Is it really good to polish/compoud a car??

[kilou]

Hi,

I'm interested in polishing my car using a buffer tool. The techniques usually involves some wet sanding first, then polishing with some compound (2 grades usually) and then finally waxing the car. I've seen some videos and howtos with Meguiar's stuff and it looks really good.

However this doesn't appear really safe to me. I know I've to be careful not to get through the paint. But more than that, even if the work is properly carried out, the compounding is supposed to remove the clearcoat on top of the paint to remove the scratches and swirls. Now on many videos I've seen, the pad attached to the buffer tool get the color from the paint so it means the clear coat is completely gone or what???

I mean polishing looks good but is it really safe to remove or at least thin out the clear coat on the paint???? Of course I gotta wax the car afterwards but a wax can be as protective as a clear coat, no?? All in all, I'd like to know your opinions about polishing a car for a daily driver that also has to go through winter salt etc, not just for a show car!

EDIT: car is a 1997 Volvo S40

 

[demarpaint]

Wet sanding a car requires some degree of skill and is not something a person with limited skills should be doing. I would pass on anything that aggressive unless the paint is in really poor condition and no other options were available. Even then I would seek professional help. JMO

OTOH a very light polishing compound is something I've done with success, and most DIY'ers can handle it.

 

[stranger706]

Only if it really needs it. Any way you slice it, when you polish you are blending/removing material. If you polish the right way you are mostly blending the clearcoat. A little bit will always come off but you want to keep this to a minimum. Your Volvo and many other Euro cars from across the pond have a pretty decent layer of clearcoat/paint to work with. My Mazda's paint is paper thin, so I'd have to be super careful with a buffer.

Hopefully we have some experienced detail guys here that can explain it better.

 

[ZZman]

It is good a little bit because it smooths the surface and takes high spots out. This gives a much nicer, glossier appearance.

You want to use the least amount of abrasive compund as possible.

 

[Familyguy]

I'd leave wet sanding to someone who knows what they're doing. Unless the paint is VERY rough (deep scratches), I'd avoid it completely. With a quality orbital or rotary buffer and the right mix of products, you should be able to "de-swirl" almost anything. However, you won't be able to get there with consumer products available at Walmart/Autozone.

Adams Polishes used to have a nice series of videos on their website that walked you through the process. While I personally wouldn't choose their polishes and waxes (even though they're OK), the methodology is the same regardless of which product you use. Maybe some pics of the paint in question would be helpful for some of us to dispense advice.

Good luck!

 

[rg200amp]

If you do not know how to do it, do not learn how to do it on your car.


There are schools for this.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Wet sanding requires skill and a lot of time. It's not uncommon for it to take 2-3 days. Depending on the condition of the paint, you could be using anything from 1500 to 3000 grit. So that is very fine sand paper. Wet sanding is often done once a vehicle or body part is painted here and it takes more time than the paint prep and job itself.

It's something best left to a professional, because you could end up making a rather costly mistake if you're doing it for the first time. Once the sanding is over, several coatings of rubbing compound are necessary, preferably applied with a buffer. After a couple of layers, it also makes it easier if you use a mist of water with the rubbing compound. As a final step, polish is applied followed by wax.

For those with no wet sanding experience, my suggestion would be to use a clay bar. That's a much safer bet.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp
If you do not know how to do it, do not learn how to do it on your car.


There are schools for this.

+1

 

[mechtech2]

If you are not showing the car, avoid any wet sanding!
A cleaner wax is as strong as you should use .
Be careful with any buffing, because edges can burn through to primer or metal!

 

[AdRock]

Get some cleaner wax and a clay bar.

 

[Tosh]

I thought wet sanding was for paint that didn't have a clearcoat?

 

[SubyRoo]

Originally Posted By: Tosh
I thought wet sanding was for paint that didn't have a clearcoat?


You can do it on clearcoated or single stage paints. I have done it on single stage paints but you have to be really careful not to burn the paint. Its generally done for people that want that smooth as glass apperance and to remove orange peel from the paint. Like others have said its very labor intensive. If you do try it dont wet sand any edges the speed of the buffer alone will be enough to smooth out the edges. For a daily driver I wouldnt worry about it. If it was a show car on the other hand and you wanted that deep glassy look then sure.

 

[picman101]

Here's a forum of people compulsive about the exterior of their cars: www.autopia.org/

 

[PT1]

If you want to make your car look great and lightly clean the paint try a polish called Klasse. It is a polymer polish that bonds to the paint and will last several car washes. No abrasives to hurt the clearcoat either.

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: Tosh
I thought wet sanding was for paint that didn't have a clearcoat?


Its regularly used on clearcoat also, to get rid of any hint of "orange peel" and leave a really smooth finish.

But as others have said, its a) a skill that takes practice and b) not something you would EVER do as "routine" maintenance of paint. Even if the paint got really scratched up, you might only be able to save it once with wet-sanding and buffing. Any more than that, and you'll be removing far too much material and risk cutting through the clear to the color, or through the color to the primer.