oli1983uk

I bought a orbital polisher from these forums, this is the one:



I bought it as a couple of my cars there are swirl marks, light scratches and fading paint on the car.

At the moment the oxidizing paint is only a problem on one door but can see from hand polishing over panels they are starting to fade and would like to try and correct this before it takes hold.

I would like some advice on what is the best polishing pad and polish to use to correct a these problems I have been doing a bit of reading on what to use and i know its best to use a very light cutting/polishing pad and a light cutting compond. The pad size is 7".

Rich @ PB

iTrader: (3)

What paint are you working on? Subaru or other makes of car? Paint hardness varies a lot between different makes of car, so tell us more and we can guide you accordingly in terms of safe polish and pad choices.

V4JDMSTi

iTrader: (2)

couldn't agree more. also what make of rotoray is it that you have? is it variable speed and has it got a motor in it that will maintain the torque regardless of the speed and pressure you apply?

reason that i ask this becuase you may not get the finish that you want. you can end up inflicting buffer trails, paint scorching etc.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

isnt it an orbital ???

V4JDMSTi

iTrader: (2)

thought orbital was same as rotary?

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

mmmm I thought otherwise....

rotary is rotary and a DA is a D/A RANDOM ORBITAL BUFFER ??

ha ha.....bunch of noobs us

V4JDMSTi

iTrader: (2)

i was only aware of d/a and rotary. Rich

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

anyway no-one will notice our faux pas

so about this sander you have mate..what was the question again

stoneface

iTrader: (6)

Correct.

The one pictured above looks like a variable speed sealey siegen
Rotary.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

try saying that lot when you are drunk

V4JDMSTi

iTrader: (2)

so it's a rotary then?

V4JDMSTi

iTrader: (2)

give me 5 mins and i'll nip down the pub for a pint or 2

sssssteeeee

cleanyourcar.com or polishedbliss amongst others but clean yr car is a fantastic site with many areas of car detailing covered,interior exterioreverything u could ever need is there at fair prices , and also the service is very very fast. check them out.

oli1983uk

its a variable speed rotary, made by siegen, the car with the fading paint is on a bmw and the other car with swirl marks is a nissan both cars are from 1996. I have done a lot of reading on polished bliss web site on items to use and machine polishing.

I am just looking to try and get rid of the fading and most of the swirl marks it doesn't have to be perfect but would like a good finish.

V4JDMSTi

iTrader: (2)

ok, here's what i'd go for if it was me:

Get yourself 3 levels of pad - cutting pad, light cut and finishing
polish wise, something like menz rd3.02 and also menz finishing polish
megs quick or aggressive clay
megs last touch as lube

guessing you already have 2 buckets, wash mits etc.

wash down with the usual 2 bucket method,
dry the car with waffle weave,
claybar the car, this will start to have an affect on the oxidization,
dry with microfibre as you go along,
wash the car with 2 bucket method again,
dry,
mask up trim - rotary's rip through trim nicely if you're not careful,

then starting with the menz rd3.02 (or similar) go for the light cut pad, work a section and see what level of correction you're getting. always start off light and move up rather than starting off really heavy. just incase the paint is really soft.

then when happy with your pad and polish combo correct the whole car and follow up with the finishing pad and polish to refine.

apply your lsp and you should have a cracking looking quality to your paint.

have you got access to a paint thickness gauge? also have either of the cars every had any spray work? if so how long ago?

couple of pics of an old red bmw 635csi that i done a while back. more pics in the show and shine section on the polished bliss website:

https://www.scoobynet.com/car-care-3...et-method.html

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

^^^^^ cant go wrong with all the above advice

Rich @ PB

iTrader: (3)

Just to add my 5p's worth to the polishing stage. By rotary, this is what I would do on the BMW...

To correct swirls and other moderate defects (fine scratches and etching included), you will need to start out with Menzerna RD3.02 using a 3M Perfect-it III High Gloss Polishing Pad (ideally on a 3M 125mm flexible backing plate for maximum feel and safe transitioning over swage lines and awkward curves). We usually put 2-3 five pence sized blobs around the centre of the pad and then spread at 900rpm. Working at 1800rpm using moderate pressure should see you able to correct ~95% of the defects with a single attempt per panel; it is worth finishing down with a few slower passes at 900rpm in order to ensure a hologram free finish. With the bulk of the correction done, you would be wise to switch to Menzerna 85RD using a 3M Ultrafina SE Finishing Pad (applied and spread in the same way). Working at 1200-1500rpm with light pressure should see you produce the maximum possible gloss and clarity, which you will then want to seal in using either a wax or a sealant.

On the Nissan, which will have far softer paint, I would start with the second stage outlined above (i.e. 85RD on the blue finishing pad), and make several careful attempts before deciding to go any more aggressive (the paint will also be thin, so be careful!).

oli1983uk

thanks alot for the help, I will be ordering my stuff from polished bliss.