Newbie Questions: Orbital Car Buffer for Waxing

[Mike Win]

Yesterday was the first day in my life that I waxed a car. I washed the car dried with a chamois cloth then applied this Turtle Wax paste wax until it was hazy dry or something and rubbed it all off with some polishing towels or cloths or whatever.



Anyway, I`m new to all of this, and someone told me that I should get an electric buffer for my wax jobs, since it would cut my time down dramatically. Like, it took almost an hour and a half to wax my entire car, and it`s just a small 2 door or coupe or whatever. It was a lot of work doing it by hand too.



So, I was wondering if a cheap little electric buffer could do the trick? For example, I would apply the Turtle Wax with the applicator by hand, wait for it to get hazy dry, and turn turn on the electric buffer to buff the wax out. Is that ok?



I don`t want to spend too much money on this electric buffer, just a cheap one for maybe $20-$30. I`ve read a little today about other buffers like some people talk about PC random orbitals and whatnot but those are expensive and in the upwards of $100. I also read about the swirl marks and don`t want to scratch up my car too bad.



Does this sound like a good idea? Any tips or suggestions? Buy a cheap little electric orbital buffer and terry cloth bonnets, apply the wax to my car, wait for it to get hazy dry, and then buff out the wax with the orbital buffer. Waxing is about the only thing I know about now.



I read a little bit about polishing, but I`m not sure exactly what all the polishing stuff is about. Up until this point, I thought the only thing you could do after washing a car is waxing it. Is the polish some kind of clear liquid that gives the car that mirror-like shine?



And how do I tell what kind of paint is on my car? I`ve seen clear coat, gel coat, something about enamel paint. Are there more? What`s the difference? What is clay used for too? Is there like a newbie guide around here that defines a lot of frequent terms and acronyms?



One last thing. I`ve heard stuff about removing the wax from your car too. The next time I wash my car the wax doesn`t just come off? Like, next time I plan to wash my car and then wax it again. Is that wrong? I need to remove the wax first or what? How do you remove the wax?

[Deanski]

So many questions...



What you should do is look at the top right and click on "Learn".



As for cheap buffers, that`s just what they are, cheap! They do not do any benefit for car finish resoration and can add undesirable results.



You`re best bet at this point due to cost is to stay with hand applications of polishes and waxes. You need several 100% USA cotton towels and some microfiber towels. The cotton ones you can use for polishing as they can produce enough friction and bite so the polish can work. As for swirls, depending on how bad, you could start with Megs #9 then choose a good wax.



Go do a search on this site for all your questions as well. Then see if that answers some. After all the reading, post an update.



Regards,

Deanski

[tommyd]

Yesterday was the first day in my life that I waxed a car. I washed the car dried with a chamois cloth then applied this Turtle Wax paste wax until it was hazy dry or something and rubbed it all off with some polishing towels or cloths or whatever.




One last thing. I`ve heard stuff about removing the wax from your car too. The next time I wash my car the wax doesn`t just come off? Like, next time I plan to wash my car and then wax it again. Is that wrong? I need to remove the wax first or what? How do you remove the wax?



For one thing, if you`re using Turtle Wax, you likely won`t have to worry about cleaning the car surface before reapplying any kind of protectant.... it`s not going to last very long.

Do some reading and get yourself some of the recommended brands.



As Deanski said, cheap is cheap. I was debating the same thing as you but decided to get myself a pc for the extra service it`ll provide me during the different stages of detailing my car and reliability. Since you`re already talking about polishing and claying, get a PC.

I`ve heard it`s better apply using the machine, and buffing it out by hand, though i`m not sure why you can`t do both using the machine? (other than difficulty getting into the tougher to reach places).






I read a little bit about polishing, but I`m not sure exactly what all the polishing stuff is about. Up until this point, I thought the only thing you could do after washing a car is waxing it. Is the polish some kind of clear liquid that gives the car that mirror-like shine?



A polish is just that.... polish. Wax and Sealants provide protection but generally don`t enhance shine (other than light enhancers that are in a lot of the products). Your shine is going to come from how well you`ve polished the paint... i.e. removed imperfections, swirls, etc. To do this you need a clean surface to work on, which is what clay is used for.



Search and all your answers will be answered... hope this helps to get you started. :bounce

[markmando]

if you live near a mejiers they have a great $40 10" orbital buffer made by road expedition on sale for $10 til the end of september. great deal

[raymond_ho2002]

Originally posted by tommyd

Since you`re already talking about polishing and claying, get a PC.





Mike Win mentioned that he did not want to spend more than 20 - 30 dollars on a buffer. A PC is not in his range. Not everyone is ready to spend hundreds on this kinda stuff.





Mike:

A 20 - 30 dollar orbital will not do much better than you can do by hand. You stated that your problem was in product removal. My opinion is that you spend your money on a wax that`s easier to apply and remove by hand. There several waxes that are easier to work with that are under 20 dollars.. one that comes into mind is S100. Waxing alone would take about 20 mins with this, including time for removal. I can wash and wax an SUV in under an hour. As for polishes, they improve the shine of the paint before you wax.



Anyway, I think that`d be a good start.. if you`re satisfied at that stage, then that means you have a fatter wallet at the end of the day. :) If you want better results, such as improved gloss and swirl removal, there is always more that can be learned from this site.

[Vadar]

I`m going to make another plug for Mother`s Reflections. Costs about $9.00. Looks great. Easy on-Easy off. Should be able to do the car in 20minutes.



For decent towels, go to walmart and get their microfiber towels. 5 for $5.



Dom

(Detailing doesn`t have to be expensive)

[tommyd]

Mike Win mentioned that he did not want to spend more than 20 - 30 dollars on a buffer. A PC is not in his range. Not everyone is ready to spend hundreds on this kinda stuff.



True... but he also mentioned an interest in doing more than just a wash and wax at some point...



I was going to buy a cheaper polisher myself... but from my research decided that the pc would better suit my needs. It`ll come down to what you want to do Mike...



As people have said, you might as well go by hand than get a cheaper machine.

If wash and wax is ALL you ever plan to do though, a cheap machine MIGHT save you some time, but again as people have said, you can do it pretty quickly by hand as well.



Good luck with whatever you decide!



on another note: 20 minutes to wax!! wow!

It takes me 1.5 hours just to WASH my car!!

:shocked

applying prowax sealant took me about 1.5 to 2 hours... and it`s a pretty easy on/ easy off product. (by hand)

Just got some S100 which i heard is VERY easy to use, but i can`t imagine it`ll take less than an hour... planning on topping my sealant this weekend so i guess i`ll find out.



maybe i`m just a slow worker?... but i LOVE working on my car so i really take my time, which flies neways when you`re having fun...



:D

[shaf]

Sure, you could buy a cheap buffer to help you apply wax if you`re not going "hardcore". It would probably apply it in thinner coats anyway. If you really have a small car and it`s taking you forever, you may want to think about how you`re doing it. Are you applying the wax in coats that are too thick? You only need to apply ANY wax very thinly. Maybe you need to let it dry more since some waxes are hard to buff off when still slightly damp. With proper application, I`d suggest applying by machine and hand buffing, which is what most people do (who apply by machine at all).



Be wary about the term "polish" since most people consider that to be using some mild abrasive to correct paint problems, but some companies have other notions.



You do not need to strip off your old wax unless you`re doing some product testing or playing around with stuff. Even Turtle Wax should last beyond one wash. Just re-wax your car as necessary as it wears off naturally, or sooner if you feel like it.



I strongly suggest either purchasing the eBook or at least checking out the Learn! link at the top of the page. Washing and waxing are relatively simple things you can do to care for your car, but they have to be done properly and with safe materials or else you could actually cause damage. Good luck, and HTH.

[Deanski]

A cheap buffer can do more damage than good! Most use terry bonnets which when they get heated from use, the fibers get brittle and start to add scratches and worse a condition called biffer burn in which it looks like waves on the finish.



You are much better off doing it by hand! Use 100% USA cotton towels to polish with. Fold them and use this to polish, changing the fold often and towel often.



Obtain several MF towels for wipe-down and final polish/burnish.



Wax by hand, wipe off by hand with a clean MF and follow with a QD and you`re done.



Quite note, obtain a CWB for drying with a waffel weave MF towel as well. WIth the CWB, it will remove the water VERY FAST. The waffel will p/u any left.



Save you cash and get a PC later!



Regards,

Deanski