How do you polish in tight areas?

[Rexsy]

There are areas on my car with visible clearcoat scuffs and marks, but they`re in places like inside door handles where a polishing pad won`t reach.



I guess I have to apply and remove product by hand, right? What should I use and how do I use it?

[eyezack87]

M105 with a foam applicator pad :)

[BigAl3]

use a foam applicator, polish/compound (start with the least aggressive product), and some elbow grease...

[Accumulator]

I just finished a *MAJOR* correction/deoxidation job on a friend`s `93 Audi (rock hard clear) that hadn`t been waxed for about 10 years. Doing the tight areas like around the "quattro" script on the trunk lid took *AGES*!



I often pull the cotton wadding off a swab and then use a sharpened swab stick/toothpick to work the wadding in the tight spots like around that script. I use as aggressive a product as will work OK by hand (haven`t tried the M105, but I do use 1Z Pasta Intensiv) for the initial work. Note this can take a very, *VERY* long time.



For less aggressive work, a very plush MF will often had long enough nap to reach into the tight spots.



For behind door handles it`s simple (if not easy ;) )...just use a product that works by hand and take as long as it takes. E.g., fingernail scratches behind the driver`s door handle on my S8 once took nearly an *hour* to remove! In hindsight I shoulda wetsanded first, but I wouldn`t try that very often and I`d use an ETG to check what`s *really* going on before/during/after the correction.



Working a 1" x 2" area by hand for more than half an hour will redefine "PIA" for you.

[qwertydude]

M105 by hand is a miracle in a bottle, a real timesaver and doesn`t leave any swirls like other strong compounds.

[Rexsy]

Sounds like M105 is good, how about SIP or 106FA?

[jordanrossbell]

Sounds like M105 is good, how about SIP or 106FA?



As mentioned, you might wanna go with the least aggressive first, lets say SIP then 105 or something equivalent...but i really doubt you will do much correction on medium-heavy imperfections with 106FA..even by machine, let alone by hand...i love M105 by hand in these instances...

[Accumulator]

M105 by hand is a miracle in a bottle, a real timesaver and doesn`t leave any swirls like other strong compounds.



I gotta give the M105 a try sometimes...the 1Z Pasta Intensiv can bite you when applied by hand; leaves tracer-type scratches from the initial cut that can be a real pain to get out.

[KnuckleBuckett]

Sounds like M105 is good, how about SIP or 106FA?



These work better with machines.