Jump to content
The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Machine Polish...


ManwithSupra
 Share

Recommended Posts

same as any bit of machinery , you get what you pay for , my advice either a metabo , or makita both around £170

compounds i use are menzerna and just started a few tests with 3m, although ive had a 3m backing plate for a while now as the sponge between the plate and the velcro makes keeping the pad flat easier.

also how often are you going to use it , once youve corrected the paint , unless you are doing other vehicles

Edited by peter richards (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one of those, or at least I think it's the same model anyway, has the slow start feature so that it doesn't instantly jump up to full speed.

 

Decent enough machine, just ditch the polishing pads for some better quality ones, get a flexible backing plate and then you should be OK, not an ideal thing to jump straight into though so it might be worth getting a practice panel from a scrap yard to play with.

 

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/cat_2.html

 

It's worth looking at the waffle pads as they don't heat up quite as quickly as the regular ones.

 

For polish opinions vary but I'm a fan of Menzerna stuff, I have Meguiars and Sonus too though, no real issues with any used so far but Menzerna can be a pain in certain temps, usually extremes of high or low.

 

Possible shopping list:

 

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/polish/menzerna-250ml/menzerna-intensive-polish-po85rd-3-02-/prod_229.html

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/polish/menzerna-250ml/menzerna-final-finish-po-85rd-/prod_218.html

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/meguiars-buffing-pads/5-rotary-backing-plate/prod_231.html

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/lake-country-ccs-pads/cat_45.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

forget about rotary polishing mate .its to severe for a beginner .an get yourself a meguiars da polisher, its more user friendly an will give you excellent results, but some medium an some finishing heads an some megs show car shine pure machine polish as a starter then onto a polymer sealant for a finisher an a layer of megs pure carnuba to finish.

 

there are guides available on detailing world

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one of those, or at least I think it's the same model anyway, has the slow start feature so that it doesn't instantly jump up to full speed.

 

Decent enough machine, just ditch the polishing pads for some better quality ones, get a flexible backing plate and then you should be OK, not an ideal thing to jump straight into though so it might be worth getting a practice panel from a scrap yard to play with.

 

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/cat_2.html

 

It's worth looking at the waffle pads as they don't heat up quite as quickly as the regular ones.

 

For polish opinions vary but I'm a fan of Menzerna stuff, I have Meguiars and Sonus too though, no real issues with any used so far but Menzerna can be a pain in certain temps, usually extremes of high or low.

 

Possible shopping list:

 

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/polish/menzerna-250ml/menzerna-intensive-polish-po85rd-3-02-/prod_229.html

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/polish/menzerna-250ml/menzerna-final-finish-po-85rd-/prod_218.html

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/meguiars-buffing-pads/5-rotary-backing-plate/prod_231.html

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/lake-country-ccs-pads/cat_45.html

 

 

Cheers for this info, thats great, i have a test car i will be practicing on which is my runabout (put it this way any mistakes i make it will probably look better anyway lol) the paint on this needs some attention (some faded panels etc) so will be good to see how good machine polishing is.

 

I will post up some pics of before and after to see what you guys think when i manage to do it...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you never did machine polish before, I advice you to start from orbital polishers like Porter Cable etc. This one is rotary one, you NEED to have some experience with polishing if you want to keep your paint shiny and in one piece.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got the orange Silverline rotary and it's good for the money - I use Chemical Guys Edge pads on mine which work well (the standard pads are next to useless)

 

But as others have said, for a beginner it's best to pick up a Porta Cable or something which is pretty much unable to burn through paint. They are more expensive, so factor in if you think you will use it a lot of maybe do mates cars for a price. If it's gonna be too much - it may be worth paying a detailer to remove the swirls in your paint, then you can just concentrate on keeping it clean and waxed after that.

 

Detailingworld would be your first port of call with regards to what to do etc, there is a mine of information there. I tend to favour Poorboys polishes and Chemical Guys finishing products, but the choice is immense really depending on your budget.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another Menzerna fan here too :) I've now got a Chicago Pneumatic polisher, excellent bit of kit however I started with the soft start Silverline and they're fine, bit heavy and bulky but do the job.

As already said use something like a Sonus pad and ditch the ones that come with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's harder than you think! My car needs a machine polish and i'm going to pay someone to do it rather than use the machine polisher i have in my garage!

 

He is right. You cant just pick one up and away you go. I spent 6 hours on my bonnet last weekend :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The machine is only part of the job, you need to invest in a good selection of compounds and mops too, they do the work afterall.

 

It isn't the scary thing most people claim, you just need to be careful on the edges of panels where the paint is at its thinnest and understand when the polsih has been worked in enough, this comes unfortunately like most things in life from experience. Im sure one of the detailing guys Micahel listed would be happy to come round and give you some turtorials to get you on your way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. You might also be interested in our Guidelines, Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.