By Hand

[07gtcs]

Hi....am looking to do a pre-wax cleaner then a good wax job this spring. I do not have an orbital buffer, will I get good results if I do these by hand ? I`m considering the Mothers three step system or the liquid glass pre cleaner and then polish.

[Blacktruckowner]

I think you would need to tell us what colour your car is to get a good answer. I know black is a B@tch to do by hand.

[embolism]

any colour is hard to do right by hand

swirls are harder to see on silver and white paint so if you just want it shiney and protected, then a cleaner wax by hand is the way to go...

[Beemerboy]

Hi....am looking to do a pre-wax cleaner then a good wax job this spring. I do not have an orbital buffer, will I get good results if I do these by hand ? I`m considering the Mothers three step system or the liquid glass pre cleaner and then polish.

For me by hand, I would get a clay bar kit to clean the surface. Then PB P-w-C and Nattys paste wax to follow


PB products are very user friendly for those applying by hand and getting good results

[CT3]

My guess is it would depend on the condition of your paint.

[07gtcs]

I think you would need to tell us what colour your car is to get a good answer. I know black is a B@tch to do by hand.

Its a Vista (Dark) Blue Mustang, and the paint seems to be in good shape. I haven`t had the cover off it yet to really inspect for swirl marks but seem to remember there not being any. I am after a good shine for the show season as this is my personal vehicle.

[sc_S13]

Doing it by hand takes a long time, and you`re more prone to miss spots IMO. I used to use the Mother`s system too, and it has great results for shine, but I`d be so sore after. Just make sure you clean the surface well enough with clay if its bumpy prior to application. Makes a world of difference

[Old Pirate]

Looks like a Hard Clear Coat there to work on but it can be done, just it will take some time in your part. What Beemerboy`s mention is a great way to start using Poorboy`s products. IMO I would save up on the money department and invest in a kit from the AutopiaForums Car Care Store (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/pcdepot.html) and it will pay itself off after the first detail you do to it.

[rzatch]

You can do it but your never going to get the same results by hand that you would using a machine to polish your paint.

[Blindman]

I had my doubts about buying the Meguiar`s G110V2 Complete kit this past year, but if I ever loose it....I would purchase another 1 even before mmy next Heartbeat! Since you`re goin to do it by "hand", purchase the Meguiar`s "Hand Pad" with a LC white pad & another 1 for the waxing( red or blue) will do the job. Your "hands" will love you for that! 6.5 padswith the pad holder will help you get that job done better & quicker.

[mwtaco]

sometimes, unless your looking carefully or use the correct light, you don`t notice the swirls right away.

i`ve tried removing swirls by hand and while i guess they say it can be done, it was quite difficult.

nevertheless, i`d suspect, hand or machine, using the right technique, you could achieve significant improvement.

i think the forum can help you more if you they had a better grasp of what condition your paint is.

[Todd@RUPES]

Hi....am looking to do a pre-wax cleaner then a good wax job this spring. I do not have an orbital buffer, will I get good results if I do these by hand ? I`m considering the Mothers three step system or the liquid glass pre cleaner and then polish.

Hello!

You will get better results by doing either of the above processes by hand vs. using just a store bought wax or just a store bought paint sealant. When you separate the processes of cleaning, polishing (or glazing), and waxing/sealing you can use products formulated specifically for each task. The end result, though time consuming, is often superior to using a product that does all of the above (and is thus less focused) in one-step.

You might want to read this thread as it provides a basic understanding of the concepts of paint care: The Autopia 5 Step Paint Care Cycle (http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/detail-institute-presented-autopia-carcare-com/36914-autopia-5-step-paint-care-cycle.html)

In my years as a detailer I have probably done 90-100 brand new car preps. These are cars that have literally just been delivered from the factory. In every case, except 1 (a silver Porsche) the paint was swirled up and benefited from machine polishing/paint correction. This was true regardless of the brand (from high end cars such as Ferrari`s and Aston Martins all the way down to more pedestrian makes such as Honda and Mazda).

Usually a dual-action polisher such as Porter Cable 7424XP becomes an enthusiasts best friend because they give you the power to polish paint in a user-safe manner and allow you to apply and remove waxes/sealants with ease. Given how hard modern paint`s are it is almost impossible to do paint correction by hand. It`s akin to polishing a diamond with pudding.

If you are limited to working by hand and use something that is considered a premium product (not limited by price point such as many store bought products) line I would suggest looking into the BLACKFIRE line-up.

BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/blackfire-gloss-enhancing-polish.html) works great by hand or orbital dual-action polisher. It would be considered step one (after claying). It will remove very very fine swirl marks (to increase gloss) while deep cleaning the paint and wetting it with a glaze. It also prepares the paint for the second step.

The second step is the paint sealant, BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/blackfire-paint-protection.html). This sealant uses a unique blend of three different polymers sourced from Germany and Switzerland to give the paint a liquid shine that appears almost 3 dimensional. It really is a unique, rich look that would be stunning on blue. It is also extremely easy to use by hand. This is one of the most talked about and universally loved paint sealants in the world, and for good reason.

The best news is that both of these products are on sale right now, so you can pick them up from autopia-carcare.com for about the same price as you would store bought products and really enjoy the benefits of using a premium brand.

Hope this helps.

Todd

[PA DETAILER]

if the paint is in ok condition, P21S paint cleanser provides great results.

[holland_patrick]

For me by hand, I would get a clay bar kit to clean the surface. Then PB P-w-C and Nattys paste wax to follow


PB products are very user friendly for those applying by hand and getting good results

I would second this my FIL will not let me clean is Baby yet but he was amazed at this combo over what he normally uses

[Larry A]

Mothers makes a good prewax cleaner, so does Duragloss and Meguiars . You will not get much corrections if any , but the paint will look much better.