Newbie ?'s on polishing.

J

Jake.K

New member
ok, so im am about to start deatiling peoples cars on the side, and was originally not going to include polishing services, since i have no expirence and no polish, but after looking at the before and afters in the other section, i think i need it.



Now, first of all, i dont have a PC, and dont really want to buy one yet. I do however have a machine buffer. the closest thing i can find is this Amazon.com: Pro-Tech 10" Car Buffer & Polisher: Home Improvement It isnt the exact same thing, but relativly close.



I am about to order a few things online, and think i need to order polish with it.

What would be a good polish for me? I will have a broad range of vehicles that i will be working on, and need it to work for all of them.



And can polishing possibly harm a car? I dont want to rish screwing up someones car, but i want to do all that i can. I will be using a wandom orbital buffer, not a rotary BTW.



Thanks!
 
I think the problem you're going to have are those cheap "machine buffers" do not generate enough speed to properly break down good polishing agents to allow them to do what they need to do. There's a reason you see most people on here using pc's and what not, so if you are really wanting to get into polishing, do it right otherwise you'll be wasting a lot of your time.
 
Agree 100% with never gone. The buffer you have could potentially be useful for applying wax and sealant, and for buffing it off. I don't think you could do real correction with it though. If you're doing this as a source of income, the cost of a porter cable and some pads is very small compared to the value of the time it will save you.
 
Jake.K said:
Now, first of all, i dont have a PC, and dont really want to buy one yet. I do however have a machine buffer. the closest thing i can find is this Amazon.com: Pro-Tech 10" Car Buffer & Polisher: Home Improvement It isnt the exact same thing, but relativly close.
Click to expand...



Interesting when you click on the link . . . "What do customers ULTIMATELY buy after viewing this item?" and then is lists some PC accessories. If you scroll down, there's a link to a PC for $123.



If you're going to get into polishing, do it right and invest right. Don't waster your money on the Pro-Tech and just get a Porter Cable. It's a much better investment in the long run especially since you open yourself up to a bigger variety of available accessories. Happy polishing!:D
 
ah, well the buffer i have right now is something that my bro got from his gf a while back and never really used.



Im trying to keep the cost of this down, but i guess if i really need it, then i might be able to shell out the cash...

Oh, and another thing is that all i have is like terry-cloth applicators for it. would i need a foam applicator for polish even if i did use it?
 
terry cloth can and will put swirls into the paint. If you plan on getting out minor scratches, paint oxidation and swirls for you potential clients, it isnt going to happen with that buffer.



as mentioned, it will do a very good job applying waxes and or sealants and then buffing off. if that is all you plan on doing for people, and that is all they want, then you should be fine. just invest in a wax / sealant with lots of fillers.
 
Jake.K said:
ah, well the buffer i have right now is something that my bro got from his gf a while back and never really used.



Im trying to keep the cost of this down, but i guess if i really need it, then i might be able to shell out the cash...

Oh, and another thing is that all i have is like terry-cloth applicators for it. would i need a foam applicator for polish even if i did use it?
Click to expand...





As I stated in my original reply, the buffer machine you have cannot go fast enough to breakdown polishing compounds to do their job so it doesn't matter what kind of applicators you use, nothing will work. What you have is fine for waxing but not for polishing. Since you can only use your buffer for waxing, I would suggest getting microfiber applicators to apply and take off wax.
 
hmm, well what about hand polishing? If my buffer cant go fast enough how will my hands? Im not trying to question your judgement, as i believe you. I just want to know if i could hand polish customers cars while i saved up for a PC. I kind of want to make sure that i will have a good customer base before i spend 120+ on a PC.
 
It is very nearly impossible to hand polish an entire car. Doing correction like you see in the click and brag section would take like a couple months for a single car (I'm being serious), and still wouldn't look as good because you can't move your arm evenly in all directions like a machine.



Your comment about the terry cloth towels indicates you have a lot to learn, and you should try to soak up as much information on this site before you start doing this for money.
 
you would kill your arm if you will polish by hand. It's true that you won't get a good result by using hand compare to PC's. why don't just save up a bit for PC's? rather than spending your money buying that buffer, I would just save that money to purchase a PC in future. its really up to you if you really want to use that buffer.
 
no, im not planning on buying that buffer, i already have it. Like i said, my bro got it a while back and its just been sitting in my garage.



And im about to go wash and wax my car. Should i use the buffer to apply/remove with a chenielle(sp?) pad? or should i just use one of my microfiber towels?
 
My suggestion is for you to do a lot more research on this forum. IMO you don't seem prepared to be getting paid to do details. Your hands, arms or the buffer that you have will not work for polishing. Someone is going to pay you money, you better get it done right. I still consider myself a newb and I've read hundreds of posts here and I think I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing. However, I do not have enough knowledge to do other people cars and get paid for it. I'm still learning how to use my PC. Are you going to offer clay jobs?



From one newb to another, keep reading and learning and try to be an apprentice and learn the right way. Another thing, if you don't do your customers vehicles right the first time, you're going to set a bad reputation for yourself in the future.
 
i have been doing cars for years, and have been reading on here every spare moment i have. I just havent looked much into polishing, because i didnt think i wanted to offer it. Alot of sales will just be basic wash/wax/vac, but since i saw the cars in the click and brag section, i wanted to look into polishing. What i think i will do now is start off basic, not offering polishing, but save up from a couple of customers and buy a PC.



And yes, i will offer claybarring.
 
You're going to wash, clay and wax? How are you going to get rid of the swirls? Polishing is probably the most essesential part to providing a nice shine after waxing.
 
Johnnie27 said:
You're going to wash, clay and wax? How are you going to get rid of the swirls? Polishing is probably the most essesential part to providing a nice shine after waxing.
Click to expand...



I would actually say polishing is more important than waxing in producing a shine. The wax/sealant is just enhancing or tweaking the type and quality of the shine. As well as protecting it.
 
Jake.K said:
i have been doing cars for years, and have been reading on here every spare moment i have. I just havent looked much into polishing, because i didnt think i wanted to offer it. Alot of sales will just be basic wash/wax/vac, but since i saw the cars in the click and brag section, i wanted to look into polishing. What i think i will do now is start off basic, not offering polishing, but save up from a couple of customers and buy a PC.



And yes, i will offer claybarring.
Click to expand...





If you want to "hide" swirls instead of removing them for now you could work with a glaze before your wax/sealant. You don't technically need a machine for it.



Just a thought.
 
Yea, for real, like everyone else said dude, you have a LOT to learn. I wouldn't even let you WASH my car, let alone try polishing/waxing it, after reading this thread. Do some research before you start scamming people out of their money.
 
Jake.K- I agree that more research and study is called for. Doing this stuff to a decent standard, let alone professionally (and if you get paid, that's "doing it professionally") isn't something you oughta just jump into. It's not rocket science, but it's not like falling off a log either.



Until I *know* what I'm doing, I don't try it on other people's stuff :D



As for polishing by hand (and regulars here know that I do most *everything* by machine), remember that ScottWax built a successful detailing business doing it by hand. He only switched to machines after years of doing it the hard way. IIRC, MirrorFinishMan is still doing everything by hand and he is also a successful professional, has been for many years. But just because somebody else did something, that doesn't mean that you or I can do it ;)
 
To give my 2 cents into this.



There is much to learn on for you based on what you have explained. I would not jump into the polishing step for your customers quite yet. There's going to be a lot of experimentation on your end with a test panel or your car before you want to do that to a customer's car. Like a few have said, one bad word and your business goes kablooey. I know it's a side gig, but it still makes a huge difference how you put your name out. I run my business as a side gig as well and worth of mouth is the best and almost the only business I ever get. So that's kind of a heads up for you.



Now as for polishing. You should really look into the new UDM machine. I'm sure that'll make your job 100x or more easier than by than. The investment will cut you back some, but in the long run you'll be grateful about it :) Do consider a PC/UDM if you can. Hold off on your customers before you make any final steps.
 
i dont know where everyone is getting the idea that i dont know how to wash a car from...

I dont know much about polishing, and i know that. Most of my services will be wash/wax/interior, and i know how to do all of that well. I wont be offering polishing yet, but when i do i will have a PC, and will do at least three cars before i ever think of charging someone for it. As far as i know, my wash method is nothing different than even a pro would do. Everything that i am offering to do i will know how to do 100%.
 
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