Im new to this forum an Im unsure if there is a thread for this already but I`m gonna go ahead and post.

So im branching out to doing other peoples vehicles and Im hoping to turn it into a business as I rather improve my technique and ability as a detailer. Up to now I`ve worked solely with my own vehicle and those of my family and a few friends. Each of the vehicles I`ve worked on is american made (mostly ford and GMC) so I know that the paint I`ve been working with is fairly thick. Im going to list the questions Ive got below and hopefully after all is said and done ill walk away far more confident about working on different vehicles than I am at the moment.

1. My biggest concern is the different paint techniques used by the different makes. Im most worried about getting a vehicle with a thinner paint as apposed to that of my 2012 F150. Im going to order one of the Defelsko paint meters to help me with this. Now my actual question here is whats the best way to use the readings to determine the thickness of the paint and the thickness of the clear coat to better choose which polish/pad to use.

2. Once Ive got my reading sorted and know the thickness of the paint how should I use that information to decide which pads to use for which steps?

3. For body lines i know not to use a machine polisher as to not damage the paint. Would the most affective way to apply a polish to these areas be a microfiber applicator or is there a better method for doing so?

Those are my main concerns with polishing at this point and any help is greatly appreciated!