Machine polishing - leaving behind problems

chris285

leon mk1 fr tdi
Nov 26, 2004
1,850
0
lincoln, uk
Ok short story is last weekend i went over to my parents and borrowed my dad's 20 quid machine polisher, is an orbital one with bonnet covers you get from machine mart or halfords so its not great but better than doing it by hand

i've used this type of machine polisher a few times before so i'm not a complete novice with them, but this last time after polishing i had a couple of areas where it seems like the polish hasn't broken down properly and its left a haze mark on the paintwork which requires some work to remove

before polishing i basically just washed the car as normal with only a single bucket and mitt so not ideal but its all i had to hand, i clayed the car prior but tbh it doesn not require much claying anymore as i keep on top of it

so i'm not sure if these haze marks are down to the technique i am using or too much polish or if its a limitation of the machine polisher, as it has a microfibre cover for applying the polish was oly elasticated on so i can't imagine an even action on the paintwork by this nature. when i polish i go smoothly either vertically then horizontally and then switch so if i go vertically over a section i come back horizontally, to try and make sure i don't miss any sections of paintwork. in terms of the amount of polish i tend to put several pea sized blobs on the machine polisher, then dab onto the section of paint to be done to remove excess before polishing.

can anyone advise where i am going wrong or offer suggestions, don't get me wrong the car still looks good but there are small areas that let it down
 
Sep 3, 2009
1,230
0
Walsall, West Mids
Sounds like holograming to me... looks like a haze that shimmers over (almost off) the paintwork !?

The usual cause of this is using an aggressive product and pad when polishing the paint. Not sure what compound you used but the MF pad / bonnet on the machine will more than likely have been the cause or at least helped depending on the product you applied with it.

Only way to get rid of holograming is to machine the car with a suitable polish and pad combo (light cut polish and finishing pad), this should also add a decent level of gloss to the finish.

I got holograming on the black A6 avant i did a week or so back... i knew it was going to happen though as i had to use a heavy cut compound and a cutting pad to break down the swirls and scratches, i always planned to go over the car a 2nd time with a low cut polish and finishing pad though.
 

chris285

leon mk1 fr tdi
Nov 26, 2004
1,850
0
lincoln, uk
the polish i used was Meguiars Deep Crystal Car Polish Step 2 in combination with the microfibre bonnet for the polisher, only got that to work with which is a pain but thankfully this has only happened in small areas so its not really too obvious until pointed out

i am looking to get probably somethign such as a DAS6-Pro kit around or after christmas, so hoping with the ability to use a lighter pad in combination with the polish should sort this out and i can cut into the paintwork more if required
 

Loud

Active Member
Oct 24, 2011
84
1
Manchester
Holograms [:@] PITA

Get your kit and have a mooch around detailing world on ideas for what products to use and then, when you're utterly confused and spoilt for choice gimme a shout and I'll give you an idea of what to get and where to start :wave:
 

Loud

Active Member
Oct 24, 2011
84
1
Manchester
Fair point lol I'm a huge fan of Menzerna polishes used with say a green Lake Country pad on a DA machine, finish with a quick zip round with Lime Prime and then finish off with a coat or two of Supernatural wax.
 

Loud

Active Member
Oct 24, 2011
84
1
Manchester
Oh Googling any of the above will find you lots of online suppliers and each product is popular enough to be found at the same place.
 

chris285

leon mk1 fr tdi
Nov 26, 2004
1,850
0
lincoln, uk
gonna get myself on detailing world after christmas, from use i've like the meguirs stuff myself but i'm willing to give other stuff a go. just looking for a good starter kit despite not being a complete novice really
 
Sep 3, 2009
1,230
0
Walsall, West Mids
The thing you have to remember is that a lot / all of the products you get from the high street are designed to be used by a multitude of people with a wide range of skills or lack of. These products have to be user friendly or idiot proof (without wanting to cause offence) so they do not cause further damage to the paint and result in the user calling the manufacturer to complain about how they used their products and things went pear shaped.

A lot of the products you will see in use on DetailingWorld or recommended by us lot in this section of the forum have to be used with care and in the correct way or you will definitely make a mess of the paint. With the right level of advice and skill though you will see results that really make the car look special :thumbup:
 

chris285

leon mk1 fr tdi
Nov 26, 2004
1,850
0
lincoln, uk
thanks guys, tbh i'm not going overboard on the leon for now as i'm planning on getting rid in a few months and ketting a candy white k1. so for now i'm gonna just keep it clean, paintwork is in decent enough condition for age and milage apart from usual stone chips on the bonnet and a front bumper which has seen better days for the same reason
 
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