Newbie questions

[FreakyNorm]

I have a 2015 Hyundai Sonata, phantom black in color. It has some basic swirls and light scratches on it. I am working with a Torque10fx and have various CG and Meguiar`s products. I have never done any detailing before and I couldn`t find any solid info on the questions I have, so any tips/advice is appreciated.

I have a 3M clear bra on the front going about 1/4 of the way up the hood. I also have it on the front quarter panels, under the door handles and on the edges of the doors as well. Do I need to avoid these areas when using the polisher? I had heard it`s ok to clay, seal and wax it but couldn`t find anything about using a polisher with it. Would I just tape over the clear bra?

How many pads should I have on hand? I was thinking 4 each of the black, white and orange and 1 each of the other colors. Can I wash them and use them again right away? I was thinking of going through 2 pads, washing them and hand drying them as best I can, then using the other 2 pads as the washed ones air dry a bit.

Should I be taping up the chrome trim while using the polisher as well?

[rlmccarty2000]

You can polish over the PPF but you may get polish imbedded around the film, so be careful or expect to spend time cleaning up around the edges. Sounds like you have enough pads to start, just remember they are disposable and may not last too long. The chrome trim is like the PPF, it depends on how careful you are. I would mask it off just to save cleanup time on a full detail.

[Mike lambert]

What he said! Just don`t work on the film long, don`t want to put much heat in it

[FreakyNorm]

Thanks for the advice. I was nervous about taping it off as I thought it might pull up the bra possibly. I won`t be polishing on the bra much at all so I don`t think I will have any issues.

I got 6 orange hex logic and 6 white hex logic pads. That sounds like enough if I am cleaning the pads with a pad brush and towel.

[Accumulator]

FreakyNorm- Welcome to Autopia!

I`d take it pretty easy on that PPF as sometimes it`s rather fragile (apparently less so these days..but still). Most metallic exterior trim is pretty tough but some "chrome" deserves those scare-quotes and some aluminum trim (that can look mighty chrome-like) has a fragile finish that you don`t want to compromise. And "plastic chrome" is downright fragile so be *very* gentle on that stuff if you have any.

I always think "more is better!" when it comes to pads, and IMO most people don`t clean/swap them nearly often enough. I bet you`ll need a lot of the orange pads, a few less of the white ones, and only a few black ones. The pads that do the most work are the ones you need the most of, and once any significant correction is finished you just need to lightly refine things, which ought not amount to much.

Big hint: don`t switch to the Finishing Pads/Polishes too soon, and don`t expect those to do the work of more aggressive stuff. Choose a good test-spot and get dialed-in from start to finish before doing a whole panel section.

Have the right lighting and make absolutely certain that things are OK before you do a whole panel let alone the whole vehicle. If something goes haywire, stop and figure out what`s happening and why, and what you`re *prefer* to have happening and what you need to change in order to affect that. Don`t hesitate to ask us for advice as many of us have made every mistake in the book, and more than once!

I strongly urge you to NOT do whole panels at a time when doing correction...IMO most work areas that are far to big, and I personally don`t even like doing the usual 2` x 2` despite decades of experience at this stuff. Don`t do some large area without cleaning/swapping your pad(s), do it a LOT more often than you think you oughta. DO NOT work your products until they flash/dry unless the specific product in question is designed to work that way (very few compounds/polishes are IME), but rather buff the residue off with your MF while it`s still a little wet.

Most products should be used with a DRY pad, so if a pad`s still wet from cleaning it I`d get out another one. Using a pad that`s damp with water/something else can have its place, but only do it if you have a specific reason and are absolutely certain that it`s a good idea.

Know whether your abrasives are diminishing/non and work accordingly (I don`t know from CG products and Meguiar`s sells both kinds).

Expect this stuff to take far longer than you`d ever imagine ;) I don`t want to sound discouraging, but most are amazed that doesn`t go faster.

[FreakyNorm]

Yeah, I figured it`s always a big job which is probably why most people don`t do the machine detailing level of work. I don`t mind it. It`s definitely satisfying and sometimes pretty frustrating I am sure. :)

[Accumulator]

FreakyNorm- Good that you don`t mind it...if ya don`t like doing such stuff it`s a bit of a PIA (voice of experience).