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The Old Grey Whistle Test
Will require patience and a lot of ‘elbow grease’ but in some circumstances adequate results can be obtained
Hand polishing is necessary around door handles, especially those that are recessed, around badges and emblems and around trim and panel edges, once masking tape has been removed and water drainage channel in trunk and hood.
The application of detailing products with a random orbital has the advantage of ensuring an even consistent pressure and contact speed, mimicking free hand motion but at a far greater pace and a greatly reduced physical effort. By allowing the weight and the random motion of the machine do the work, thus ensuring that the product is applied in a thin even layer, and will allow products to get embedded deeper into the paint film surface's porosity.
As a caveat I would say that very little serious correction can be accomplished by hand polishing, this is especially true with dense (hard) clear coat finishes like CeramiClear. If you are going to polish a large area by hand use a non-diminishing polish as they only require pressure, whereas diminishing abrasives require both kinetic energy (friction) and consistent pressure, which hand polishing cannot maintain over a long period of time.
Plus you’re going to feel numb for a week if you try and polish an entire car by hand. What can be accomplished however is with the use of an abrasive all-in-one type product to remove defects such as surface water spots, oxidation, etc.
Z-PCâ„¢ Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover- a finishing polish that safely removes minor scratches, swirls, oxidation, wax build-up and other blemishes with fused tri-particulate, diminishing abrasive system
G|Techniq® P1 Nanocomposite Polish - for normal paintwork correction P1 produces great finishes both by machine and by hand. For best and fastest results removes scratches and swirls safely and quickly without leaving holograms.
You might think that because most hand polishes contain a high percentage of fillers, P1 would be an also-ran if used by hand. In fact the opposite is true. Even we didn't expect P1 to be a strong performer when used by hand but when we tested it against products widely regarded as the best hand polishes. Furthermore because P1 doesn't use fillers your new finish that also used a lot of elbow grease won't deteriorate.
Autoglym's Super Resin Polish - (especially suited to older ‘soft’ paint); a polish, glaze, and a synthetic wax in one easy to use, gentle formula, for the removal of oxidation and light surface marks, and it will also 'fill' in some of the deeper marks, creating a visually stunning appearance.
Iz Einszett Paint Polish- will bring the dullest finishes back to life with a lack of effort that will surprise you.
Meguiar’s ScratchX 2.0- for isolated scratch and scuff removal, this new formula has been specifically developed for hand application to quickly remove isolated scratches, fingernail marks, paint transfer and parking lot scuffs. Unique micro-abrasives correct these defects fast
Product application: use a soft foam applicator ( or to provide more abrasion use a terry weave towel) and work a small section (18 x 18 –inch) working the product into paint. This will provide the paint with a deep high gloss
CCS Euro Foam Polish Applicators - are available in three grades; White is for general polishing, Orange - used to remove light to moderate swirls, Red - designed specifically for the application of waxes, sealants, and glazes and has no cut or cleaning ability.
These foam pads allow you to match polishes to the appropriate foam variety, just as you’d do if you were applying the products with a polisher. Now you can get better results by hand because the applicator is enhancing the performance of the product.
Hand polishing is necessary around door handles, especially those that are recessed, around badges and emblems and around trim and panel edges, once masking tape has been removed and water drainage channel in trunk and hood.
The application of detailing products with a random orbital has the advantage of ensuring an even consistent pressure and contact speed, mimicking free hand motion but at a far greater pace and a greatly reduced physical effort. By allowing the weight and the random motion of the machine do the work, thus ensuring that the product is applied in a thin even layer, and will allow products to get embedded deeper into the paint film surface's porosity.
As a caveat I would say that very little serious correction can be accomplished by hand polishing, this is especially true with dense (hard) clear coat finishes like CeramiClear. If you are going to polish a large area by hand use a non-diminishing polish as they only require pressure, whereas diminishing abrasives require both kinetic energy (friction) and consistent pressure, which hand polishing cannot maintain over a long period of time.
Plus you’re going to feel numb for a week if you try and polish an entire car by hand. What can be accomplished however is with the use of an abrasive all-in-one type product to remove defects such as surface water spots, oxidation, etc.
Z-PCâ„¢ Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover- a finishing polish that safely removes minor scratches, swirls, oxidation, wax build-up and other blemishes with fused tri-particulate, diminishing abrasive system
G|Techniq® P1 Nanocomposite Polish - for normal paintwork correction P1 produces great finishes both by machine and by hand. For best and fastest results removes scratches and swirls safely and quickly without leaving holograms.
You might think that because most hand polishes contain a high percentage of fillers, P1 would be an also-ran if used by hand. In fact the opposite is true. Even we didn't expect P1 to be a strong performer when used by hand but when we tested it against products widely regarded as the best hand polishes. Furthermore because P1 doesn't use fillers your new finish that also used a lot of elbow grease won't deteriorate.
Autoglym's Super Resin Polish - (especially suited to older ‘soft’ paint); a polish, glaze, and a synthetic wax in one easy to use, gentle formula, for the removal of oxidation and light surface marks, and it will also 'fill' in some of the deeper marks, creating a visually stunning appearance.
Iz Einszett Paint Polish- will bring the dullest finishes back to life with a lack of effort that will surprise you.
Meguiar’s ScratchX 2.0- for isolated scratch and scuff removal, this new formula has been specifically developed for hand application to quickly remove isolated scratches, fingernail marks, paint transfer and parking lot scuffs. Unique micro-abrasives correct these defects fast
Product application: use a soft foam applicator ( or to provide more abrasion use a terry weave towel) and work a small section (18 x 18 –inch) working the product into paint. This will provide the paint with a deep high gloss
CCS Euro Foam Polish Applicators - are available in three grades; White is for general polishing, Orange - used to remove light to moderate swirls, Red - designed specifically for the application of waxes, sealants, and glazes and has no cut or cleaning ability.
These foam pads allow you to match polishes to the appropriate foam variety, just as you’d do if you were applying the products with a polisher. Now you can get better results by hand because the applicator is enhancing the performance of the product.
