new; and you saying it doesn't have a lot of defects...
You really shouldn't have to run the DA on/over the same area for 100 passes.

Yes that would probably remove...unnecessarily IMHO...a lot of paint:
(Clear-coat paint, if your Traverse's White is a BC/CC paint system).

There's always a limit to how many passes a paint-system's top coat paint film can handle before its
thickness/integrity has been compromised. An EPTG can be a handy measurement tool for determining this amount.

And if you would be OCD just enough to "have a tendency to keep the DA polisher on forever, LOL":
You may find that it's not a laughing matter. So don't do it!!

Bob
 
Video from Junk Man

Good Information regarding your question

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XAqpOe9Zt4]How Safe is the PC-7424XP? - Part 1 - YouTube[/video]

[video=youtube_share;y7A5BCCb7Gg"]How Safe is the PC-7424XP? - Part 2 - YouTube[/video]
 
Yes you can burn paint with a DA. I know it to be true - because I've done it. However, it's highly unlikely if your using correct methods and products. I've likely done over a 100 passes (combined) on certain panels on my cars with fine polishes and they are fine.

It's really nothing to be concerned about on a new car if your using the correct products and techniques.
 
Ok, so Im not going to run 100 passes over new paint, but will prob do 6-10 passes over the same area. Plan on using a mild polisher, like Megs Ultimate Polish, then top it off with Coll 845. Whats the point of polishing a new car when there arent that many defects (swirls/scratches), if its going to remove the clear coat. My only reasoning to polish (with a DA) is to actually make the car "SHINIER". Im really not looking to correct, just want the paint to be gleam.
 
CleanCarGuy said:
Ok, so Im not going to run 100 passes over new paint, but will prob do 6-10 passes over the same area. Plan on using a mild polisher, like Megs Ultimate Polish, then top it off with Coll 845. Whats the point of polishing a new car when there arent that many defects (swirls/scratches), if its going to remove the clear coat. My only reasoning to polish (with a DA) is to actually make the car "SHINIER". Im really not looking to correct, just want the paint to be gleam.
Click to expand...
If you perform a "test spot"...
You'll have a better idea of how many passes that's actually needed, IMHO.

I took the "100 passes" statement as to be a true possibility.
One never knows how another person operates.

Also:
Hope you don't wind-up having some "gleaming" paint blemishes!

��

Bob
 
CleanCarGuy said:
Ok, so Im not going to run 100 passes over new paint, but will prob do 6-10 passes over the same area. Plan on using a mild polisher, like Megs Ultimate Polish, then top it off with Coll 845. Whats the point of polishing a new car when there arent that many defects (swirls/scratches), if its going to remove the clear coat. My only reasoning to polish (with a DA) is to actually make the car "SHINIER". Im really not looking to correct, just want the paint to be gleam.
Click to expand...

I would use an Ultra Fine Polish like Optimum Finish or Menz SF 4500 for what your trying to achieve. M205 may not be your least aggressive option, based on what your looking to do and what you are starting with. You may even want to try Prima Amigo.
 
Well skip the 105/205. If the car is new and clean. just wash with a mild car wash cleaner, go easy, then use the DA with the 845. Maybe 4-5 passes with that. Wipe clean. Then enjoy. Go easy the first go around.
 
Perhaps if you turn the DA machine upside down and do a few passes you might damage the paint, but honestly with 205 or even the lighter ones like SF4500, you'd really have to want to damage the paint by leaving it on a spot until heat got the better of it.

Just the fear of damaging the paint is usually enough to keep you from damaging the paint with a DA. I actually had to go beyond the point of fear when I first corrected with one just to get any results.
 
Yes, it is possible. I'm another that has done it but only once and it was on one of our personal cars. It was a hood that had been repainted and on a raised ridge where the paint was thinner. Stupid on my part but lesson learned. From that day on I asked EVERY customer if they had any areas that had been repainted even if it was just a wash & vac.
 
Absolutely, you could beat your hood with your pc like a baseball bat. you could throw you pc at your door. you could forget to put a pad or backing plate and rip through the metal. your wife could try to buff (jk)

in reality you would have to purposely try to cause damage.
 
It's not difficult to ruin paint with a Rupes DA or Flex 3401, but you'd have to try pretty hard with the 7424XP.

I have no experience with the GG or HF DAs, sorry.

Some of those compounds on the market today can take off a ton of material in a short amount of time, so be careful should you ever use them.

Just be careful on the plastic areas and edges.
 
damage can be caused with just about any tool if used incorrectly, so just use common sense and you should be okay...
 
You could stick a sanding disc on the DA. That'll do it real quick.

Why do you need to polish? Did you let the dealership "detail" the car? If not, there really shouldn't be any defects, right? I just bought a new car and haven't polished it; there's just no need. The paint is near flawless as I instructed the dealer not to wash it.
 
Imo, everything has it's own risks and proper knowledge and hands on experience is the key to the fundamentals. And yes, I have burned paint before with a PC7424XP using a white pad with 3m compound on the curved edge outlining the rear license plate area. I was testing the limits of the machine and I cranked it up to speed 5 and compounded the 3 inch work area edge only, and worked it for no more than 30 secs, and it was starting to burn, but not burned all the way yet. You could definitely see the basecoat, but a small patch of clearcoat was missing that's the best way for me to describe it. Other than that, it's pretty hard to burn panels with the PC when using it properly and keeping it flat. Doing carbon fiber, fiberglass, plastic, and different composites, that's a whole another story with experience, which I still need more on as well.
 
Romans5.8 said:
You could stick a sanding disc on the DA. That'll do it real quick.

Why do you need to polish? Did you let the dealership "detail" the car? If not, there really shouldn't be any defects, right? I just bought a new car and haven't polished it; there's just no need. The paint is near flawless as I instructed the dealer not to wash it.
Click to expand...

No, car is really in great shape, my reasoning is that the DA polisher will give better
shine and reflections. Another reason for getting a DA, is I could use it as a sander to do jobs on the house. Like sanding interior pine doors, etc.

Anyhow, Just picked up the PC 7424xp at home depot for $94.00 with free shipping. Cheaper than amazon !

Just need a backing plate and some polishing pads. Any recommendations on that? I will prob pick up a bottle of Menzerna 4500 and use that prior to Collinite 845. Since the truck is new, Menz would be a better option than M205 or Megs UP.

Thank you all for your help. Cant wait to try this sucker out !! :buffing:
 
Try getting a brinkman xenon light or a high powered LED light from Home Depot. You may be surprised as to what defects you'll find.
 
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