(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best polishing & rubbing compounds

Sorry this kinda became a small essay, I hope it's not too verbose but there's a lot of ground to cover if you're just starting out.

I got kinda shafted started out since I had a pretty damn oxidized, single-stage red Miata as well as a pretty-ok silver 2015 Subaru, so I kinda had to build two kits at a time since I didn't want to cross-contaminate my systems. I ended up getting a bunch of orange and white Lake Country CCS foam pads along with playing around with some Meguiars foam cutting pads for the Miata and the 5" Meguiars Microfiber Correction Kit for the Subaru and anything else that's clear coated.

I'm using the same Harbor Freight DA, but with the 5" backing plate that comes with the Meguiars kit. If you don't get the Meguiars kit, at the very least you need to order a new backing plate for Harbor Freight DA because the one that comes with it is well-known for being really shitty. I prefer using a 5" system as it fits a better into tighter spots and gives you noticeably more correction power over a 6" at very little perceived loss of coverage efficiency because of the smaller size.

Of note: I've only had poor experiences with microfiber pads on single-stage since they seem to clog up so fast, but they've been great on clear coat. Most people won't face this issue, but I figured I'd put it out there.

Pair whatever kit you build/get with the 36-pack of microfibers from Costco and you'll be in business in no time.

I did pick up a 6.5" Lake Country CCS red wax/sealant pad since I like to apply Collinite 845 to everything I care about. I intentionally picked an oversized pad for my backing plate because I'm only using my DA at the minimum speed possible (like 1.5 on the HF DA) to spread a thin layer of wax efficiently. If you crank up the speed by accident or out of curiosity, yes, the 6.5" pad does tend to get totally out of control in a hurry, so don't do that haha.

Don't forget your pad brush, or if you have an air compressor, you can use that to blow out your pads (Youtube it). Some method of cleaning pads is absolutely mandatory and for some reason, this is often overlooked or skipped by many people starting out.

Whatever you get, I like to have at least 2 cutting pads on hand and I'll make a conscious effort to switch halfway through the car, usually hood/driver's side for one and trunk/roof/passenger side for the other. I usually can get through a car with just one polishing pad but it's reassuring to have a backup on hand in case the pad explodes or I'm an idiot and set it down on the ground or something. I'm also kinda anal about cross-contamination of LSPs, so I now have a dedicated Lake Country red CCS pad for each LSP I use.

Finally, I know you're looking for advice on pads, but I ended up getting a bottle of the Meguiars DA Microfiber Polish since I prefer to lay down my own LSPs and the lifespan of the DA Finishing Wax was iffy, especially compared to the Powerlock+ and Collinite 845 combo that I use on cars I actually care about. The DA Finishing Wax is now reserved for my detailing side-hustle (which is currently helping fund putting a turbo in my Miata), since it saves quite a bit of time over separate polishing and waxing.

First of all, here's a link with some pictures: https://imgur.com/a/DdDMX8f

I just bought this car two weekends ago and I'm stoked. I have washed it once (normal two-bucket method, no polish/wax). I'm going to plan for a more in-depth detail this coming or the following weekend, so I'm planning on making some purchases and wanted to run them by you guys! My general plan is do a foam cannon spray, rest a little bit, rinse, decontaminate w/ Griot's Speed Shine and Griot's Synthetic Clay.

After decontamination, in the long run, I would like to put a coat of CQuartz. Beforehand, obviously, I need to remove as many of the swirls/scratches as possible. I don't have any experience yet with compounding/polishing so do you think I should try it first before buying the CQuartz, or should I just go for it?

Here's what I'd like to buy:

1. Soap - Currently I have a bottle of some basic Meguiars cheap stuff that I was using on my previous old cars. After reading around some, I was going to either go with Gold Class or Optimum Car Wash. CarPro Reset is another option for me as I would like to apply CQuartz eventually so I want something without additives and waxes. Currently I have Optimum Car Wash in my cart, any reason I should go with anything else? I know everyone raves about ONR, but is that more for maintenance washes? Haven't looked into it much yet.
   
2. Snow foam - Chemical Guys Honeydew Snow Foam. I have a small bottle of this and I like the results, so I may buy a gallon unless I'm convinced otherwise!
   
3. Drying Towel - I have plenty of normal microfiber towels for touching up and interior work, but I don't have dedicated large drying towels. The Meguiar's X2000 drying towel was recommended a couple places on the sub and it seems like a good value; but I have heard Griot's is good as well. Any thoughts?
   
4. Polisher - Griot's Garage 6" DA Polisher. From what I have read, this seems to be one of the best-rated entry-level polishers. I haven't done enough research yet to know what type of pads/liquids I will need based on my specific paint, so I'll save those decisions for another day. The car was mostly well taken care of but there are a couple etched spots from what I'm assuming was bird poop or sap. There are a couple pictures in the album of this. Other than that, there seem to be an average amount of "swirl" marks but I'll need to do more research to determine what level of liquid/pads I need. I took the photos in the morning so I didn't have a good light source to show the "swirls".
   
   I already have some good stuff for cleaning wheels and I've been using Griot's Interior Detailer for the interior and it seems to be doing a good enough job. The interior isn't very dirty so just light cleaning suffices.
   
   As for CQuartz prep, before I am more confident in the paint correction process, should I apply a wax after polishing, or will that just make it more of a pain in the ass to decontaminate the paint when I decide to apply CQuartz in the next month or so? FYI, I'm going to be reading the DA polishing guides on this sub before I buy anything related to that.
   
   Any comments or suggestions on things I have selected?
   
   Thanks!

honestly, i wouldn't get either of those. yeah they're both good, but you really don't need all of that.

what i use:

griot's garage clay

meguairs soap

mothers cleaner wax

nu finish

and of course a (or a couple) 5 gallon buckets with a grit guard , which is completely not necessary, but highly recommended by professional detailers. i don't use one, and my car comes out fine. and a good, soft wash mitt. either a good sponge or a wheel brush for your wheels would be needed as well.

my once a year routine is as follows:

wash, claybar, nu polish, cleaner wax

usually wash every 2 weeks or so, and rewax every 6 weeks or so. if i did a bunch of off roading and the paint is gritty i'll clay as needed, but usually it's once a year.

also head over to /r/autodetailing for a lot of tips. beware though that they use a lot of very high end products, and circle jerk over polishing and getting perfect reflections. if all you're looking to do is keeping your paint in good condition, then what i do is just fine. if you're interested in keeping your paint better than factory, follow them.

Before you do anything to it make sure you are totally okay knowing that you'll have to polish it every time it gets wet or it will look like poop!
If you decide you want daily brass polishing done.... Put any acidic paste (ketchup) on it and leave it on for an hour or so then rub it off with a rag. Then do it again. I personally have never been a big fan of brasso, it clumps and leaves big streaks on the brass if you don't get it all off. I really like this product:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003D73U6S?cache=1b6fda52dc512f465a9de63e3dbe0e3e&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1404501770&sr=8-5#ref=mp_s_a_1_5
Get some buffing pads, the cheapest ones you can find, and go to town. Apply the rubbing compound to the brass and let it sit for a minute then scrub vigorously. Work in small areas at a time so you can see the progress your making and don't get to frustrated.
Good luck polishing!
Btw once it is clean you can cover it in Vaseline when your away from the boat to keep it from needing as much care when you come back.

rubbing compound is like really really fine grid sandpaper which is used to buff paint. if you put enough effort into it, it will grind off any imperfections that are sitting on top of the clear coat without cutting much or at all into the clear coat. It's used often when polish cars and removing scuff marks from car paint. I'd say it's worth a shot, it should definitely help.

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Rubbing-Compound-16-Oz/dp/B001AJ3660

There are other brands of rubbing compound too that work fairly well and may be cheaper than 3M.

edit:
you can use it with a buffer, or even with a clean (keyword: CLEAN) rag. rubbing with a dirty rag will scratch up the paint...

I guess I should mention products used:

• Meguiar's Hyper Wash: I bought a gallon of this in the spring and I washed my car 2-3 times a month since then. I still have at least a quart left. Love this soap.
  
  
• Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax. I had initially intended to use a DA to apply it, but it was so quiet outside yesterday morning that I couldn't bring myself to ruin it. I hand applied the wax with a foam pad that I lubricated with a couple squirts of Chemical Guy's Conditioner: this helped BIG time. It also doubles as a touch up spray which I used to clean off some water spots. Can't recommend it enough. The wax itself is fine, lasts surprisingly long and gives good shine. I'd like to try Collinite 845 sometime, but I'm still working off the bottle of this I bought last year.

I see you work quite a lot with ctek, long time ago i was searching for an easy solution to polish it.

This 3M compound with this pad mounted on drill removes scratches and almost polish the surface. If you want perfectly shiny surface you also need to use this compound after (with separate pad). This works with any plastics or lacquered surfaces. Maybe you'll need this one day :)

Thinking about it I believe I can recommend 4 products:
Pink clay bar, really good for a regular claying.
Blue clay bar, for neglected paint, be aware that you'll need to polish after claying because it will leave swirls.
Chemical guys clay lube, maybe there's better, but this is the best for its cost.
Meguiar's wash mitt, doesn't scratch the paint and it's really affordable.

They're mentioned all throughout the comments.

edit

Or not - apparently I was thinking of a different thread.

Nanoskin sponges and mitts are awesome, and they're are clay towels out there as well.

You also have products like this:

https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/brilliant+finish+synthetic+clay.do?code=PPCPLG&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6MHdBRCtARIsAEigMxEVvhkIDjnP6PA4OvQZ-saVYSDV46TNvCNU-ntpXrzMqeIFRZCu9o4aAtiPEALw_wcB

And this:

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/mothers-speed-clay-20-17240/11446976-p?c3ch=PLA&c3nid=11446976-P&adtype=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6MHdBRCtARIsAEigMxH-n33y09txGfm0aKOenU_yU_URSX_A9KEZphtcXzO9a4pKNp4YaeMaAgZ2EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CL6boejw4t0CFY7GwAodfrgM8Q

Clay towel example:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ON9SU9M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fznSBb9G3JMM3

There are two different factors in machine polishing: the hardness of the pads and the coarseness of the polishing compound. Until you have a feel for things then the basic advice is to work from a hard pad and coarse polish through a medium/medium to a soft pad and fine polish.

If there are really deep scratches then you might not get them out. For a while there was a cat that used to like sitting on my roof and I have a few quite deep scratches thanks to its claws. You can still see them but only when you are close.


Here are some links to products I like:



Polish Starter Set - US link

Pad and Polish Set - US Link

My Polishing Machine - US link

Yeah its likely just road junk. I hope it didn't totally puncture your floorpan...hard to tell from the pic. You could try sealing it back up again with something like this - http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-81833-Rubberized-Undercoating-Aerosol/dp/B000HBGIOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398194168&sr=8-1&keywords=adhesive+sealant+undercoating

Meguiars 205, HD Polish, McKee's 37 Fast Polish, Menzerna 3500 come to mind. And honorary mention for HD Speed (All In One or Polish + Sealant) since it's not just a polish but is soooooo good.

Without a clean surface to adhere to, waxes lose their ability to defend your clear coat very quickly. I'd recommend claying your bike then applying Menzrena Power Lock sealant. Very shiny and lasts a decent amount of time. After the sealant cures you can layer caranuba wax over it for insane depth and shine.

http://www.amazon.com/Menzerna-Power-Lock-Polymer-Sealant/dp/B003UMRC06/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406572471&sr=8-2&keywords=menzerna+power+lock

http://www.amazon.com/Griots-Garage-11145-Paint-Cleaning/dp/B003V3PZOY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1406572493&sr=8-3&keywords=paint+clay

I've had my bottle of Power Lock for over a year, wax my car and bike once a month and I still have 1/2 a bottle. Well worth it. The S100 we sell at the dealership isn't very good, but its better than nothing.

Source: Staff Detailer for Harley-Davidson for over 6 years.

I've tried several this year and have found P&S Spray N' Shine to be one of the best. But it's hard to come by without paying through the nose for shipping. Chemical Guys Clay Luber would work well for what you are doing.

P&S Detail

[Amazon](Chemical Guys WAC_CLY_100_16 Luber Synthetic Lubricant and Detailer (16 oz) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TJALQO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_E4.5xbY9Z32Q0)

Look up lapping or grinding compounds.
A 280 grit lapping paste https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-1777012-Grinding-Lapping-Compound/dp/B00O542WDK

Here is another brand: https://www.amazon.com/Goodson-Lapping-Compound-600-Gr/dp/B0009RGTI6/ref=mp_s_a_1_34?keywords=lapping+compound&qid=1571520293&sprefix=lapping&sr=8-34


Hopefully that can help direct your search. I have used similar products for buffing and sharpening knifes.

This is a great kit. There is plenty there to do 3 or 4 cars with each bottle.

It's when you use a clay bar (clay bar kit) to pull out any contaminants from the clear coat so like tree sap, bugs splatter that didn't fully get removed, water marks etc. Just makes the surface of the paint smooth and shiny again and aids in the application for wax as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Viking-Car-Care-Microfiber-Applicator/dp/B0051MYL8E/

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G18016-Clear-Rubbing-Compound/dp/B006FUT13G/

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Clear-Coat-Polishing-Compound/dp/B006FUT154/

​

Wash/Wipe the area with damp cloth to remove dirt

1. Rub the rubbing compound using pad. Scrub!
   
2. Wipe clean
   
3. Rub the polish compound using pad. Scrub!
   
4. Wipe clean
   
   Don't use too much product.
   Too much will make it to slippery.
   
   Err on the side of caution if it's still got scratches repeat the whole process again
   
   
   
   $20 and 20 mins. will make a big difference.
   
   ​
   
   ​
   Post a before
   and after picture

I use Super Resin Polish, I normally use an old shirt to apply a tiny blob. Takes a fair bit of rubbing but does the job. Maybe not worth it if you are only buying it for fixing CDs though. I imagine any polish with a cutting compound should work :)

+1 on the Griot's Paint Cleaning Clay Bar

Wash: https://smile.amazon.com/Meguiars-Hyper-Wash-Foaming-Leaves-D11001/dp/B0006SH4IM

Clay: https://smile.amazon.com/Nanoskin-AS-019-AutoScrub-Grade-Sponge/dp/B00CUAWJ6G

Decontamination: https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-iron-x-cleaner.html

DA: https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-57-amp-heavy-duty-dual-action-variable-speed-polisher-69924.html

Polish: https://smile.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Glaze-Ultra-Cut-Compound/dp/B003LMGDHI

Compound: https://smile.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Glaze-Ultra-Cut-Compound/dp/B003LMGDHI

Pads: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004104678/ref=twister_B00NN89SGI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Coating and Sealant: https://www.autogeek.net/cquartz-uk-edition.html

Wheels

• Sonax Wheel Cleaner
  
  
• Glove thingy
  
  
• Meg's Gold Class Shampoo & Conditioner
  
  
• Optimum OptiBond Tire Gel
  
  Body
  
  
• foam gun
  
  
• CG Honeydew Snow Foam
  
  
• Stoner's Tarminator
  
  
• CG Hybrid V7
  
  
• Griot's Garage Paint Cleaning Clay with Mother's Instant Detailer
  
  
• CG Butter Wet Wax
  
  Windows
  
  
• Stoner's Glass Cleaner
  
  Trim/Interior
  
  
• 303 Aerospace Protectant
  
  
• Vacuum
  
  
• getting between cracks w/ boar's hair brush

I just bought this off amazon, http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001UHQXQ2/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?redirect=true am I supposed to dilute it?

close but that is more for heavy scratches its this