Depends on whether you or the child is doing the polishing! (I appreciate that Mrs Texxaco may query how she might distinguish between the two...!)
More affirmation that I require supervision! Any guidance on what polish I should do afterwards? (I am assuming that I don’t need to use a DA on it!)
Thanks but that's not DA just orbital.FFX.co.uk > ITS.co.uk | Official UK Superstore for Tools, DeWalt, Makita & Milwaukee.
FFX Tools are now in administration. The Domain FFX.co.uk has been purchased by ITS.co.uk ITS is your home or tools and is perfectly set up to continue to service all your orders and needs that you would have previously received from FFX tools. Folkestone Fixings is not longer operable. Now...www.ffx.co.uk
Here you go mate
My question is this: Why do you want to clay the paintwork, what is it that you are expecting to achieve? I ask because it's a lot of work, needs to be done very carefully and in my experience it adds little to the overall finish of the paintwork and is risky if not being followed by machine polishing.
I would only ever use clay as part of a full paint decontamination and correction, but for 99% of other contaminant removal there are much safer products out there. You only need one tiny hard particle caught between your clay and paintwork to do damage that can need serious work to polish out later.
If you're going for the absolute ultimate finish on your paintwork (without flatting back/wet sanding) then use clay (and lashings of lube) after all other decontaminate products have been used and follow it with a full machine polish/correction before application of your chosen paint sealant/protection. (There's more to it than that, much more, but it would take hours to type it all out!
Excellent guidance! And, no, I’m definitely not in the “concours” category. Cleaning the van and giving it a nice, protective shine will do for me!!
So, back to bucket, sponge and Boy Scout during “Bob-a-job” week it is then!!!
“Non gender specific scout”.....I am so stealing that one!!! BrilliantSponge????
Every non gender specific scout knows sponges are out of favour in the detailing world, it's two buckets and a wash mitt these days!!!
You forgot the grit guardsSponge????
Every non gender specific scout knows sponges are out of favour in the detailing world, it's two buckets and a wash mitt these days!!!
It was too obvious, I just assumed everybody knows to use a grit guard.You forgot the grit guards
No, honestly I've never used one, if the grit has made its own way down to the bottom of the bucket it'll probably stay there and my wash mitt doesn't go down there. I enjoy a laugh but I commit as many detailing sins as most people, I won't win any concours prizes!
And no self-respecting non-gender specific scout would go down that far....well, not for a bob!!!It was too obvious, I just assumed everybody knows to use a grit guard.
No, honestly I've never used one, if the grit has made its own way down to the bottom of the bucket it'll probably stay there and my wash mitt doesn't go down there. I enjoy a laugh but I commit as many detailing sins as most people, I won't win any concours prizes!
It's really hard to get involved in a thread like this without coming across as a 'have-a-go-hero', but i am genuinely interested in getting familiar with the use of a DA polisher. I am not taking the 'it doesn't look that hard' approach, but keen to know how hard it has been for people starting out with a polisher. Have you fouled-up on a massive scale, or have you made a noticeable difference - as a beginner? I'm genuinely interested. I can't afford £500 plus for paint correction, but i can afford a polisher, with which to learn (and use on a Ford C-Max!!) the basics. My new van needs some correction and I would like to do so on a budget....
I have used my polisher and its done the treat on the van, I have removed all the swirls and marks from my paintwork.
Having watched a load of YouTube videos and noted that the one thing they all say is keep the polisher moving at all times, do a small area at a time and don't start the polisher at full speed otherwise you end up sending the polish everywhere.
I took the whole day to do my van but I have to say the difference is superb and I am glad I put the effort in.
Having watched a load of YouTube videos and noted that the one thing they all say is keep the polisher moving at all times, do a small area at a time and don't start the polisher at full speed otherwise you end up sending the polish everywhere.
I took the whole day to do my van but I have to say the difference is superb and I am glad I put the effort in.
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Practise first, find a cheap panel at the local scrappy. When I first started I used my shiny new fixed head polisher on my bro’s brand new RR Sport, I managed to go through to the metal on his wheel arch in about 15 seconds, don’t make the same mistake.
Thanks @Insert Coin and @Texxaco - both good views to absorb, and be aware of! I appreciate that this is a VERY crude analysis and comparison, and in no way the same skillset, but i have previously worked in ski and snowboard repairs and servicing. This has involved heat waxing and serious/minor damage repairs with a similar tool needed to 'polish' and repair the base (without melting the ptex base). Experience here, but with very different tools, gives me some confidence in wanting to take this on. I guess that practise is key. I'm keen to soak up all the useful YouTube videos, so i hope more can be shared here.
Life’s too short for multiple stages of correction, so I use this all-in-one - Rupes Uno Protect
This pad - Chemical Guys White Hex Logic Quantum Light Polishing Pad
This as a last step to clean up and finish off any dust, finger prints etc Chemical Guys Hybrid V7
And a lorry load of microfibre cloths.
This pad - Chemical Guys White Hex Logic Quantum Light Polishing Pad
This as a last step to clean up and finish off any dust, finger prints etc Chemical Guys Hybrid V7
And a lorry load of microfibre cloths.
