Beginner Polishes and Pads

[kestrel452]

Hi all, I just purchased my first "good" orbital buffer, the Griot`s BOSS G15. If anyone would be so kind as to provide some basic advice to a beginner, it`d be greatly appreciated

I have done some reading, and it seems a couple very good All-in-One products are 3D HD Speed and Klasse AIO. What I`d like to have on-hand are some polishes that will get me to some decent results without much danger of burning through too much clear coat or potential marring. Stained trim is another issue I`d love to not encounter just to avoid the hassle of needing to clean it again post-polish.

The first type of product would be an AIO for cars in generally good condition where clear coat removal would be minuscule, mostly just going after environmental contaminants and things that may not come off with a wash mitt and soap while leaving a durable/slick/gossy/color enhancing protectant. The second would be a safe to use AIO polish that will be able to take out most light to medium swirls and other imperfections while also leaving an equally good sealant/protectant. My personal vehicle doesn`t really have many swirls, as I am careful when washing. Though I`d like to be able to practice on family and friends` vehicles (which do have swirls galore) and at least get them looking decently better without spending a lot of time. Removing the water spot hazing from the boat`s gel coat would also be pretty cool..

Am I correct in presuming that Klasse AIO would be a good regular-use polish for the first, and 3D Speed as something to use once in a while for the second? I`m not really sure how often you can use these products without burning through too much clear.

Lastly, would you recommend 3D HD Polish+ as a safe polish-only product for more serious defect removal? Which of the BOSS pads do you recommend to use with each product? The black pads mention having some level of cutting power, do those strip clear coat even with products that don`t have abrasives like Klasse or Collinite 845?

Thank you!

[DaveT435]

Hi all, I just purchased my first "good" orbital buffer, the Griot`s BOSS G15. If anyone would be so kind as to provide some basic advice to a beginner, it`d be greatly appreciated

I have done some reading, and it seems a couple very good All-in-One products are 3D HD Speed and Klasse AIO. What I`d like to have on-hand are some polishes that will get me to some decent results without much danger of burning through too much clear coat or potential marring. Stained trim is another issue I`d love to not encounter just to avoid the hassle of needing to clean it again post-polish.

The first type of product would be an AIO for cars in generally good condition where clear coat removal would be minuscule, mostly just going after environmental contaminants and things that may not come off with a wash mitt and soap while leaving a durable/slick/gossy/color enhancing protectant. The second would be a safe to use AIO polish that will be able to take out most light to medium swirls and other imperfections while also leaving an equally good sealant/protectant. My personal vehicle doesn`t really have many swirls, as I am careful when washing. Though I`d like to be able to practice on family and friends` vehicles (which do have swirls galore) and at least get them looking decently better without spending a lot of time. Removing the water spot hazing from the boat`s gel coat would also be pretty cool..

Am I correct in presuming that Klasse AIO would be a good regular-use polish for the first, and 3D Speed as something to use once in a while for the second? I`m not really sure how often you can use these products without burning through too much clear.

Lastly, would you recommend 3D HD Polish+ as a safe polish-only product for more serious defect removal? Which of the BOSS pads do you recommend to use with each product? The black pads mention having some level of cutting power, do those strip clear coat even with products that don`t have abrasives like Klasse or Collinite 845?

Thank you!

I don`t know what kind of cars you`re dealing with but if they`re fairly new and you`re using a polish there isn`t much concern when it comes to burning through. You could do a light polish once a year for probably 20 years without going through the clear.

What kind of cars are you working on? I don`t know a lot about Klasse. I`ve read a lot of positives about Speed. You`ve got a lot of options, I wouldn`t limit yourself to AIOs.

[EdLancer]

If the paint is in good condition, then stock up on white or green polishing pads. I rarely use the yellow pad unless that paint needs cutting/correcting and the black pad I find is useless probably just good for applying 845IW. Unless you are placing a huge order online, then you can try a bottle of retail polish like Meg`s Ultimate Polish which is supposedly similar to Meg`s M205 and is very mild with a white/green polishing pad.

[The Guz]

I`m not much an AIO user so others can chime in. As far as polishes SonaX Cutmax if you are looking for a compound and Sonax EX 04-06 for a polish. Both user friendly and no dusting. Much better than HD Polish from personal experience. Optimum Hyper Polish would be another good polish.

Klasse AIO is ok. It has no abrasives so it won`t do much for swirl remover. There are much easier and better products these days. Just be aware that the protection an AIO leaves behind does not last that long. If you ask how long will it last. It is going to vary by the environment the vehicle is exposed to.

[JVD]

Optimum Poli Seal is a great AIO. You can get a bit of correction depending on pad choice. Ridiculously easy to use too.

For beginner using foam pads I feel like M101 and M205 are perfect. M105 has more of a learning curve but is also good. Tends to dry up/dust more in my experience.

FG400 and SF3500 are also great. The diminishing abrasives mean you have to be a bit more attentive compared to the Megiuars stuff.

[Mary B]

You say you have a G15 ? Maybe give the Griot`s Boss polishes a try.
I like the Fast Correcting Cream and the Perfecting Cream, great 1-2 punch.

[kestrel452]

Thanks all for the suggestions. The vehicles are pretty wide ranging, plus a boat (which has a decal covering most of the hull).

I actually did pick up one of the BOSS products, the finishing sealant, which apparently has slightly more cut than HD Speed. They suggest the black boss pad, however the yellow would probably be better for improperly cared for vehicles that aren`t *too* bad???

I really want to be careful on the boat and was considering Meguiar`s M09 for that purpose. That plus the BOSS yellow pad might just be the right combo for gel coat without being too rough on the decals. Anyone have experience with this product?

[Stokdgs]

Thanks all for the suggestions. The vehicles are pretty wide ranging, plus a boat (which has a decal covering most of the hull).

I actually did pick up one of the BOSS products, the finishing sealant, which apparently has slightly more cut than HD Speed. They suggest the black boss pad, however the yellow would probably be better for improperly cared for vehicles that aren`t *too* bad???

I really want to be careful on the boat and was considering Meguiar`s M09 for that purpose. That plus the BOSS yellow pad might just be the right combo for gel coat without being too rough on the decals. Anyone have experience with this product?

Regarding the boat - how good clarity and gloss are you going for ?? Depending on what condition it is in now, if you are wanting to clean it up and get it looking perfect, you will probably never get done with anything, but a big, heavy, Rotary like the DeWalt 949 I believe is the nbr.. And lots of heavy duty wool pads... And a good gel coat compound..

If it all covered with decals, those of course are not gelcoat and can be carefully cleaned up.. Be careful with them as they are plastic and do not dissipate heat worth a darn and can be damaged..

All the Boat Detailers I knew used nothing but DeWalt Rotary machines, because they would last the longest before they were worn out and had to be rebuilt... My buddy up there told me the DeWalts usually can last 1 year of daily, constant, usage and then they are done and have to be rebuilt..

His work by the way, is as good or better than anyone Detailing auto paintwork to the highest level.. Even black boats...

I will try to get ahold of my Boat Detailer Expert in Seattle, and ask him your questions regarding decals, etc.., and get back to you..

Good luck with your project !
Dan F

[rlmccarty2000]

My favorite AOI is CarPro Essence. It has some mild correction abilities and leaves behind a fairly long lasting (2-3 months)glossy surface. Just top it with one of the many coating toppers like Polish Angel High Gloss and you will get 5 months of great shine and protection.

[Accumulator]

I ... was considering Meguiar`s M09 for that purpose. That plus the BOSS yellow pad might just be the right combo for gel coat without being too rough on the decals. Anyone have experience with this product?

Noting they might have changed the M09 again since I last used it..it has absolutely minimal cut IME and a lot of the same Trade Secret Oils that are in M07. It wouldn`t be *my* choice because:

-No need for its filling abilities
-Chance of LSP failing early due to the oils
-Minimal chemical cleaning ability
-Chance of leaving white staining or otherwise not being decal-friendly (I always kept it off them but that was years ago)

Klasse AIO is ok. It has no abrasives so it won`t do much for swirl remover. There are much easier and better products these days...

I`m not arguing at all, but you sure got my attention!

"Easier and better" than KAIO, hmmm... I`ve always found it about as easy as anything could be unless I did something (really) wrong, and while different people will have different views on "what`s better" for a lot of jobs it`s *still* the product I reach for. So..guess I`m curious, could you expand upon your views?

[kestrel452]

Regarding the boat - how good clarity and gloss are you going for ?? Depending on what condition it is in now, if you are wanting to clean it up and get it looking perfect, you will probably never get done with anything, but a big, heavy, Rotary like the DeWalt 949 I believe is the nbr.. And lots of heavy duty wool pads... And a good gel coat compound..

If it all covered with decals, those of course are not gelcoat and can be carefully cleaned up.. Be careful with them as they are plastic and do not dissipate heat worth a darn and can be damaged..

All the Boat Detailers I knew used nothing but DeWalt Rotary machines, because they would last the longest before they were worn out and had to be rebuilt... My buddy up there told me the DeWalts usually can last 1 year of daily, constant, usage and then they are done and have to be rebuilt..

His work by the way, is as good or better than anyone Detailing auto paintwork to the highest level.. Even black boats...

I will try to get ahold of my Boat Detailer Expert in Seattle, and ask him your questions regarding decals, etc.., and get back to you..

Good luck with your project !
Dan F

Hi Dan, thanks for your conscientious reply.

I`m not looking for anything that will be a strong cutting agent. Moreso a product that will actually start cleaning and lightly polishing gel coat. Nothing is in bad condition. There is *some* waterspot hazing and swirling in certain areas that`d be nice to remove or at least mitigate over time with more buffing sessions. But for the most part, this is a boat that`s still in fine shape and not in need of any sort of restoration-level work.

[kestrel452]

Noting they might have changed the M09 again since I last used it..it has absolutely minimal cut IME and a lot of the same Trade Secret Oils that are in M07. It wouldn`t be *my* choice because:

-No need for its filling abilities
-Chance of LSP failing early due to the oils
-Minimal chemical cleaning ability
-Chance of leaving white staining or otherwise not being decal-friendly (I always kept it off them but that was years ago)


I`m not arguing at all, but you sure got my attention!

"Easier and better" than KAIO, hmmm... I`ve always found it about as easy as anything could be unless I did something (really) wrong, and while different people will have different views on "what`s better" for a lot of jobs it`s *still* the product I reach for. So..guess I`m curious, could you expand upon your views?

Thanks for your reply. I share your concerns about a product that has "nourishing oils". The only reason it seemed interesting was it being a low-strength polish. Right now, I have three products on hand to try with cars of varying condition: KAIO being the lightest, HD Speed, and Griot`s "finishing sealant" being the strongest. From what I`ve read, none of them are that strong of a cutting agent, but the Griot`s with a yellow pad is supposedly entering the arena of moderate defect removal with a decent long-throw.

Just out of curiosity, how does the KAIO supposedly remove lighter defects such as swirling without any abrasives? Which BOSS pad is best with KAIO?

[The Guz]

Just out of curiosity, how does the KAIO supposedly remove lighter defects such as swirling without any abrasives? Which BOSS pad is best with KAIO?

The pad is doing the work.

[Accumulator]

Right, what The Guz said.

Just like back when we ran M07 via rotary decades ago, the only way KAIO will do any correction is if/when the pad does the work; in such cases the product provides lubrication/etc. rather than cut.

I`ll hypothesize (not to say "guess" ) that there shouldn`t be a problem using an AIO such as the Finishing Sealant or Speed, even on the GG Yellow. IF the yellow is mild enough that it`s merely facilitating cut rather than actually contributing some (of its own), and IF the product in question isn`t inherently too abrasive (doesn`t sound like it), then I`d expect it to work fine. Combinations can only cut as aggressively as their harshest component (limits on the practical effects of synergy) and none of those sound worrisome to me.

Easy for me to talk though, not my stuff being abraded!