**HELP-applying polish by hand***

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imported_magnum

New member
This forum hooked me in, so I have my first question: I am new to detailing and do not feel comfortable in using equipment to polish. I have just purchased a 2005 nissan and wanted a nice detailing system that is not crazy difficult or very expensive. The paint has a good amount of swirls and seems very "cloudy" to the touch like it needs to be polished.



Originally I was going to wash, clay, use Klasse AIO, then top with either Klasse SG or Wolfgang Deep Gloss. I wanted to use a paint sealant being that I want the most durable and longest lasting protection. I am as concerned as most with the appearance, but I want durability being I drive a ton! I read that many people don't like Klasse SG it is not user-friendly. On the other hand, Wolfgang DG complaints is that is doesn't last very long and not too durable. Another concern was that the Klasse AIO is more of a filler and not a polish.



So here is the question.....what would you recommend for a complete system that does not include using machine to apply/remove anything? I don't know if going with more expensive products such as Klasse is worth the extra money. Maybe better off going with a basic cleaner wax, then a fair sealant such as the new mequiars NXT. I also wanted to use a non abrasive polish by hand being I don't want to damage the paint or clear coat learning how to use an orbital. I know many if all say polishing by hand is pointless, but there must be good effective polish products that are effective in removing a fair amount of scratches and swirls that I can apply by hand (to the entire vehicle).



Please, any suggestions and help is GREATLY appreciated!!!

:bounce
 
find someone on here to polish it for you or get the correct stuff (Machine, polsihes ect) and do it you self



trying to polish out a whole car by hand is pointless

it would prob take a few weeks of 10hour days

polishing by hand to remove all the swirl mark

if you could even remove them at all



AIO is a chemical cleaner not a filler or abbrasive polish

and IMO should only be used on a perfectly polished car as it will maginify any defects that are there
 
if I were you:



1) Clay

2) Meguiars step 1 (chemical cleaner) (optinal step)

3) Polish by hand. Choose something with a lot of fillers. You should try to fill the swirls as polish by hand is almost impossible. (I would use Autoglym SRP)

4) Seal with some collinite
 
Welcome to the Forum !!!

This correct detailing idea takes some time and patience.



Polishing and Wax are two independent steps to most of us. Trying to polish out a car by hand is a form of self flogging, just ask scottwax.



If you can find another autopia member near you, I always find it valuable to share ideas.



Cheers,

GREG
 
magnum- Welcome to Autopia!



IMO polishing by hand requires 1Z brand polishes, nothing else I'd even consider using. They leave wax/stuff behind so don't use AIO on them (it'd clean that stuff off) but rather Collinite brand wax.



Collinite will give sealants a very good run (I use both and Collinite lasts longer than some sealants and *as* long as KSG) and it's user-friendly. I've recommended the 1Z/Collinite approach for ages with no negative feedback. And I use it too...the four coats of Collinite 476S on my Blazer (over 1Z Paint Polish) lasted a good seven months, and that included a tough Ohio winter.



Sources: Welcome to Exceldetail.com! or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing, Auto Detailing Supplies, Auto Detailing Equipment, Auto Detailing Products, & Auto Detailing Accessories for all your Automobile Detailing



Deathlok mentioned Autoglym SRP...I used to use that stuff a *LOT* and I do really like it. It's more user-friendly than the 1Z but the 1Z does more correction. I'd go with 1Z Paint Polish (which conceals residual marring almost as well), but the Autoglym SRP is a good choice if you don't have much marring.
 
Pinnacle has a hand polish kit with there xmt polishes you might want to look at, it runs about $50 for the whole kit with applicators and mf towels.
 
i know you said you wanted a complete system, but as far as durability on a daily driver goes, look into collinite waxes. very long lasting and relatively cheap

and good luck with the hand polishing
 
thanks for all the replies, much to consider. I have looked into Collinite but I thought their product line was all carnuba waxes. I looked for the 1Z paint polish but do not see it, what # am I looking for? - is this a carnuba or paint sealant? So many people have told me to go with a sealant for durability. Remember, I can care less how user-friendly a product is if it protects very well. I am looking for the most protective coating to put on the vehicle.



Also, when you refer to IMO polishing by hand what does this mean?



You mentioned for me to use a filler polish, I thought polishes did not fill but glazes and swirl removers fill. Sorry for the stupid questions!
 
you can't remove swirls by hand so you should fill them. Some polishes (not the pure ones) have fillers.



For durability you should definitely try collinite superb.
 
I agree that doing the polishing by hand is a task I wouldn't try but it can be done if you are determined and have a lot of time on your hands. If you do attempt this do very small sections at a time and buy lots of Ben Gay.



If you don't feel you want to get into the PC your best bet may be to have it professionally detailed and then maintain it yourself. If you get it done right and are very careful with your washing and drying techniques you can keep swirls at bay for a while.



OTOH, for what you would pay for a pro detail you could probably buy the PC, pads, products, etc. needed to do it yourself for the life of the vehicle. A PC can remove swirls and minor defects in a tenth of the time that you could do it by hand. I'd encourage you to buy a Random Orbital (PC, UDM, G110, etc.) and have a go.



Now if you are not a detail crazy nut like many (most :laugh: ) of us on this forum, you can just wash, clay and apply a wax/sealant that hides a lot of the swirls. Sure, this won't last but if you just want it to look good for a couple weeks at a time try it and see. Plan on re-waxing/sealing with this approach as the swirls reappear.
 
The 1z polishes are supposed to be great by hand, from what i gather by researching on the forum is they have there mettallic polish for light stuff and there extra polish for heavy stuff. Auto geek sells the 1z polishes there right around the $15 price range.
 
The paint has a good amount of swirls and seems very "cloudy" to the touch like it needs to be polished.

a complete system that does not include using machine to apply/remove anything?

I also wanted to use a non abrasive polish by hand being I don't want to damage the paint or clear coat learning how to use an orbital.

I know many if all say polishing by hand is pointless.



So,i had the same worries with you.I wanted the same product as u to remove swirls,protect,non abrasive,cheap,hand application,not wasting my weekend etc etc.

I was trying about 2 years of trying methods,products,spending A LOT OF HOURS to repair my car's paint.It' was great until the moment that i saw it on the direct sunlight.

So i decided to by UDM/SFX kit to try it.It is very simple to use it,almost no possibility to damage your paint,and almost no experience needed.I also have a lot to learn about using it for perfect results but i can say that it was the BIG CHANGE on my car's look.Finally the swirls are gone,the shine is back and i am happy to see my car on direct sunlight after just of a quick and easy detailing.

Hope that helps.
 
Magnum - when I started detailing my own cars by hand I used Sonus SFx 1, 2,3 with pleasing results, not perfect. Due to the work involved I would apply to one panel at a time typically cleaning first, 2 applications of SFX1 and one application of 2 and 3. then AIO and sealant. each time I washed I would complete another section of the car until the car was completly polished. It can be done but don't break your neck. The ben gay suggested and a heating pad will help you get through the process.
 
magnum said:
thanks for all the replies, much to consider. I have looked into Collinite but I thought their product line was all carnuba waxes...
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As best I can tell they're a carnauba/synthetic blend. You won't find them lacking when it comes to durability (my Collinited vehicles simply don *NOT* need redone more frequently than my sealed ones). Collinite is great against bird bombs/etc., surpassing sealants in this regard IME.



I looked for the 1Z paint polish but do not see it, what # am I looking for? - is this a carnuba or paint sealant?



You mentioned for me to use a filler polish, I thought polishes did not fill but glazes and swirl removers fill. Sorry for the stupid questions!
Click to expand...



The 1Z polishes I'm referring to (consumer line Metallic Polish, Paint Polish, Extra Polish) leave some waxes behind and these do a little "filling". Sealed in with wax, these "fillers" (scare-quotes intentional as such stuff gets an undeservedly bad rap) won't "go away" but will keep things looking good for a long, long time. The trick is to seal 'em in with a good wax like Collinite.



Noting again that I use and like sealants *for some applications*, my vehicles that take the most abuse get Collinite because I've found it's the best for the job. And note that sealants only look good over a perfectly prepped/marring-free finish. That's pretty hard to obtain/maintain in the real world, even if you wash as carefully as I do (regulars here appreciate what *that* means ;) ).
 
what about poorboy's pro polish with carnuaba ?

i think it is a polish without any abrasives but does a good job filling the swirls out ?

wonder how it performs against the autoglym srp, 1z metallic polish and even the swissvax cleaner fluid (regular strength) .



note: trying to compare polishes above suitable for hand application with fillers, and not much emphasis on abrasives / correcting ability due to hand application, and oh, of course ignore the price differences.
 
Polishing by hand is on the market so some people will do it... but I know your not looking for this type of answer but -- You would almost be better off if you used 20 of the 30 hours it will take you to polish by hand at some manual labor,.. use that money for a UDM/PC/Flex/G110 and all the pads and polishes you wanted... Spend 6 hours on the car with them.. and end up saving yourself 4 hours , and have some pocket change to spare ;)



Are you polishing by hand because you just want to see if it can be done? Or you absolutely cannot afford a couple hundred dollar investment? -- If not I totally understand. Just curious.



*I noticed you just said you weren't comfortable using machines. That is a big reason these Random Orbitals were made and became so popular. They are idiot proof (nearly). You do proper taping of your trim/headlights/chrome and such.. to further idiot proof the car :) -- And your not going to damage your finish with them.



If you are on the 'scared' or conservative side at first.. Use a fine polish and a light pad. Even a fine polish is going to produce much faster and better results than going by hand would, imo. Then I would be almost certain you'd get a good feel for the machine and work your way up to some stronger polishes.



The machines are variable and can go very slow (relatively) and you move them up to higher speeds. You could, essentially, polish with a light compound at a slower than normal speed for 'longer' if it makes you feel more comfortable.



I think most will assure you that just by you being this cautious on polishing you aren't likely to be the rare type who somehow figures out a way to mess up the finish with a Random Orbital.



Nonetheless - If you still decide to go by hand , I would like to see a picture of before, and after. ;)
 
Yeah, machines like the PC/UDM/etc. are perfectly safe with a little common sense. Regulars here have often heard about my friend the lady MBA- white-collar businesswoman with zero knowledge/experience/interest in this stuff who got tired of waiting for her husband to do her SUV (he'd borrowed my PC but hadn't gotten around to using it). She used my PC with 1Z MP topped with #16. No coaching from me or anybody else, she simply *did it*. She was very pleased with how it turned out and there were no problems of any kind.



As far as which polish to use, I haven't tried th SW Cleaner Fluid or the PB's Pro Polish. But I simply cannot imagine anything being easier to use than 1Z stuff or SRP. The 1Z doesn't even stain trim, or at least it never has that I can recall.
 
I think for your purposes, Accumulator's suggestions are excellent. However, Zaino AIO and Clear Seal or Ultima Paint Prep Plus and Paint Guard Plus are easy systems that do some correction (okay, not that much...) and are designed to be used by hand.



But the best idea is to use the Autopia coupons now available to get a UDM kit, then use the Zaino or Ultima twins after correcting the paint. With one use, you'll gain the value back out of the machine.



Welcome to autopia, by the way.
 
Sherri Zann said:
.. Zaino AIO and [other basically synthetic product approaches] are easy systems that do some correction (okay, not that much...) and are designed to be used by hand..
Click to expand...



Yeah, I was sorta surprised at how abrasive the ZAIO was! Much more so than Klasse AIO and more so than some of the milder 1Z polishes too. Don't get me wrong, I *liked* that, well, except that I first experimented on something very soft and had to then spend some time removing the ZAIO's not-so-micro marring :o And yeah, I was using it by hand too. Gotta remember to buy some (I just had a sample), it'd be good for jobs where KAIO is too gentle- wheels, for instance.
 
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