How to Polish Paint by Hand - Written on Friday, October 28th, 1994

[Mike Phillips]

How to Polish Paint by Hand - Written on Friday, October 28th, 1994


Below is the original version of the article.


Article: 6811 of rec.autos.misc
From: mike_d_phillips%80@hp6400.desk.hp.com (mike phillips)
Subject: How to Polish Paint by Hand (long)
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 16:42:05 GMT

How to Polish Paint by Hand
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First of all,... what is "Polishing Paint ??? the term is thrown around so
loosely. When your waxing paint, are you "Polishing" paint ???

I think simply put, polishing paint is the process by which the surface of the
paint is; through a series of abrading and/or cleaning processes, brought to
a smooth, clear and glossy finish.

There are many products available for this process, some work really well,
some do not.

There are many opinions on "How To" do this, some work really well while
others do not.

Polishing paint to a very high degree or state of "Flawlessnes" has in the past
been a mystery. Its not that the products haven't been available, for they
have been for 50 years or so. The problem has been getting good advise,.. in
other words finding or getting good and true working knowledge on "What to
do" and "How to do it".

Many hard core automotive enthusiest (A.E.'s or car nuts if you own an old
chevy) want and desire clear glossy flawless finishes, the kind that look as
though their "Wet". But even more people would just like to know how to do
good basic maintainence to; make it look good, preserve their finish and
protect their investment.

Whether you want a "Flawless Finish" or just want to know how to take care
of your paint finish the "Best" way possible, you need to know what polishing
is, and how to do it.


What Polishing Paint is
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Polishing paint is "Scratching Paint"

Thats right. When you polish paint, to one degree or another, you are
scratching/microscratching the surface. If you do not see this scratching
taking place, it could be for one or more of the following reasons;

1. The wax or polish you are using is successfully filling in and sealing
these fine scratches you incur in the process.

2. The finish you are working on is not "smooth" enough to allow you to visibly
see these fine scratchess.

Regardless, the important point being that, the scratching takes place and you
understand the scratching is taking place.

The secret then to polishing paint is to do it in such a way that you put in the
least amount of scratches possible and you keep the 'depth' of the scratches
to a minimum.

The way you do this is to;

* use non-abrasive polishes and waxes

* use soft 100% terry cloth in all the polishing processes, this would
include both applying and removing polishes and waxes.

* use application and removal procedures that are controlled, methodical
and gentle.

Okay, so the products I use and recommend are the Meguiar's Mirror Glaze
Professional Line of products, (the tan bottle with the #Numbers)

If you already have a product line you are familiar with and happy with by all
means keep on using it.

One quick reason I choose this procuct line is; they are "Oil Based"
cleaners, polishes and waxes, this oil base provides a very important
benifit which is it acts as a "Lubricant" between the surface of the paint
and/or the application pad or removal cloth.

The application and removal products are; the round terry cloth wax applicators
with the foam inside, available at most auto parts stores for about a buck, and
your softest 100% terry cloth bath towels out of the closet next to your shower
facilities. If your married, either take the towels when your wife is out of
the house or purchase some new ones to replace the old ones you are going to
use. (old ones are better than brand new ones because their already 'broke in')


By using these three things you have already reduced the the amount and
depth of scratching that takes place in the polishing process. So product
choice is one way to reduce the amount of scratches and the depth of these
scratches.

Next is the "Way" or "Method" you use for applying and removing polishes
and waxes.

Most folks I have observed, (myself included before I learned differently)
apply products by using random circular motions with the application pad.

Currently their is an "Infomercial" on t.v. staring Dennis Weaver selling
a product called "Autofom". If you get a chance, watch the people in the ad
as they use the product,... how are they applying it ??? In circles. There is
one segment that shows 2 people "happily" applying Autofom to the hoods
of their cars in "Random" "Circular" motions. They think they are "Doing
their Best" when the truth is they are not only scratching the hell out of
their finish they are putting in random circular scratches all over the place
that will in time "Look like Hell".

Dennis Weaver isn't a polishing expert and neither is Autofom, if they really
knew what they were talking about they would have instructed their actors on
how to "Do it" correctly. But thats okay, Dennis Weaver is an actor and
Autofom is a Marketing/Consumer company. Their goal is to "Make Money"
they do this by convincing you (selling you) to buy their product.

They also seem to recommend a piece of foam over terry cloth for applying
their product. Yes foam will work and can be used, it just that the foam
covered terry cloth wax pads for a buck are better.

Anyway I use this to demonstrate how we learn to do things the "Wrong Way"
and thats by watching someone else do it wrong and then copying them.

(slam slam slam)

This goes back to what I said earlier, achieving a flawless fininsh or just
doing good basic maintainence isn't a mystery, finding and getting good advise
in other words finding good and true working knowledge on what to do and how
to do it is the problem.

So just how is it supposed to be done ? What is the correct/best way to Polish
your cars finish?

To be continued..........

Mike (I have to go to a meeting) Phillips

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

Article: 6908 of rec.autos.misc
From: mike_d_phillips%80@hp6400.desk.hp.com (Mike Phillips)
Subject: How to polish paint by hand continued
Date: Sat, 29 Oct 1994 03:32:11 GMT

How to Polish Paint by hand,...continued


So just how is it supposed to be done???

Straight Lines. This may or may not sound right to you but bare with
me,

If you polish paint using random circular motions you will have
random circular scratches throughout the whole finish. These
scratches can be seen at any Angle, at any Height, in any Light.

If however you polish in straight line motions, going in the direction
of the length of the car, you will have to be at the right angle, the right
height, and have the right light to see them.

Its as simple as that, but this means that you have to consciencely
make the effort to do this everytime. I can speak from experience
that everytime I start to polish, I have a tendency to start making
circular motions, I have developed the habit to recognize this and
"Stop". I then internalize what I am doing, why I am doing it and
proceed in "Straight Line Motions" in the direction of the length of
the car. It is a hard habit to start if you have been polishing in random
circular motions for years.

I have received lots of e-mail asking how to get rid of "Swirl"
scratches. This is actually not specifically what their problem is.

The 2 most common scratch problems are "Buffer Swirl" caused by
a rotary buffer using wool pads and usually some sort of abrasive.
It can be caused by the fibers in the wool pad all by themselves.
The wool fibers, (thousands of them) Are An Abrasive in and of
themselves. Thats why you cant achieve a swirl free finish or
"REMOVE" buffer swirl using a wool pad, it can only be done with
a Foam Pad. Meguiar's realized this and came out with the first
foam buffing pad way back in 1965.

The other common scratch, the ones referred to me, can better be
described as "Cob Web" Scratches, "Cobwebbing" or "Spiderweb"
Scratches". After the car is washed and you look at it in the sun
you will usually see a hazy scratchy pattern that looks somewhat like
a spider web. These are caused by random circular motions when
you, Wash, Polish, and/or Remove polishes and waxes.

So instead of trying to remove spiderweb scractes, dont put them
in, in the first place.

If the paint is soft ie workable, you can change these random circular
scratches into straightline scratches just by switching over to straight-
line motions,

If your paint is a hard paint, you have a scratch problem. I have
addressed the problem/characteristics of hard paints which include
clearcoats in earlier posts but to sum it up I will go on record to say
"It is impossible to remove a scratch from a clearcoat by "Hand"
without leaving another scratch".

Hey, the masses wanted clearcoats so now we have them. Not my
fault.

So, use Straight line motions when you wash, polish and wax the finish.

For wiping off, its hard to not make random motions because you
are always trying to "Break" the hold the polish or wax has on the paint.

2 things, though,

1, after you "Break" and remove MOST of the polish or wax off, you
can then go to a straight line motion for wiping off the rest of the
residual polish or wax. You should at this time either be using a clean,
and I mean very clean side of the towel or start using a fresh
uncontaminated towel for the finish wiping. Always seek out your
softest towels and dedicate them for final wiping.

2, The polish is a lubricant, so even though you are removing it, it is
still sort of liquid (see How to apply and remove #7) and lubricating
the surface - as - you are removing it, this helps to reduce scratching.
Also,.. Wax is a "Dry Lubricant" so even though you are "Breaking"
"IT" off, "IT" is helping to provide lubrication between your towel and
the freshly waxed surface of the paint.

Any of that make sense ???? It has taken me years to figure it all out
and then regurgitate it out in a way someone else can understand it
without me personally standing there and showing them as I explain it.

I am sure you can all understand this would be much easier to show
and tell one on one.

One more thing, Use straight line motions in the direction of the
length of the car,...except.... when you have to polish a small area
or a long thin area where the length of this area is NOT in the direction
of the length of the car.

Example, say you have a sunroof, the area between the front lip of the
sunroof to the edge of the roof where the windshield starts, is about
4 to 8 inches wide, and as long as the sunroof, dont make straight line
motions in the direction of the length of the car here, I mean you can
if you want to, but it is easier to go ahead and polish in straightlline
motions in the directions of the "Length of the Panel". It will be a lot
easier and wont make that much difference.

Another thing, although I just told everyone to use straight line motions
when polishing and waxing, you can use circular motions in the
beginning to "help spread" the polish or wax around in the area you
are going to be polishing. At this point however you are not really
applying any preasure, you are just spreading the product around
so its not all in one pile. After you gently spread it around, then
proceed to polish.


And just "How Do You Polish" or "Wax" the surface of paint ???

Like this, pretend your wife or your girlfriend has a mild sunburn on
her back, she comes to you for help, her skin is naturally soft and
tender, but right now its a little "Dry" and a little "Sensitive", so you
are going to apply some moistureizing skin lotion. She drops her
bikini top, and lays face down on the bed, you gently pour some
lotion onto her back, you carefully and ever so gently "spread" the
most of it around, then you carefully, gently and with love rub the lotion
across and "into" the pores of her skin. You go back and forth in
straight lines, in the direction of the length of her body until the whole
area is covered and saturated with lotion.


When your through you allow it to soak in and then help her put her
top back on,..... maybe.

Of course in the case of the car, you will have to wipe of the excess
and the car won't give you a kiss when your through.

How much to do.....

Do a section at a time, this section can be about 1' by 1' or larger or
smaller depending on the panel and you preference, just don't get
wacky and try to do to large an area at one time or you will end up
not knowing how much attention each area received.

Do the whole car, thats right, do the whole car, and then remove.

In the case of a polish like #7, #3 or #9 you don't have to let it dry
before wiping it off, (it wont really dry) in the case of a wax you
should let it dry completely before wiping it off. Curing times for
waxes vary between; kind of wax, humidity, air flow, tempature, and
so on....



Thats all, I think, I hope this is helpfull to someone out there, It does
work.

Any questions ??? please post them on the net, I dont have time
to stay caught up on E-Mail right now and probably wont until after
I have published my firt edition of "The Art of Polishing Paint".

I do however have time to read my favorite bulletin boards, and will
answer any questions posted here.

Thank you

Mike

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=



Here's a screenshot of the results after running the text through the MS Word Editor.

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...

This version is formatted, spelling and grammar corrected.


Article: 6811 of rec.autos.misc
From: mike_d_phillips%80@hp6400.desk.hp.com (mike phillips)
Subject: How to Polish Paint by Hand (long)
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 16:42:05 GMT

How to Polish Paint by Hand
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First of all, what is polishing paint? the term is thrown around so loosely. When your waxing paint, are you polishing paint?

I think simply put, polishing paint is the process by which the surface of the paint is through a series of abrading and/or cleaning processes, brought to a smooth, clear, and glossy finish.

There are many products available for this process, some work really well, some do not.

There are many opinions on how to do this, some work really well while others do not.

Polishing paint to a very high degree or state of flawlessness has in the past been a mystery. It’s not that the products haven't been available, for they have been for 50 years or so. The problem has been getting good advice, in other words finding or getting good and true working knowledge on what to do and how to do it.

Many hard-core automotive enthusiast (A.E.'s or car nuts if you own an old chevy) want and desire clear glossy flawless finishes, the kind that look as though their wet. But even more people would just like to know how to do good basic maintenance to; make it look good, preserve their finish and
protect their investment.

Whether you want a flawless finish or just want to know how to take care of your paint finish the best way possible, you need to know what polishing paint is and how to do it.


What is polishing paint?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Polishing paint is scratching paint

That’s right. When you polish paint, to one degree or another, you are scratching/micro scratching the surface. If you do not see this scratching taking place, it could be for one or more of the following reasons.

1. The wax or polish you are using is successfully filling in and sealing these fine scratches you incur in the process.

2. The finish you are working on is not "smooth" enough to allow you to visibly see these fine scratches.



Regardless, the important point being that the scratching takes place, and you understand the scratching is taking place. The secret then to polishing paint is to do it in such a way that you put in the least number of scratches possible, and you keep the depth of the scratches to a minimum.


The way you do this is to.

• Use non-abrasive polishes and waxes.
• Use soft 100% terry cloth in all the polishing processes, this would include both applying and removing polishes and waxes.
• Use application and removal procedures that are controlled, methodical and gentle.

Okay, so the products I use and recommend are the Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Professional Line of products, (the tan bottle with the numbers). If you already have a product line you are familiar with and happy with by all means keep on using it. One quick reason I choose this product line is they are oil-based cleaners, polishes, and waxes. This oil base provides a very important benefit which is it acts as a lubricant between the surface of the paint and/or the application pad or removal cloth.

The application and removal products are the round terry cloth wax applicators with the foam inside, available at most auto parts stores for about a buck, and your softest 100% terry cloth bath towels out of the closet next to your shower facilities. If your married, either take the towels when your wife is out of the house or purchase some new ones to replace the old ones you are going to use. (old ones are better than brand new ones because their already broke-in).

By using these three things you have already reduced the amount and depth of scratching that takes place in the polishing process. So, product choice is one way to reduce the number of scratches and the depth of these scratches.


Next is the way or method you use for applying and removing polishes and waxes.

Most folks I have observed, (myself included before I learned differently) apply products by using random circular motions with the application pad. Currently there is an Infomercial on TV staring Dennis Weaver selling a product called Autofom. If you get a chance, watch the people in the ad as they use the product.

How are they applying it?

In circles.

There is one segment that shows 2 people happily applying Autofom to the hoods of their cars in random circular motions. They think they are doing their best work when the truth is, they are not only scratching the hell out of their finish they are putting in random circular scratches all over the place that will in time look like hell.

Dennis Weaver isn't a polishing expert, and neither is Autofom. If they really knew what they were talking about they would have instructed their actors on how to do it correctly. But that’s okay, Dennis Weaver is an actor and Autofom is a Marketing/Consumer company. Their goal is to make money and they do this by convincing you (selling you) to buy their product.

They also seem to recommend a piece of foam over terry cloth for applying their product. Yes, foam will work and can be used, it just that the foam-covered terry cloth wax pads for a dollar are better.

Anyway, I use this to demonstrate how we learn to do things the wrong way, and that’s by watching someone else do it wrong and then copying them. (slam slam slam)

This goes back to what I said earlier, achieving a flawless finish or just doing good basic maintenance isn't a mystery, finding and getting good advice in other words finding good and true working knowledge on what to do and how to do it is the problem.

So just how is it supposed to be done? What is the correct/best way to Polish your cars finish?

To be continued..........

Mike (I have to go to a meeting) Phillips


*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

Article: 6908 of rec.autos.misc
From: mike_d_phillips%80@hp6400.desk.hp.com (Mike Phillips)
Subject: How to polish paint by hand continued
Date: Sat, 29 Oct 1994 03:32:11 GMT


How to Polish Paint by hand - continued


So just how is it supposed to be done?

Straight Lines.

This may or may not sound right to you but bear with me.

If you polish paint using random circular motions, you will have random circular scratches throughout the entire finish. These scratches can be seen at any angle, at any height, in any light.

If, however you polish in straight-line motions, going in the direction of the length of the car, you will have to be at the right angle, the right height, and have the right light to see them.

It’s as simple as that, but this means that you have to conscienceless make the effort to do this every time. I can speak from experience that every time I start to polish, I tend to start making circular motions, I have developed the habit to recognize this and stop. I then internalize what I am doing, why I am doing it and proceed in straight-line motions in the direction of the length of the car. It is a hard habit to start if you have been polishing in random circular motions for years.

I have received lots of e-mail asking how to get rid of swirl scratches. This is actually not specifically what their problem is.

The 2 most common scratch problems are buffer swirls caused by a rotary buffer using wool pads and usually some sort of abrasive. It can be caused by the fibers in the wool pad all by themselves.
The wool fibers, (thousands of them) are an abrasive in and of themselves. That’s why you can’t achieve a swirl free finish or REMOVE buffer swirls using a wool pad. It can only be done with
a foam pad. Meguiar's realized this and came out with the first foam buffing pad way back in 1965.

The other common scratch, the ones referred to me, can better be described as cobweb scratches, cob-webbing or spiderweb scratches. After the car is washed and you look at it in the sun you will usually see a hazy scratch-pattern that looks somewhat like a spider web. These are caused by random circular motions when you, wash, polish, and/or remove polishes and waxes.

So instead of trying to remove spiderweb scratches, don’t put them in, in the first place.

If the paint is soft i.e., workable, you can change these random circular scratches into straight line scratches just by switching over to straight-line motions. If your paint is a hard paint, you have a scratch problem. I have addressed the problem/characteristics of hard paints which include clearcoats in earlier posts but to sum it up I will go on record to say,

It is impossible to remove a scratch from a clearcoat by hand without leaving another scratch


Hey, the masses wanted clearcoats so now we have them. Not my fault. So, use straight-line motions when you wash, polish, and wax the finish.

For wiping off, it’s hard to not make random motions because you are always trying to break the hold the polish or wax has on the paint.

2 things though,

1: After you break-open and remove MOST of the polish or wax off your car, you can then go to a straight-line motion for wiping-off the rest of the residual polish or wax. You should at this time either be using a clean, and I mean very clean side of the towel or start using a fresh uncontaminated towel for the finish wiping. Always seek out your softest towels and dedicate them for final wiping.

2: The polish is a lubricant, so even though you are removing it, it is still sort of liquid (see how to apply and remove #7) and lubricating the surface as you are removing it. This helps to reduce scratching.


Also, wax is a dry lubricant, so even though you are breaking it off the paint, it is also helping to provide lubrication between your towel and the freshly waxed surface of the paint.

Any of that make sense????

It has taken me years to figure it all out and then regurgitate it out in a way someone else can understand it without me personally standing there and showing them as I explain it. I am sure you can all understand this would be much easier to show and tell one-on-one.

One more thing, use straight-line motions in the direction of the length of the car, except.... when you have to polish a small area or a long thin area where the length of this area is NOT in the direction of the length of the car.

Example: Say you have a sunroof, the area between the front lip of the sunroof to the edge of the roof where the windshield starts, is about 4 to 8 inches wide, and as long as the width of the sunroof; don’t make straight line motions in the direction of the length of the car here, I mean you can if you want to, but it is easier to go ahead and polish in straight-line motions in the directions of the length of the panel. It will be a lot easier and won’t make that much difference.

Another thing, although I just told everyone to use straight line motions when polishing and waxing, you can use circular motions in the beginning to help spread-out the polish or wax in the area you are going to be polishing. At this point however you are not really applying any pressure, you are just spreading the product around so it’s not all in one pile. After you gently spread it around, then
proceed to polish.


And just how to you polish or wax the surface of paint?

Like this, pretend your wife or your girlfriend has a mild sunburn on her back, she comes to you for help. Her skin is naturally soft and tender, but right now it’s a little dry and a little sensitive. So, you’re going to apply some moisturizing skin lotion. She drops her bikini top, and lays face down on the bed, you gently pour some lotion onto her back, you carefully and ever so gently spread the
lotion around. Then you carefully, gently and with love rub the lotion across and into the pores of her skin. You go back and forth in straight lines, in the direction of the length of her body until the whole area is covered and saturated with lotion. When you’re through you allow it to soak in and then help her put her top back on, maybe.

Of course, in the case of the car, you will have to wipe of the excess and the car won't give you a kiss when your through.


How much to do....

Do a section at a time, this section can be about 1' by 1' or larger or smaller depending on the panel and your preference, just don't get wacky and try to do too large an area at one time or you will end up not knowing how much attention each area received.

Do the whole car, that’s right, do the whole car, and then remove.

In the case of a polish like #7, #3 or #9 you don't have to let it dry before wiping it off, (it won’t really dry) in the case of a wax you should let it dry completely before wiping it off. Curing times for waxes vary between,

• The type of wax or sealant
• Humidity
• Air flow
• Temperature
• Etc.


That’s all, I think, I hope this is helpful to someone out there, It does work.

Any questions??? please post them on the net, I don’t have time to stay caught up on e-mail right now and probably won’t until after I have published my first edition of The Art of Polishing Paint.

I do however have time to read my favorite bulletin boards and will answer any questions posted here.

Thank you,

Mike

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=



Here's a screenshot of the results after running the text through the MS Word Editor.

 

[Mike Phillips]

And just to add....

At the time I wrote the above I was confident in what I was sharing was accurate. That was 27 years ago.

And back then, before we had the abrasive technology that we have today, there were no products on the market that would abrade paint and at the same time NOT leave scratches behind when working by HAND.

Also - the majority of brands for paint care that we all know about today didn't exist back then, neither did the vast array of buffing pads nor the tools. In fact, back then the best and most common tools were,

• Rotary polishers
• Cyclo polishers
• Old school orbitals or TOBs Traditional Orbital Buffers
• Porter Cable Wood Sander

And yes, since writing the above my opinions have gone through an evolution, along with all the technology that has evolved and I think a lot differently.

 

[2black1s]

Very interesting.

I've also been around long enough, and even before 1994, to remember the products, tools, and methods we used to use. One of those methods was hand polishing. Also, long enough to understand the evolution we can go through relative to our thoughts, products and processes.



I started painting cars/motorcycles in my teens during the late 1960s. Most of my work back then was done with acrylic lacquer which needed compounding/polishing to achieve its gloss. That's where my "polishing" experience begins.

One of the first cars I remember painting for a paying customer was a 66 or 67 Buick Riviera. I think the total cost for the job was $300.00.

I had painted a few cars for myself and some of my buddies by this point so I had a little experience, but I was by no means an expert yet, although at 16 or 17 I sure thought I was. It was done in my parent's garage. White acrylic lacquer with a clear acrylic lacquer topcoat, sanded and polished to what I thought was perfection at the time.

The process, as best as I can remember, was to sand the paint with 600G (the finest grade available at the time), then using a rotary buffer and wool pad along with some DuPont Machine Polishing Compound, polish out the 600G scratches. That was then followed by either a machine application of "Liquid Ebony" using a wool finishing pad, or a hand application of 3M "Fill 'n Glaze". I don't remember which of those I used on this particular job, but those two products were my go-to's at the time.

When I think back at that process, I have to wonder, how good was it really? It was “state-of-the-art" and generally accepted as the “best practice” for the time, but how could such a crude process (by today’s standards) produce results like we now expect?

That’s my “evolutionary” story.



As time went on, I was always looking for improvements to be made. I started experimenting with sanding between coats and hand polishing.

As for sanding between coats, I won’t go into a whole lot of detail as that is a little outside of the scope of this “detailing” forum, but I will say that sanding between coats will produce the best finish possible. That is just as true today as it was back then. When you sand only the final coat, there will always be some tell-tale waviness remaining, even though you have removed the typical orange peel texture. And the thicker the paint is, or the more coats applied, the more of that waviness will be evident.

On to hand polishing. I was always looking for a way to remove the holograms, buffer-trails, or swirls (whatever you want to call them) left behind by the rotaries, pads, and compounds of the day. This is where my hand polishing experience comes from.

When the situation required a flawless, swirl-free finish, I would always follow my machine polishing with a hand polishing. It would simply be a part of the process. After running the buffer over a panel to remove all of the sanding scratches, I would then go over the panel by hand using the same compound/polish as with the machine to remove any machine/pad inflicted swirls.

As Mike’s 1994 writing instructs, straight lines. I never struggled with this as my logic told me that if I’m trying to remove swirls, or circular scratch patterns, why then would I use circular motions? It always came naturally to me to hand polish in straight lines. To this day that is still my process, even though it is not so critical with today’s products.

Another aspect of hand polishing is to start with very firm pressure and gradually lighten up throughout the polishing cycle, finishing with very light strokes. Practically zero pressure as you finish. The very light pressure to finish was especially important with the compounds/polishes of the past.

I didn’t know anything about abrasive technology back in the early days, although I think most products of the time would fall into the DAT (Diminishing Abrasive Technology) category we know today. I say this because you had to polish for a while to get the really nice finish. You had to “work” the product. And that is why it is so important to start your polishing cycle with firm pressure and to lighten up as you go, whether polishing by hand or machine. With today’s SMAT (Super Micro Abrasive technology), I think this is still an accepted “best practice”, or at least it is for me, but not nearly as critical as in the past.



Fast forward to today… With the multitudes of machines and products available, hand polishing is becoming a lost art. And that is a bit unfortunate. While today’s DA Polishers, Mini Polishers, and the great compounds/polishes now available will provide the perfect, swirl-free finishes we all love, that has not always been the case. And even so, there will always be the places that are simply not accessible by machine.

Hand polishing will always have its place.

 

[UncleDavy]

I wish that I had read this article as a 9 year old in 1972 when I polished my grandfather's 1970 Impala. I was told to use circular motions with the polish and the wax and the product removal was with an old bath towel. I can just imagine that amount of swirls that went into that single stage paint. The car looked great in the shade.

 

[Mike Phillips]

The process, as best as I can remember, was to sand the paint with 600G (the finest grade available at the time),

Times have sure changed. In my life in this industry I have met many an old-time that would tell me their sanding process started with #800 grit and I can't even imagine starting with anything this coarse for car paint.

A few years back myself and a team of guys hand block sanded a fresh gelcoat paint job on a 1960 Glastron for John Greviskis, the guy on Ship Shape TV. We tried to start wth #600 grit but even it was too slow for trying to get the job done in a realistic amount of time. We devolved to starting with #500 grit and worked out way out from there.

then using a rotary buffer and wool pad along with some DuPont Machine Polishing Compound, polish out the 600G scratches. That was then followed by either a machine application of "Liquid Ebony" using a wool finishing pad, or a hand application of 3M "Fill 'n Glaze". I don't remember which of those I used on this particular job, but those two products were my go-to's at the time.

Back when I first stated in this industry Liquid Ebony was a lot of people's go-to product for creating a swirl-free, show car finish with a deep, wet shine. I used to have a bottle a number of years ago but alas, it's been lost or it broke as it was plastic. I do remember the ingredients though, mineral oil.

As Mike’s 1994 writing instructs, straight lines. I never struggled with this as my logic told me that if I’m trying to remove swirls, or circular scratch patterns, why then would I use circular motions?

It always came naturally to me to hand polish in straight lines. To this day that is still my process, even though it is not so critical with today’s products.

Exactly my my insights. If the tool, pad and products you're using are leaving holograms in the paint, how can you remove circular scratches by rubbing in a circular motion? Back when I started, I did all my work either by hand or when I moved up to machine polishing, the machine was a rotary polishers. Although tools like the Cyclo were around, I had never seen one, so certainly didn't own one and therefore couldn't have use one. It was all rotary and hand polishing. There were what I call TOBs or Traditional Orbital Buffers around back then, these are the large, slow orbitals that only have a fixed speed, that is they have an on/off button. Now these could be used to remove holograms out of paint IF there would have been better abrasive technology back then, but that wasn't the case. Besides that they were slow and for the most part, mostly for spreading out a layer of wax on the large body panels cars had before the 1960's and the beginning of the Japanese invasion.

Another aspect of hand polishing is to start with very firm pressure and gradually lighten up throughout the polishing cycle, finishing with very light strokes. Practically zero pressure as you finish. The very light pressure to finish was especially important with the compounds/polishes of the past.

Agree. And this to me is a part of what can make polishing paint an art form, not just a grinding process.

I didn’t know anything about abrasive technology back in the early days, although I think most products of the time would fall into the DAT (Diminishing Abrasive Technology) category we know today. I say this because you had to polish for a while to get the really nice finish. You had to “work” the product. And that is why it is so important to start your polishing cycle with firm pressure and to lighten up as you go, whether polishing by hand or machine.

I'm not an expert, but I think any product back then that used diminishing abrasives was the exception, not the norm.

Fast forward to today… With the multitudes of machines and products available, hand polishing is becoming a lost art.

Totally agree. I used to teach hand polishing techniques back in the 1990s and the 2000s when I worked for Meguiar's for a host of different reasons, but now days, it's really more work than it's worth and most people simply don't have the muscle, the energy nor the tenacity to start and finish a job (polishing out an entire car by hand), let alone the knowledge, skill, experience or even the right products and applicators.


It's easier and much faster to simply purchase an entry level dual action polisher and take your best stab at it. If you're using great abrasive technology you can't hardly help but get good results. If you're using crap for abrasive technology you're going to get crap for results whether you work by hand or machine. That's just how paint works.

Hand polishing will always have its place.

Yup. It's a great skill to have.


Nice input John, thanks for taking the time to share.

 

[Darrell L]

This is an interesting read. Im working on bringing a barn find 2000 Trans Am WS6 back to life. The car has areas where hand polishing will be required.

What would be the updated insight for hand polishing today?

 

[2black1s]

This is an interesting read. Im working on bringing a barn find 2000 Trans Am WS6 back to life. The car has areas where hand polishing will be required.

What would be the updated insight for hand polishing today?

Darrell,

I’m sure Mike will chime in with his take on your question. In the meantime, here is mine…


Actually, the process for hand polishing hasn’t really changed over the years. What has changed is the products and tools available. You have many more choices today when it comes to compounds, polishes, and even applicators.


The basic process remains the same:

- Polish in straight lines

Straight line polishing will eliminate, or minimize, the introduction of circular scratch patterns. Straight line scratch patterns are less obvious to the eye as Mike describes in his original 1994 writing.

- Start your polishing cycle with firm strokes

Starting your polishing cycle with firm pressure will remove the defects/blemishes faster than lighter pressures, although firm pressure will be instilling its own somewhat significant polishing scratches. Use the firm pressure until you have completely removed the defects/blemishes you are addressing, assuming the defects/blemishes can be safely removed. Your judgement and risk tolerance comes into play here.

- Gradually lighten up with your pressure throughout your polishing cycle

Lightening up the pressure as you proceed through the polishing cycle will diminish and refine the polishing scratches instilled earlier with the firm pressure.

- Finish with nearly zero pressure

Finishing with very light (near zero) pressure will further refine the remaining polishing scratches and provide brilliance and clarity to the polished item. Follow by wiping/buffing with a clean towel and inspect your results.


What is firm pressure? What is lightening up? What is very light pressure? These descriptions are inherently subjective, and can also be variable with consideration to paint hardness and item configuration. It’s really something the user needs to determine while developing their process.


As for products and tools:

There are multitudes of compounds and polishes available today that can be used for hand polishing. What product to use is really for the user to decide. We all have our own favorites. While many, if not most, of today’s compounds and polishes are designed primarily for machine usage, that does not preclude them from working effectively by hand. Just try your own favorites and see how they work.

Cotton terry cloth is referenced as the preferred application and removal media in Mike’s 1994 writing. High quality cotton terry cloth is still a viable option, although microfiber is the more universally accepted media today, especially for the removal step. For application, cotton terry is absolutely a sound option, even today, for the early stages of the polishing process. Microfiber is usually a better choice for the final finishing.

My personal choice of applicators for hand polishing is not a “dedicated” applicator at all. My preference is to cut and fold a terry or microfiber towel to a size and thickness appropriate for the task at hand. I like to fold the towel with enough layers to spread, or even eliminate, any finger pressure points transferring through to the polishing surface. In my opinion, many “dedicated” applicators do not spread/eliminate finger pressure points well enough. I rarely, if ever, use "dedicated" foam applicators for this reason.

Hope this helps.

John

 

[Mike Phillips]

I think John outlined a really good process.

My changes would be,

If trying to remove below surface defects, in other words, if you're trying to remove paint to LEVEL the surface - then start with a high quality microfiber applicator pad. Meguiar's used to offer some, not sure if they still do?

After the leveling process, re-polish only now switch to a foam applicator pad.

The difference is, fibers are a form of abrasive so a microfiber pad will cut or level the surface better than a foam applicator pad. Foam has a uniform surface texture, thus less aggressive than individual fibers.

Also - most important - use GREAT abrasive technology. Junk abrasive technology or Caveman compounds and products will scratch and scour the paint.