The goal is crystal clear paint, free of any scratches or texture. Nothing beats it, and nothing makes a better first impression than perfectly finished paint. All of these steps are assuming the paint has been wet sanded thoroughly, and finished in 2500 grit or finer.
As with most things, the details of each step is what makes the big difference in the final result.
- Step 1 is crucial. This is where the end result is determined. A quality wool pad is a huge part in the success of the outcome. The goal is to not just get rid of the wet sanding scratches. There is a point where the paint is back to being shiny, but there is still a slight grain in it, and harder to find scratches. This is the part that matters. A good wool pad, running at a slow rpm (600-800) is able to smooth out that grain. It’s a great idea to pause once the paint looks shiny again and clean the panel down good with water borne cleaner. This will remove all the built up compound, and get you buffing directly on the paint again. Continue working the wool pad until the grain is completely gone. It can be seen easiest with a fluorescent light tube (or similar soft light). Some wool pads will cut into the paint, leaving a new texture. Our True Polish wool pads don’t cut into the paint, leaving a perfectly flat finish. Use a heavy cut compound, such as Menzerna 1400.
- Step 2 is tempting to skip, but don’t! Once the wool is done, the paint looks like it’s very close to being polished. There should be no actual scratches left. This middle step with the True Polish medium cut foam makes easy work of polishing. Using a spot light will bring out every scratch. Use this pad, and a medium Polish, like Menzerna 2400. Run the buffer slow here as well, the speed and heat is not needed. After this step is complete, the final polish is a breeze.
- Step 3 should literally be removing swirl marks. You should not still be trying to get scratches out. Typically just a couple slow passes, with very light pressure and low speed, will leave the paint polished to perfection.
Using three steps makes each of the steps much easier. That means there’s no need to build up heat in the panel. Skipping the middle step is pushing the limit on what final polish can do. The finished paint just doesn’t have the same look when all the steps are thoroughly completed.
True Polish pads are meant to be used as a system. Combined with Menzerna polishes, the results are second to none. It is important to frequently clean the panels down with water borne cleaner to keep polish off the paint, this lets you see what the paint really looks like, not disguised with polish.
Car owned by Phil & Deb Becker
Built by: FastLane Rod Shop, Dave Lane
Paint: The Refinery by Adam Krause