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Beginner Paint Correcting


josefdoc

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Hi all, I am looking to get into paint correcting but am not sure how to go about it. Once I get my polisher do you recommend that I find a test piece to polish first or is it safe to just start polishing the car. I've spent months watching youtube videos on polishing and think I am ready.

 

Thanks!

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Take it slow and easy, you will be ok. Adams Correcting and Finishing polish are not so aggresive that they will cause damage to good paint right away, yes you can always cause damage but if you take it easy and pay attention then you will be ok with what you need to do. I know @shane@detailedreflections will always say get a good paint gauge to know what your working with, and he is right, its important to know if its something you plan do to regularly. If you dont have one, its ok, just dont get too aggressive with it. 

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1 hour ago, josefdoc said:

Hi all, I am looking to get into paint correcting but am not sure how to go about it. Once I get my polisher do you recommend that I find a test piece to polish first or is it safe to just start polishing the car. I've spent months watching youtube videos on polishing and think I am ready.

 

Thanks!

What ever you decide to polish do a test spot so you will know what pad & polish you will need to make your paint perfect.

Watch the SK video...….always start with the least aggressive pad & polish,  you will be fine.

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17 hours ago, josefdoc said:

Hi all, I am looking to get into paint correcting but am not sure how to go about it. Once I get my polisher do you recommend that I find a test piece to polish first or is it safe to just start polishing the car. I've spent months watching youtube videos on polishing and think I am ready.

 

Thanks!

 

Not trying to be mean, but it is easy to waaaayy over think polishing before you actually get your hands on the machine.  I did this, and the advice about the Test Spot is fantastic.  I would go so far as to recommend taping off several 2 ft. x 2 ft. section of the hood/roof/trunk before you get started.  This will give you a visual cue to the size of the recommended area to work, and it will let you know what polish/pad combo to use to get the results you are looking for.  Start with the least aggressive pad/polish combo first - does this give you results you want?  If yes, you have the combo for the rest for the car and can get to work.  If no, then reload the pad with polish and try another section pass.  If you still don't like the results, try the more aggressive combo in one of the other sectioned areas.  Once you get the pad/polish/# of passes combo dialed in you are ready for the rest of the car.  This may seem like a extra time, but there is no sense working over WHOLE car and not being pleased with the results (ask me how I know! :( ).  

 

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5 minutes ago, mc2hill said:

 

Not trying to be mean, but it is easy to waaaayy over think polishing before you actually get your hands on the machine.  I did this, and the advice about the Test Spot is fantastic.  I would go so far as to recommend taping off several 2 ft. x 2 ft. section of the hood/roof/trunk before you get started.  This will give you a visual cue to the size of the recommended area to work, and it will let you know what polish/pad combo to use to get the results you are looking for.  Start with the least aggressive pad/polish combo first - does this give you results you want?  If yes, you have the combo for the rest for the car and can get to work.  If no, then reload the pad with polish and try another section pass.  If you still don't like the results, try the more aggressive combo in one of the other sectioned areas.  Once you get the pad/polish/# of passes combo dialed in you are ready for the rest of the car.  This may seem like a extra time, but there is no sense working over WHOLE car and not being pleased with the results (ask me how I know! :( ).  

 

Def great advice....  I attempted my first full correction w my SK in June. I didnt do any test areas..i did the whole car and after completing it realized i need to go more aggressive.  So had to do it all over.   But needless to say my first completed correction camE out pretty good. I was always against even Attempting using a machine for fear of ruining the paint. But the SK is great, even I didnt damage the paint!  

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I agree with the others...always do a test spot to understand the process for the majority of the car (some areas may still need more). 

 

And I do advocate a paint thickness gauge. Usually I suggest it strongly if you’re detailing for dollars. Once you start taking money for a service, you are responsible for any damage and start dealing with unknown histories. It doesn’t sound like either is the case here. But do remember that less is more. Don’t start with aggressive pads/compounds until you know you need them and understand what they will do. 

 

Polishing isnt super hard. Take your time. Check your work. Don’t compare yourself to how quick someone else can do it. We all started as beginners. 

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2 hours ago, shane@detailedreflections said:

And I do advocate a paint thickness gauge. Usually I suggest it strongly if you’re detailing for dollars. Once you start taking money for a service, you are responsible for any damage and start dealing with unknown histories. It doesn’t sound like either is the case here. But do remember that less is more. Don’t start with aggressive pads/compounds until you know you need them and understand what they will do. 

Do you have suggestions on a paint thickness gauge? I looked on Amazon and they range from $20-$500. I'd like to spend as little as possible but still have something that works. 

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26 minutes ago, Bscott94 said:

Do you have suggestions on a paint thickness gauge? I looked on Amazon and they range from $20-$500. I'd like to spend as little as possible but still have something that works. 

Elcometer makes good meters but they are on the higher price point side. Car dealerships use them as well as some detailers. 

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31 minutes ago, Bscott94 said:

Do you have suggestions on a paint thickness gauge? I looked on Amazon and they range from $20-$500. I'd like to spend as little as possible but still have something that works. 

The CEM DT-156 is cheaper and works. That is what Shane recommended to me and I have been happy with it so far. I do plan to upgrade next season but it works for what I need it for just fine. 

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1 hour ago, Bscott94 said:

Do you have suggestions on a paint thickness gauge? I looked on Amazon and they range from $20-$500. I'd like to spend as little as possible but still have something that works. 

 

The DT156 can be had for just over $100 on Amazon I believe. We had one and it worked okay for a bit, then it quit working randomly. 

 

We use a Defelsko Positector, but it’s on the higher end of the price range. Somewhere around $695 I believe. It’s far more durable and reliable than what we started with. I would have liked their high end gauge that separates layers and does composite materials, but that runs north of $2500 and I couldn’t justify it. 

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15 minutes ago, shane@detailedreflections said:

 

The DT156 can be had for just over $100 on Amazon I believe. We had one and it worked okay for a bit, then it quit working randomly. 

 

We use a Defelsko Positector, but it’s on the higher end of the price range. Somewhere around $695 I believe. It’s far more durable and reliable than what we started with. I would have liked their high end gauge that separates layers and does composite materials, but that runs north of $2500 and I couldn’t justify it. 

Is yours the combo then? I know you can get just the ferrous one for around $500.

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