New to machine polishing

**agtjamesb007** · 05-01-2013, 02:50 AM

I apologize in advance if this is a re-post. I have been looking for information but I still feel lost. :-(

Each year I do a thorough cleaning on my white 2002 accord. I clay bar it, use a fine cut cleaner on it to remove the black film, and use meguiars deep crystal polish, and meguiars deep crystal carnuba wax. Its beginning to be A LOT of work and very time consuming. I have always feared machine polishers as I thought I would wear through the clear coat in time or burn through from mis-use.

What types of polishers are safe for beginners? I would just use it for the reasons listed above. I do not do any paint restoration or anything. I was looking at the Dual action polishers, as i think, (but not sure) that they are safer in so far as not being able to burn through. How is the 3d HD polishing kit? Or a porter cable that is a reasonable price?

And all pads attach to the back plate with velcro-/hook and loop, or are they unique to the specific polisher? In other words would I have to buy porter cable pads for a porter cable polisher or would I just needs pads to fit that specific size back plate?

Sorry if this sounds overwhelming, I feel I have alot more to learn.

Thanks!

**pwaug** · 05-01-2013, 06:41 AM

The dual action polishers are the safest way to machine polish your paint. There is little if any chance that you would burn through your paint as you could with a rotary polisher. The 3D HD polishing kit is a great way to get into machine polishing and is reasonably priced however, you would need more pads than are provided in the kit. The HD polisher comes with a 5" velcro backing plate and 5.5" pads so any 5.5" pads will work with it and the 5.5" pads will work with any 5" backing plate no matter what polisher it is attached to. 5.5" pads are the most popular although later you may want to get a 3.5" backing plate (these also fit on the polisher) and 4" pads for the small bits on your car. The HD pads are excellent pads and great for a beginner as they have recessed velcro which offers an added measure of safety when polishing near protruding objects. HD Speed (included in the kit) is also a great product for beginners (as are all HD polishes)--Speed is an All In One--ie it has a mild polish and a sealant in one product. You`ll need to add a coat of some LSP afterward for longer protection. I`ve never worked on Honda paint, but from what I`ve read it is on the softer side so perhaps you could start using HD Speed with green pads--you`d need at least four of them to do the whole car (hopefully others with experience with Honda paint will add their comments). Hope this helps.

**peacemaker** · 05-01-2013, 08:58 AM

I am still technically a beginner as I have only used a buffer a hand full of times on two cars. I have used the Griots, which is a user-friendly device. I think all of them are pretty user friendly except the Flex. I say that because it`s got a tendency to get away from your hands if its not completely flat on the surface.

If I were buying a polisher, I would look to get the latest Griots 6" w/ 5.5" pads and a 5" BP (it comes w/ a 6" bp). I would go with the slightly smaller pad because you can apply more pressure.

For polish, I don`t think I have enough experience to comment. From what Puag said, I think that would be a great combination for you given what you already do.

**Accumulator** · 05-01-2013, 11:10 AM

agtjamesb007- Either the HD or the Griot`s (I have the latter and love it) will be fine for you.

I agree with pwaug, the HD Speed is a good/safe/easy way to go for your first machine-applied product.

While it`s another subject entirely, I myself would want to thoroughly decontaminate that (white) vehicle with something like the "ABC" system from ValuGard. Better approach than claying IMO. It`s not that I hate clay, I like/use/recommend it, but this situation seems to just *scream* for a thorough decontamination. The "ABC" is as simple as doing a series of three washes.

**agtjamesb007** · 05-06-2013, 01:55 AM

green pads--you`d need at least four of them to do the whole car

probably a stupid question, but why do I need so many green pads?

**agtjamesb007** · 05-06-2013, 02:01 AM

I have been looking at the Griots 6" and the HD Kit. They look good, but I cant find any specs on the HD polisher. It seems I can only buy it through their website and I am having trouble finding some reviews on it. Do these company`s actually manufacture the motor and internal workings? I figured I would see more polishers by companies that make power tools like Milwaukee or Stanley or other companies that make power tools, and not cleaning products. I just don`t want something that would crap out on me fairly quickly.

**pwaug** · 05-06-2013, 06:00 AM

Originally Posted by agtjamesb007

probably a stupid question, but why do I need so many green pads?

For each polishing step you need at least 4 pads IMO-- the pads become saturated with product (even with cleaning on the fly) and paint as they are used and lose their effectiveness. You don`t want to stop polishing to wash a pad and then wait hours for it to dry. So as an example you might need 4 orange for a compounding step, 4 green for polishing and 4 black for finishing. Green will probably be OK on your soft Honda paint, but you should have a couple orange and black on hand just in case you need them--again I`m not experienced with Honda paint. Harder paints will finish down well even with more aggressive pads like orange, but some soft paints will require polishing with a more aggressive pad then finishing with a softer pad.

Before you embark on this journey you really need to do some reading and watch some videos to help you get an understanding of the process and how to go about it.

**pwaug** · 05-06-2013, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by agtjamesb007

I have been looking at the Griots 6" and the HD Kit. They look good, but I cant find any specs on the HD polisher. It seems I can only buy it through their website and I am having trouble finding some reviews on it. Do these company`s actually manufacture the motor and internal workings? I figured I would see more polishers by companies that make power tools like Milwaukee or Stanley or other companies that make power tools, and not cleaning products. I just don`t want something that would crap out on me fairly quickly.

Both the Griots and HD polishers are made in China. If you`re concerned with reliability the Griots is the answer as it has a lifetime warranty and their customer service is outstanding.

**togwt** · 05-06-2013, 07:55 AM

What I consider to be the best PC How-To available - Machine Polishing by Dual Action Polisher - Full Guide - Detailing World

**Dan** · 05-06-2013, 09:09 AM

DAs are very safe. The only time I`ve seen any issue is when people try to attack a particular defect and spend too much time on it. As long as you keep the buffer moving, nothing is going to happen, even with an aggressive compound.

**agtjamesb007** · 05-07-2013, 02:22 AM

Both the Griots and HD polishers are made in China. If you`re concerned with reliability the Griots is the answer as it has a lifetime warranty and their customer service is outstanding.

Thanks. Very good to know. I think the HD DA Polisher Kit is a great deal, but it`s important that a company backs its product. Ill have to see what HD offers in terms of warranty and customer service.

**agtjamesb007** · 05-12-2013, 01:31 AM

Well, I went ahead and purchased the Griots 6" DA. I hope I am happy with it. The only thing throwing me of now is my decision on the pads. I purchased several lake country 6.5" pads: Orange, for some light cutting/paint cleaning, white for polish and black for wax. There are so many pads, i think four different colors for wax application alone. I hope I made the right decision and it would do me a disservice down the road. Do they make microfiber pads? shouldn`t those be used for wax application?

**pwaug** · 05-12-2013, 06:41 AM

Good choice on the polisher. From my post above "So as an example you might need 4 orange for a compounding step, 4 green for polishing and 4 black for finishing." This was referring to Buff & Shine colors so I`m not sure how they directly compare with LC pads, but your selection of orange and white seems appropriate. With your soft Honda paint you may need to do a finishing step with the black pads (in the B&S line they have very mild cut). In the B&S line you could use the black for wax application, but they also have red which has no cut which I use for LSP application. I know the GG DA can handle 6.5" pads, but IMO you`d be better off getting a 5" backing plate and 5.5" pads--easier to use and more effective.

Edit: Looks like you`ll be fine color wise--assuming you got these 6.6" flat foam pads--

Orange Light Cutting Foam 6.5 inch Pad - Firm, high density foam for scratch and defect removal. Use this pad with polishes and swirl removers. Itâ€™s an all around pad that will work on most light to moderate imperfections.

White Flat Polishing Foam 6.5 inch Pad - High absorption foam formula for the application of waxes, micro-fine polishes and sealants. This pad has very light cutting power so its perfect for pre-wax cleaners.

Gray Finishing Foam 6.5 inch Pad - Composition is firm enough to withstand added pressure during final finishing to remove buffer swirls. It has no cut and will apply thin, even coats of waxes, sealants, and glazes.

Blue Finessing Foam 6.5 inch Pad â€“ Flat pad has soft composition for applying glaze, finishing polish, sealants, and liquid waxes. Flat pad provides full contact with paint surface to minimize the pressure applied by the user. Use the blue pad to remove products or for final buffing.

**Accumulator** · 05-12-2013, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by agtjamesb007

Well, I went ahead and purchased the Griots 6" DA. I hope I am happy with it. The only thing throwing me of now is my decision on the pads. I purchased several lake country 6.5" pads: Orange, for some light cutting/paint cleaning, white for polish and black for wax. There are so many pads, i think four different colors for wax application alone. I hope I made the right decision and it would do me a disservice down the road. Do they make microfiber pads? shouldn`t those be used for wax application?

The 6.5" size is *kinda* pushing it, even for the Griot`s. Might be OK...you`ll find out

The orange LC pads are a bit aggressive for "paint cleaning" IMO (and I`m used to hard clear); use those for somewhat aggressive cutting.

Otherwise you`re OK (the white and black ones).

IF (and it`s a big "if") necessary, you can do a final polishing step with the black pad and just wax by hand. But I bet the white ones will be OK.

Hope you have enough pads, depending on the product(s) you use you might need a bunch of `em (I always do).

On the MF ones, there are different MF pads (often called "disks"). The ones I`ve used from Meguiar`s are for *serious* correction, something to use in place of the orange foam pads (and I consider the MF ones superior in every way, safer too). Don`t think LC makes them at present. IIRC, the MF pads/disks come in 6". 5.5", and 3", so you`d need the appropriate backing plate(s).

**hkpinc** · 06-10-2013, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by agtjamesb007

Well, I went ahead and purchased the Griots 6" DA. I hope I am happy with it. The only thing throwing me of now is my decision on the pads. I purchased several lake country 6.5" pads: Orange, for some light cutting/paint cleaning, white for polish and black for wax. There are so many pads, i think four different colors for wax application alone. I hope I made the right decision and it would do me a disservice down the road. Do they make microfiber pads? shouldn`t those be used for wax application?

Where did you purchase it from?