buff and wax

[Slammed 99 Si]

i was just wondering if anyone had some pionters on how to buff a car? because i want to do mine but i just dont want the swirl marks all over

[Denkigroove]

make sure your car is very clean before you wax it

[Slammed 99 Si]

thanks man

[HondasTrail]

i was just wondering if anyone had some pionters on how to buff a car? because i want to do mine but i just dont want the swirl marks all over
Buff a car with a rotary buffer? If so, then don't. There's a learning curve to using a rotary buffer, and worst of all you may ruin your paint using it. Leave rotary buffing to those that know how to do it properly.

[mavvrik]

Here are some tips:
1) Just use a standard buffer for starters
2) Make sure the towl on the buffer is clean or else it will literally just smear the wax all over your car
3) When you buff, don't press super hard or you will mess up your paint
4) Buff in continious circular motions, not up or down or side to side
5) When your done, wipe off the car with a microfiber or clean, dry, soft towl because the wax will leave "dust" all over the car
6) After your finished, check cranny corners and go through them with Qutips or something to get rid of that extra built-up wax

That's the basic stuff I can think of

[DJ Coupon]

^ this is good. Also, don’t be scared of burning your paint up, just be careful. Don’t push too hard, keep the speed on the buffer low, and don’t hold it in one spot for too long. When you first start, do a little spot, stop and feel the paint you just buffed with your hand, you will be able to get an idea of how hot it gets when you are doing this. Make sure you are using a decent liquid wax also. The wax is basically the lube that keeps the buffer from burning the paint so don’t use too little, but too much will take forever to blend in. I usually put a big “S” shape of wax on a section and work that in/spread it around (about the size of half a fender at a time). If you want to do it right, have time and patience, and don’t want to leave swirl marks… go over the first time with a regular buffing wheel, then switch to a foam pad and go back over the paint kind of slow/half speed, then after that hand wax with a good paste wax…all while wiping the whole thing down in-between. This seems like overkill but I learned detailing from a guy who does Porsches/Audi’s for a living and it has never failed me. You may want to cover your wiper blades and bottom of the windshield to keep wax from splashing on there too. There will be dust everywhere so do the windows after you are done.

[Slammed 99 Si]

thanks for all your advise everyone

[HondasTrail]

If you're going to listen to these guys and use a rotary buffer, then have fun screwing up your paint.

[mavvrik]

We never said anything about a rotery buffer dood. I said Regular Buffer a.k.a an Orbital Buffer in my responce. An orbital doesn't fuck up your paint nOOb that's a Rotary Buffer.

[HondasTrail]

If you want to refer to an orbital buffer then call it A FUCKING RANDOM ORBITAL BUFFER n00b. Don't just refer to generic terms dipshit.

And no, a regular buffer is not a random orbital buffer, it's not any kind of buffer.

2. DJ Coupon started referring to methods that a clearly steps for use of a rotary buffer. Something you would have known if you ever held a rotary buffer and used it properly.

3. And for fucks sake, learn how to spell.

[DJ Coupon]

this is what i was talking about...
http://www.mgappearance.com/images/DW849.gif

this is an orbital buffer, you might as well hand wax IMO
http://www.homeright.com/product/C800669_fl.jpg

The rotary isn't guaranteed to fuck up your paint, it's the user that fucks up the paint not the buffer. It takes practice and a little skill, not recommending it for amateurs but you can do it...

[HondasTrail]

Yea I figured you were referring to a rotary, but yea using a rotary isn't guaranteed to fuck up your paint. Being n00by using a rotary buffer is what fucks up your paint. It's definately something you don't want to try on your car if it's your first time using one.

If he really wants to learn how to use a rotary buffer than he should pick up some panels from the junkyard and practice with that until he can consistently polish out paint without burning paint or instilling more swirl marks.

[jackmode9316]

As A beginner I say do it by hand first. Try to keep it in the shade if its a warm day. I taped off the black trim a little too because it didnt agree with the mcquires was stuff i was using.By hand you get a good feel of how the wax goes on and comes off. Alot less risk of fucking up your paint.

"First, wash all car. Then wax. Wax on... Wax off."
"Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important."<--actual movie quote.

Just be patient, take your time. You will be catching flies with chopsticks before you know it. ;)


Believe me though, its awesome to see your baby shine after a good rub down though. Kinda like the amor all commecial.

"Banzai, Daniel-san."

[DJ Coupon]

Orbital=Daniel Larusso
Rotary=Johnny Lawrence (or anyone in the Kobra Cai)

There is no mercy in this dojo.

[C90slpR-Xprmnt]

i agree with jackmode u couldnt of said it better haha i just did my hatch sunday n damn does it look hella good!!!

[DrJones]

A rotary buffer can certainly fuck up your paint. But so can taking it to the wrong automatic car wash, or washing it improperly by hand.

A buffer of any sort shouldn't be needed for wax.

If you use good wax, and do it properly, then a buffer won't save you any time nor increase the results. There are two things gained from using wax:

1) Looks
2) Protection

In the case of a wax (and synthetic sealants, either acrylic or polymer) both of those things are added simply by having the wax on the car, and letting it cure for the proper amount of time. It's what's left over after removing the wax that's on the car that adds to the look and protection. moving the wax around in circles really fast doesn't accomplish anything.

I've heard some people say they use a buffer for applying/removing wax because it's too 'hard' to do by hand. Meaning that it doesn't come off easy. If that's the case, you are using a bad product, or you are doing it wrong. The waxing is the final step, it should be perfect. If you do it by hand you are also able to much more closely match the curves of the vehicle, applying it everywhere evenly.

My rule of thumb is that the only reason I use a buffer is when I'm trying to fix something in the paint. If there are water spots, swirl marks, oxidation etc that cause me to actually need to remove some of the paint on the surface, then I'll use a buffer, as many products require not just motion, but heat, and using them by hand doesn't have the friction to properly break down the particles to allow them to work properly. Depending on how bad the problem is, or how much paint I need to remove, I'd decide what kind of buffer (random orbital or rotary), the kind of pads (how aggressive) and the kind of product (again, how aggressive).

If you don't currently have swirl marks (such as if it was detailed by someone who knows what they are doing, or it is a new car) than you can probably get away without a buffer, since you don't have anything you need to fix. You can just use a nice polish by hand to help clean things up a bit, then some wax on top by hand to seal and protect.

If swirl marks are your main concern (especially if it's a dark color) than really the best thing is to have a pro get rid of them, and then learn how to properly wash and care for your car's paint so that they don't come back.

Finally, reading this you might be thinking that you've seen wax that has both the polishing and waxing aspects to it (ie cleaner wax) and are then wondering if it should be done by hand or machine.

There is one golden rule when it comes to cleaner waxes: Don't use cleaner waxes.

[ColoradoClark]

PorterCable is the way to go: dual action (DA), rather than an orbital: less chance of screwing up your paint.

I seem to be too much of a newbie to post links, but there are some excellent detailing articles on the team-integra.net website, listed under Articles and then Detailing.

Good luck!

[jmakado]

Here are some basics:
1. Go down to Tool King and get a refurb. Porter Cable 7424. Working by hand will seem stupid after you have used a DA. Also get some soft terry cloth towels and some soft microfibers. If you get microfiber from wal-mart, feel the packs. They vary in how soft they are. Wash all before using.
2. Get some Meguiar's pads. 1 8006, and 1 9006 from ADS (link below). Also get a sample of Meguiar's #80 and a sample of Meguiar's #21 from them. They also have good deals on microfibers.
3. Wash the car starting with wheels and tires but NOT using the same bucket you will then wash the car with..if you only have one, stop being cheap and get another. Dry the car using a dedicated drying towel or chamois, i like the absorber and the Meg's water magnet. Wipe down your sills and jambs, inside the trunk, etc, being careful not to drag dirt onto your freshly washed car with a terry cloth towel.
4. Clay the car. You can get a clay kit including lube and clay from wal-mart, target, etc.
5. Use 3m blue tape and tape off all unpainted black plastic/rubber trim. Cover your cowl with terry cloth towels.
6. Buff the car using your new PC, 8006 pad and #80. Don't know how to buff? Go over to www.autopia.org and read/learn or pay somebody like me or yoonjeankim to teach you. I charge $50/hr and you get the bonus of having your car buffed by two people! Only use the microfibers to remove polish...or to touch your paint in general.
7. Now your car is all nice and shiny! Use your 9006 pad and #21 to wax the car. Once you have used a DA to wax you will be kicking yourself for how long you used to take by hand. Crack open a beer and wait for 20-30 minutes before wiping off with a microfiber. Feeling motivated? Wait another 30 minutes and apply a second coat.
8. Unmask the areas you taped off and go around the car with a microfiber and hit any lines you may have left around the taped off areas or in door jambs etc.
9. Enjoy your work. Your first time it may take you all day. It's worth it and for minimal investment you will have the tools/products to take care of your car for years to come.

Here are the links:
www.autodetailingsolutions.com
www.autopia.com
www.meguiarsonline.com

Another option is just to pay to have your car detailed and work with the detailer. I encourage all my customers to do so...few of them ever do :( That's an offer to anybody on here that wants to learn to detail there own car by the way :)

[Kwando]

some polishes require very little effort to apply, so using a buffer is unnecessary. the pad on the buffer just absorbs all the polish, and you are wasting polish.

[jmakado]

I repectfully disagree. Even using a pure polish that has no abrading qualities (Meg's #7 comes to mind) is easier with a DA. It is easier to get a THIN and EVEN coat with a DA. Using a softer finishing pad that has less pores per inch helps keep the polish on the surface of the pad rather than just absorbing into it.