How often do you polish??

[JDM99]

Count me as one more who just took the PC plunge. After a LOT of reading here, I ordered the bonus kit from Coastal. A couple of questions that I didnt` see in the old threads. 1)How often do you polish. Can you polish too much? 2)Pads, Pads, and more Pads. Is there really a difference between all of these pads? I can certainly see how a real aggressive/wool pad would be extreme, but is there really that big a difference between the other "middle of the road" pads i.e. polishing/finishing etc. Seems that it`s just a way for the manufacturers to sell more pads?

[togwt]

~One man’s opinion / observations ~



1) How often do you polish? Can you polish too much?



A1) Polish (abrasive) to eliminate elevate swirl marks, as needed (can you abrade too much, of course but using common sense you will avoid abrading too much of the clear coat or single stage paint.



2) Polish to provide gloss, each time I apply a protecterant to the paint (usually in the form of a pre-wax cleaner (P21S)



2) Pads, Pads, and more Pads. Is there really a difference between all of these pads? I can certainly see how a real aggressive/wool pad would be extreme, but is there really that big a difference between the other "middle of the road" pads i.e. polishing/finishing etc. Seems that it`s just a way for the manufacturers to sell more pads?

A2) The foam composition of pads is different i.e. more or less abrasive (most manufacturers use a different colour to distinguish ‘grades’)





~Hope this helps~



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect *so I question everything*

[shaf]

1) Yes, it`s possible to polish "too much", although this is exactly why proper care and good washing/cleaning methods (and materials too) are very important. This way, when you do have to polish your car again next year or so, you don`t need to polish very aggressively.



2) Yes, the different grades of foam do make a difference. Handle a finishing pad and compare that to a cutting pad and you`ll see. We wouldn`t be buying and recommending all the different pad types if we discovered didn`t need them... we`re not all suckers y`know. ;)