POLL - What's the number one most important factor when it comes to polishing paint?

What's the number one most important factor when it comes to polishing paint?

  • Total voters
    336
I'm very new to detailing. From what I've experienced so far, I think good technique trumps all.
 
#11 clearcoat failure - page 39
#12 past the point of no return - page 39
 
You bothwin a prize!



Priyaka said:
Page 37 #11.
Click to expand...

You have the first edition of my how-to book and you're correct.



Mantilgh said:
#11 clearcoat failure - page 39
#12 past the point of no return - page 39
Click to expand...

You have the second edition of my how-to book and in the second edition I think I added one more catagory so that's why there's a change.


Thanks guys... I'm not behind my desk so it's harder to type and do searching.

I won't be back to the office till Wednesday and at that time I'll process your prizes. I'lll have to see what's on Nick's desk?

Send me a PM with your shipping address.


:dblthumb2:
 
Will say the same thing I said on facebook. Paint. Reason being if you know the hardness or softness of the paint that will help you choose what tool product technique and pad to use. Paint I the only thing you can not adjust
 
I would originally have said paint, however, Mike stated we have to assume the paint is in such a condition that it can be corrected. With that being said I say technique.

Without proper technique we have all seen the damage that can be inflicted on paint. On the converse, we have all seen the damage corrected with the proper technique.

I'm cheating, I say a combination of all 5!
 
Technique trumps product every time. If you have lousy technique then who cares what product you use. It will still be a sub-par polishing detail. If you have excellent technique, then you could use any decent product and still do a great detail. That includes pads, tools and polishing products.

That is if the paint is workable...if not no product or technique will not matter. If there is no clearcoat or beyond workable and needs paint then nothing will work.
 
I have heard Mike talk about abrasive technology before, so that is my answer.

While proper or good technique helps, the new chemical make up of different compounds and polishes are so forgiving, great results can be had with even poor technique.
 
Been think about how to show why I think its paint and well it hit me like pallet of polishers. Anybody see the video of Ammo NYC and the really soft paint on the Porsche? His tool,technique,abrasive technology and pad had to altered to finish out properly. Everything had to be used in a way I was not originally planned to be use cause of the paint. If the paint is the reason all other choices had to altered in some way then the paint is the "most" important factor. Just my opinion
 
Like I said on Mike's page, it's 1, 3, and 5 for me personally. I think it depends on who is behind the tool, and how they perceive things, their experience, and their understanding of how to blend all the points.
 
I voted for abrasive technology.

The reason: I went to a car painter friend of mine (I have quite a few car painters friends), and he was polishing a car with a air powered polisher and some old school compounds, which we here call generically 'polishing pastes'.

I grabbed my Rupes and tried to help him using this old school compound, and there was no way I could get a decent result. No way.

Even him, who has a lot of experience with it, would end up with just a slight better result than me, but then he used the 3m perfect it to cover the swirls and the car was ready in his opinion.

Therefore, I realized that without these newer compounds with a more refined/evolved/matured Abrasive Technology, my work would just and plainly suck.

And probably I would still be doing what I was doing before I went to full time detailing, which is to be a company's import manager.

This is my story, best regards.
 
I say paint. Type of paint and condition of the paint will affect my choice of the others. Paint determines the tool, abrasive, pad and my technique. No paint, no point.
 
FUNX650 said:
Number 5: Abrasive technology

Basing my choice, (after prior and
careful introspection), upon your assessment
as that being so—as found in many of your
postings such as this: ditto number 5 abrasive technology for the win:props::props:




I also agree with this assessment:



Bob
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Ditto the abrasive technology for the win:props::props:
 
I would hope technique would encompass knowing what you can and can not accomplish with what is at your disposal.
 
Kamakaz1961 said:
Technique trumps product every time. If you have lousy technique then who cares what product you use. It will still be a sub-par polishing detail. If you have excellent technique, then you could use any decent product and still do a great detail. That includes pads, tools and polishing products.

That is if the paint is workable...if not no product or technique will not matter. If there is no clearcoat or beyond workable and needs paint then nothing will work.
Click to expand...

I'm going with technique and everything Kam said.

I've read literally hundreds of posts over the past few years where posters had the right products and equipment yet got sub par results and were asking for help. That would lead one to believe technique in the long run wins out. Speaking for myself, I'm definitely better at assessing and correcting paint than I was 5 years ago. And most of that has to do with practice and perfecting my technique along with all the great help from forum members and Mike P over the past few years. :dblthumb2:
 
I think its a tad bit of as trick question, as you cant soley rely on just one

technique isn't too crucial with a long stroke ..but results wont obviously be the best as they could be
novice/amateur technique with a longstroke equipped with proper pad and abrasive will get job done

rotary machine needs technique

Machine just dictates correction/finishing speed for most part

Pad selection if wrong just wont cut it depending on clearcoat or polish combo.

abrasive tech, pretty much same issues as pad selection

it all plays together to well to deem one the most important


so again..if rotary user, i'll def say technique is most important
if D/A i'd say pad/abrasive combo
 
Technique

Why it is not the equipment type, style, size, cost, made in the USA, Germany, Italy, or China.

It is the skills, knowledge, experience, and confidence to start/finish the detail.

I`m no where close in the skills, knowledge, experience of the majority of members but I do have confidence that I can and will learn.
 
I picked paint as all the rest are dependent upon its thickness, hardness, condition, cleanliness, etc.
 
I recently watched a video of a large scale project. While each and every one of these factors were discussed in the video, and it seemed like one as important as the other, an individual mentioned something that caught my ear.
(Didn't want to link video or identify the project to influence others decisions)

So, my vote is for abrasive technology.
 
When I think of polishing paint, I see it as basically rubbing abrasive using a tool with a pad on the surface. This is how I view the 5 factors:

Technique- IMO, technique mainly consist of priming of pad, tool speed, arm buffing speed motion, buffing pressure and buffing duration. I think technique can be learnt and at most only produce the optimal result of what the polish/ pad can achieve. Polish and pad technology has already more or less set the parameter of the result it can produce.

Tool- It is just a tool using power and motion to apply and break down abrasive on the paint.

Pad- It is what touches the paint and affect how the abrasive is rub on the paint. It is important but i think it makes a slightly less impact than abrasive.

Paint- Since Mike mentioned that paint mention here is polish-able then i think it is less significant than other factors.

Abrasive- Looking at some of the abrasive, the manufacturer had to specifically formulate 0.1 micron abrasives just for soft black 202,212 paint code. We are actually dealing with extremely sensitive material. I think it is just too hard to rub poor abrasive material on clear coat and trying to level it to the state you wish even with superb techniques. Almost like trying to achieve 2000 grit sanding result with an 1500 grit paper...

So if i had to rate:

Technique (3)
Tool (4)
Pad (2)
Paint (5)
Abrasive Technology (1)

^^
 
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