Hey guys,
I have always waxed by hand and was just wondering if i could step up my game and start waxing with a random orbital buffer. Will this give me swirls or scrathes at all? and if not what RPM should i wax at?

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks, Jim

 

This seems like a trick question What exactly do you mean when you say "waxing", and which machine and products are you using Jim? If you're trying to polish defects from the clearcoat, then a machine (random orbital or rotary) polisher is the only way to go. A random orbital machine is much safer for a novice detailer as compared to a rotary, and if used properly should not cause any unexpected damage to the paint finish. I say "unexpected" because depending on how aggressive you get with your product selection, you may induce some "micromarring" that will need to be polished out further using a less aggressive product combination.

As far as traditonal "wax" and sealants, I prefer to apply those products by hand but there are people who like the buffer for that step as well. If it's done properly, you won't induce any new swirls or scratches. Just go with a lower speed and a very soft pad combination. I actually have some microfiber bonnets for the random orbital that are made for this purpose.

 

Jim, the big thing with the powered buffers is you need to keep the pad that you are buffing with clean. You get any sort of hard spot on the pad and you are now applying a lot more force in that one area, therefore leading to the scratches. So, can a buffer give you a good job, yes. Can it scratch your car, possible. It all depends on how you are with the buffer. You be good to the buffer, it will be good to you.

 

IMHO waxing or polishing using a newer type of D/A machine like the Porter Cable 7424XP will give you far superior results compared to hand application. You will get a more even, intense application of product and it will also assist in removing fine hairline scratches when polishing.

You just need to always use fresh pads of the proper density for each step, never mix products on pads. I recommend keeping the used pads labeled and in a large ziplock.

When it comes to product as well as pads, always use the least aggressive product first then work up. For wax or sealant using a D/A I recommend Meguir's M21.

Always keep the cord over your shoulder otherwise you will have a cord dragging across your paint that can create scratches.

If the polisher you are talking about is one of those large old style 12" or bigger buffers using a terry bonnet, waste of time!

 

^ good tips Dave! I think I've got one of the old 12" that uses terry bonnets.

I did, however, recently get one of those fancy ones that fit on a cordlesss screwdriver. Any opinion on those?

 

Innovative Detailing I looked on Autogeek.net and priced out the Porter Cable 7424XP and I want to purchase it, but there were so many kits to add on that I was overwhelmed. I want to remove light swirls and keep a nice shine on the car. Can you recommend a kit to get me started?

Thanks
Michael
http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polishers.html

 

Michael,

If I were you I would definately consider purchasing this package.....

http://www.autogeek.net/porter-cable-meguiars-kit.html

I would use the grey pads and the M205 for any finessing or light polishing and follow up with the red pads with your LSP which I recommend M21 2.0.

This makes it very user friendly without the need of complicating things.

Good Luck.

P.S. I just purchased 2 of the new PC7424XP and they are far superior to the older PC7424, got to use it over the last few days!

 

thanks for all of your help guys, i truly appreciate it. what is the difference between a wax and a sealant?

 

The difference between a wax and a paint sealant

The difference between what is a wax and what is a paint sealant, is that a "Wax" contains some type of natural waxy type substance. A paint "sealant" contains no natural wax but instead is made from man-made or synthetic materials with the the catch-all term of polymers being the most common word used to describe what's in the can or bottle. There are currently no "Wax" Police so companies can pretty much use any word or term they choose to label their products.

 

thank you for the help dave, i just picked up a small 6" turtle wax random orbital buffer and i tried it on my trunk. So far the results arent really special. I just applied some wax with the buffer and buffed it off by hand. I am just a little worried that it will scratch the paint and give me swirl marks since i have never done this before.