buffing

[beanp44]

Wondering what steps everyone uses when they start buffing a car and what materials you use. I have been using 3m materials but tried some presta compound and liked it. I think that is what i used. I know it was a lot cheaper. just wondering what works for everyone.

[88GT]

I use 3M polishes and an air polisher.
I tried the sure finish and apparently got a bad bottle. So, Im set on my polishing regime. I tried saving money and I got bit.
I also tried the electric buffers. Too heavy and bulky, slow to respond etc.
I even tried a lesser expensive wool pad and thought it was a waste of money. So I use the 3M pads too.
Polishing is IMO not the time/place to try to save a buck

[Len]

3M is ok but we liked the Presta even more than the 3M and then we switched to Sure Finish and we haven't found anything better. Sure Finish is used a little differently in that you wet the pad with water before you start and use very little additional Sure Finish after the pad picks up some of this polish. With Sure Finish there is very little flinging polish all over the place like other compounds and a quart of SF goes a lot further than most other products.

Sure Finish Link

[beanp44]

What pads and what compounds do you use and in whart order? Do you wet the pad before you use the presta compound?

[Len]

What pads and what compounds do you use and in whart order? Do you wet the pad before you use the presta compound?

No, the Presta is a "diminishing abrasive" it should be used as is and buffed till it's gone. The Sure Finish is used from beginning to end then a wax or glaze is applied. We use the Sure Finish 6" Orange Foam Pad on most cars but for real dark paint jobs we may go over it with a black pad to help remove swirls. If the paint is fully cured or has flex additive we may start with wool before we change to foam to help speed the buffing.

Sure Finish Pads Link

When using the SF you polish until the pad starts to drag then spray a little water on the car to reactivate the polish on the pad. Doing this you will get a lot more mileage out of the SF. Because you are spraying wet you need to wipe the surface as you work to judge your progress, I use a Micro Fiber Cloth for this purpose.

[beanp44]

Have you ever used the m105 and the m205? If so what did you think?

[Jersey Mike]

88
Just curious. What was the problem with the Sure Finish that you got. Was it dried up?

I use 3M polishes and an air polisher.
I tried the sure finish and apparently got a bad bottle. So, Im set on my polishing regime. I tried saving money and I got bit.
I also tried the electric buffers. Too heavy and bulky, slow to respond etc.
I even tried a lesser expensive wool pad and thought it was a waste of money. So I use the 3M pads too.
Polishing is IMO not the time/place to try to save a buck

[divinity]

another brand just came out, it's called Adam's Polishes. I watched the tutorial video on YouTube and it looked pretty good, but I don't know how true that is. Very little compound was use with the foam pad, and it is affordable too.

do a search on youtube for "wet sanding" it should come up, it's a 9 part video.