[RedHot_1SS_1LE]

So I'm looking for some advice...

I'm trying my first ever polish on my 2018. The paint is still pretty healthy, I just wanted to diminish the typical swirl marks from washing and 15k miles of use. I've done lots of clay bar and waxing, but never used a machine for a true polish.

I picked up the Chemical Guys DA polisher and full range of hex-logic pads and polishes. I wanted to try a two-step approach so I started with a cutting polish (V36) on a heavy polish pad (green). I knew it wouldn't be perfect after that, so I ignored the marks/haze I was seeing. However, after using a final polish (V38) on a light polish pad (white), they were still there.

The first picture is the virgin paint after a wash/clay bar. The next two pictures are what I'm seeing after the second step. Somehow I am creating what look like swirling machine marks in the paint.

So what am I doing wrong? Am I letting the pad get too clogged? Too much pressure while buffing? Wrong choice for polish/pad?

[DamonZ28]

There's a "Beginner Detailing" group on Facebook, I've learned so much since joining that group a couple of month ago. I did some buffing on my Camaro and was left with similar marks. I used Harbor Freight pads, which I've learned are not good quality. CG pads are better, so I'm surprised you're getting these results.

First of all, CG is a marketing-heavy consumer brand. They are not top of the line by any stretch. They'll get the job done, but may not get the best results. Many people are happy with it, and that's fine. I used their products quite a bit until I got disappointed with the results last summer.

Second, the orange pads are not finishing pads, they're medium pads. The black/dark gray pads are the finishing pads, and SHOULD produce better results. Lake Country pads are highly recommended, professional quality pads. Right now they're on sale at Detailed Image, one of my favorite vendors of professional detailing supplies. (Amazon has them too.) I believe you'd want the SDO pads for your Torx buffer. Many professionals recommend changing pads after every other body panel, using 4-5 pads per vehicle. I'll be buffing my Camaro this week in preparation for a ceramic coating. I have a set of heavy, medium, & fine Lake Country pads (1 each), and while I'll clean them after every other body panel, I can't really afford to buy that many pads. You can clean them by simply using some of smaller brush with somewhat stiff but soft bristles, if that makes sense. Simply put the brush again the pad while your buffer is spinning. What's probably happening with your pads is that the polish is drying on the pads, and leaving behind those scratches. So cleaning your pads while moving along should really help. To clean your pads when you're done, use P&S Rags to Riches microfiber cleaner. Soak your pads in a water/cleaner mixture for a few hours or so, rub them to get them clean, and run them through your washing machine (again using the Rags to Riches cleaner). Air drying in preferable, either in open air or your dryer. I find that my dryer doesn't do a very good job at that, so I use the lowest heat setting.

As far as products, my favorite products are 3D One for cutting & polishing. For the final finishing polish, I recommend Sonax Perfect Finish with a finishing pad.

Hope some of this helps!

[RedHot_1SS_1LE]

Originally Posted by DamonZ28

(...) the orange pads are not finishing pads, they're medium pads. The black/dark gray pads are the finishing pads, and SHOULD produce better results.

(...) What's probably happening with your pads is that the polish is drying on the pads, and leaving behind those scratches. So cleaning your pads while moving along should really help.

Great feedback, thank you! I'll stick with the CG products for now, but I'll replace them with something better once they are used up. I'll move to a less aggressive pad for the finishing step, and I'll keep it clean. I did notice the result is better on the first panel than the last, so that makes a lot of sense.

How about anyone else? Any more feedback or experience to share? I'm hesitant to keep working on the car until I know it won't make it worse.

[DamonZ28]

I was reading a description of the Lake Country pads, and they claim that the design of their pads prevents heat buildup, which causes hazing and micro-marring. Not sure if that's another issue that you & I have faced or not. (I thought I took a pic of mine, but now I can't find it - it looked very similar to your 2nd & 3rd pics.) Temps were probably in the 30s outside when I was doing mine, so I can't imagine heat, lol.

[RedHot_1SS_1LE]

Originally Posted by DamonZ28

I was reading a description of the Lake Country pads, and they claim that the design of their pads prevents heat buildup, which causes hazing and micro-marring. Not sure if that's another issue that you & I have faced or not. (I thought I took a pic of mine, but now I can't find it - it looked very similar to your 2nd & 3rd pics.) Temps were probably in the 30s outside when I was doing mine, so I can't imagine heat, lol.

I'm doing this in my garage which has been around 50, so I can't imaging heat is my issue, either.

[RedHot_1SS_1LE]

I just went to the garage and tried again with the V38 polish on a red pad (second softest pad offered), but I still couldn't get a good, clear result on the paint. I did 3 slow passes with light pressure on the DA, and the pad was cool to the touch and not clogged at all when I finished my 2'x2' section. It might have been better than the result in the picture above, but not by much. So, that means the condition of my pad isn't the issue, it must be something else I'm not thinking of.

I'm starting to get pretty pissed about wasting my time and being harder on the paint than I need to be. Please, if anyone has any other advice, I'd really appreciate it.

[DamonZ28]

If you're on Facebook, sign up on that Beginner Detailing page and ask there. There are many people there who have many years of experience, ready and willing to help. And they will ban people for replying things like "well you shouldn't use CG products" because they are there to help and don't tolerate nonsense. (Unlike the Camaro pages, where V6 owners who want to mod their cars get told to buy a V8. :( )

[MANNAXMAN]

Always start with the least aggressive compound and pad. If you don't get the desired results, increase aggressiveness until you do, and then work your way back down to your final polishing compound and pad. Think of a scratch in the paint that needs to be sanded down and repainted to be repaired. You wouldn't start with 80 grit sandpaper and sand down to bare metal if you didn't need to. And if you did need to, you wouldn't go from 80 grit straight to 800 just before painting.

[RedHot_1SS_1LE]

Originally Posted by MANNAXMAN

Always start with the least aggressive compound and pad. If you don't get the desired results, increase aggressiveness until you do, and then work your way back down to your final polishing compound and pad. Think of a scratch in the paint that needs to be sanded down and repainted to be repaired. You wouldn't start with 80 grit sandpaper and sand down to bare metal if you didn't need to. And if you did need to, you wouldn't go from 80 grit straight to 800 just before painting.

Yup, that makes a lot of sense. I just don't understand how the softest polish compound on a polish-finish pad on virgin paint gives me results like the second picture. I'm messing up the process somehow. Just hoping someone can catch what I might be doing wrong. I thought DamonZ28 may have been on to something, but even a clean pad gave the same results.

[DamonZ28]

I'm going to snag your pics & post in that detailing group. Hope you don't mind, but I'm very curious too.

[DamonZ28]

I see you posted, I deleted my post.

[RedHot_1SS_1LE]

Originally Posted by DamonZ28

I see you posted, I deleted my post.

I did post there, thanks for the tip. And you were right, they were very quick to respond and really helpful.

I finally got it figured out. First was pad choice and condition. If I chose a softer pad and made sure it stayed clean, I got better results. It still wasn't what I was looking for, but it was progress. Then I realized the final polish I was using (CG VSS) was a 'hybrid' compound. It was supposed to do a light cut and final polish in one step, but it seemed like it was just doing the light cut and giving up. So when I went back to the standard polish (V38), things started clicking.

[DamonZ28]

Glad you got it figured out!