Buffing Polishing process

[RyansAutoDetail]

ok so im getting a PC 7424 or whatever it is soon and the pad package of all different cutting, buffing and polishing pads, now my only question is this:

Is there any full buffing polishing process that can be just as effictive in removing scratches without doing all three steps and have a good shine and use as little products as possible ?

cut/buff
polish/glaze
wax/polish ?

the steps are correct i assume ?

and my current car is a 2001 silver ford ranger, my dad owns a 2007.5 BMW 323i navy blue so i would be working on these two cars as well as providing a buffing polishing service for my current small list of "customers"..

looking for what glazes and buffing supplies are the best to use ! thanks in advance !

[Beemerboy]

Depending on what you got...pads come in about three levels

Cutting, polishing and finishing

How you attack the paint depends on the condition...If its bad meaning swirls and such you would use the cutting pad, then polishing pad and finishing pad

As for product I would look at poorboys line..its a great price, good by hand or machine and is very user friendly for the pro and novice

[RyansAutoDetail]

ok so if its a decent paint with light scratches and smooth to the touch i wouldnt need to do much polishing would i ?

just wash, clay and polish/glaze with the medium pad and polish/wax with the finishing pad correct ?

its just that i wasnt taught the methods of buffing waxing and polishing when i used to work at a detailing shop 3 years ago, I did everything else but that basically. so im looking at training myself but as my first job on my own vehicle with good paint condition it should be easy enough !

[Jngrbrdman]

I can tell you that your silver truck is not going to be the best vehicle to start learning on. I only say that because silver is a tough color to see your progress on. On a black vehicle it is really easy to tell when you have made a difference. On silver it depends on how good your eyes are to see if you have made a difference sometimes. Light blue is sort of the same way, but a little easier. My recomendation would be to get a donor vehicle that is darker in color so you can see what your results are as you are getting them. That will help you learn how long you have to work a product before you have done the job right.

If your paint is in good shape (meaning that you don't notice any real damage from swirls) then you can probably get away with a lighter polishing phase. You won't necessarily have to polish the paint two or three times to get the clearest reflections. That is the sort of treatment you give to black cars that are going to be scrutinized under the sun or indoors in a car show. For a silver or light blue vehicle you could wash, clay, do a light polishing with something like Poorboy's SSR1, or maybe even SSR2 since the haze won't really be visible at all even if you got some, and then go right to your wax/sealant of choice.

I do just about everything with an Edge blue pad these days. I have found that I can bump up the product and get similar results as if I were using a more agressive pad and a lighter product. So it is all about the combination of pad and product and process. I can't tell you that you can't get results from one pad or another. What I can tell you is that you will get more haze with a firmer pad than you will from a softer pad. Even on light colors you can tell when you've got haze. The sun should be a well defined spot of light and not a hazy cloud of light.

Also, don't rely on some magic formula that you are given to get results. If I tell you to use pad A and product B to get perfect results, then you are still going to have to check your work often until those results are achieved. The process is the most important part of the whole job. The products don't really matter much next to the process of using the products correctly. It is sort of like race cars and drivers. The fastest car in the world will lose the race if the driver is asleep at the wheel. The car is the product and the driver is the process. Discover what makes your process work for you and then repeat that until you have it perfected. That is how you'll become a great detailer.

[Beemerboy]

I've nothing to add...Jngrbrdman..has covered it well!!

[RyansAutoDetail]

yah thanks man, i know dark colours are way easier to see results but i was referring to the fact being a lighter car it will be less noticeable any steps i take and would like to do a decent job and just want a recommendation and suggestions as uve done ill look around some more and read more until i go out and buy product after i buy the PC 7424 . ! cheers !

[9D4E420]

Good luck Ryan. Send us some pics and let us know how you make out.

[RyansAutoDetail]

will do but payday is this week and i did buy the mothers clay bar kit this past weekend and megs GC car wash to step up the ante on my detailing game at home ive upped my price another $5 a car to 70 now since im using higher grade product.
after i get the machine i will be doing a full report !

[CharlesW]

Originally Posted by RyansAutoDetail

Is there any full buffing polishing process that can be just as effictive in removing scratches without doing all three steps and have a good shine and use as little products as possible ?

Depending on the condition of the paint you start with, a good AIO product can give you what you are asking about.
The AIOs do a decent job, but they won't always give you the results you are looking for.
Some of them are said to have 3 months durability, but since I follow them with a LSP, I can't vouch for that.
Two products that I have used that can do some paint correction and cleaning while leaving some protection behind are Poorboy's PwS and Optimum Poli-Seal.
Some professional detailers use the AIO products for customers that don't want or can't afford the full package.
I see nothing wrong with that as long as you don't misrepresent the service you provide.

[Empire01]

If you are using the SSR's do you need to put something on after that, and before the wax?
ex.
1. Wash
2. Clay
3. SSR's
4. ?
5. Wax

Or can you go straight from SSR's to wax.

Thanks!