GerryC

You should only need a 10% IPA solution at most (1:10) to get rid of any polish oils.
 
Guys using full strength or 50:50 is way too much and actually more harmful

Sealant should go on bare paint, after polishing. Cure time depends on which sealant you are using. MSS, needs to set up for 30 minutes before wiping off the residue. LPS, ~10 minutes. QS residue can be removed almost immediately. I would put the glaze on after sealant, and then wax. If you are using MSS, you need to wait 12 hours before layering anything on top, and you'll need to give the car a wipedown beforehand. LPS, only about 30 minutes before layering, and QS can be layered almost immediately.

If you were to forgo sealant, then using BG in the manner he suggested would be a good time saver. Since sealant needs to actually bond to the surface (as opposed to glazes and waxes which just sort of sit on top of it) you should ideally have nothing between the paint and the sealant.

Here are a few shots of the new Tire Shine on our shop truck... one in the shade, another in the sun:

People have/use chems that are 3-4 years old man with no problem.

Rule of thumb, yea 18-24 months. If you take care of them properly; keep away from heat swings, store them in a cool, dry, dark place they'll last much longer. I still have 1 1/2 bottles of the original VRT in the basement that works just fine on the tires of my show car (I prefer it on those tires that don't get washed often), and a bottle of the original Clear Bra Polish that works like new. Pretty sure I purchased the bottle of old VRT that's down to a half bottle and the Clear Bra Polish in the spring of 2009.
 
The new Tire Shine looks awesome on my daily driver and lasts between washes! The banana scent is wonderful.

He's using the Cyclo.
 
If the microfiber pads made the paint look worse, then you probably have soft clearcoat. Did you do both the orange and white steps? In the process of removing the large swirls, the orange will impart some micro-swirls by nature, which the white will clean up. 
 
Make sure you are not using too much product, and you are moving the polisher slow like in the video. If you try to rush it, it won't have time to do the work it needs to remove the swirls. Slow, methodical movements, in one direction (up/down) then in another (left/right) until the polish turns clear (it will look like vaseline when it has been worked completely).
 
Don't get discouraged if you don't remove of all the swirls right away. Polishing is a process, and once you dial in your technique it will be easier to get results. Where do you live? Maybe someone on the forum is nearby and willing to help get you started.

When machine polishing, you always want to do a test area first in order to determine which combination of products and pads will get you the results you are after. This will save you a ton of time and help you "learn" your car's paint finish. Pick an area that's easy to get to like the trunk lid or the hood, and polish a 2'x2' area. Do the entire two step process to this one area. If you removed the imperfections to your satisfaction, then great! Now you know the technique that you need to replicate over the entire car. If not, don't get discouraged. Sometimes the hardness of your clearcoat will require more than one pass. I would start your test area using the foam pads, since they are less aggressive than the microfiber pads. If the foam pads remove your swirls, great. If not, give it another try, but with the microfiber pads instead. This is why we do the test area - it would absolutely suck to do the entire car only to realize it wasn't done the right way. Every car is different, so what may work for me may not work for you and vice versa. If you haven't already, I recommend watching the machine polishing videos a few times to get an idea of how much product to use, how to move the polisher, etc.
 
In regards to the steps, there is no real right or wrong answer, as long as PCP and the orange pads are done first, and PFP and the white pads are done second. It completely depends on your situation. Is this a car that sits in the garage, or is it your daily driver? If your car is going to be spending the next week or so in the garage, then you can do the first step (orange) to the entire car (after "learning" your paint first, of course ) followed by the second step (white). Stop whenever you get tired, or need to clean your pads, and just remember what you've already done and where you left off. If your car is not in a garage or you will be driving it often, such as in my case, I did my correction panel by panel - orange on the entire door, then white on the entire door, then sealant on the entire door, then move onto the next panel. Since I was limited due to time and weather, I wanted to get each panel completely corrected and protected before moving onto the next, so I could have the option to stop after each panel was finished. I did three panels a day over the course of four days.
 
After your polishing is done, the first thing would be sealant. Sealants bond to the paint, compared to wax which just "sits" on top. Sealants last longer than wax, so you want your most durable and longest-lasting form of protectant to go right on top of your hard work. The proper order is sealant -> glaze -> wax. Of course, you can omit any of them if you wish, just as long as they are in that order.
 
Congratulations on your purchases, welcome to the forum, and do not hesitate to ask for clarification on anything I've said. I'm sure others will offer suggestions as well.
 
Bed time 

If they made a smaller version it would be the French baguette.
 
I'll show myself out.

Or very French looking at it from the back.

Erik has you on the right track. I cannot stress enough the importance of perfecting a 2x2 area before doing the rest of the car. Learning how to correct your specific paint finish in an isolated area is key in saving you time and aggravation when you start doing the entire car. More info here: http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/26535-the-right-order-of-detailing-your-car/?do=findComment&comment=419029

Unless you have single-stage paint, everyone is dealing with clearcoat, not color.

I do mine outside, but not in the sun. Find shade, or wait for overcast days, or do it early in the AM or later in the day when the sun is not at its peak. Wash the car and then do the entire clay-polish-seal/wax process to one panel at a time. I explain in more detail in this topic: http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/26295-its-springdamn/?do=findComment&comment=415385
 
One other suggestion would be to keep a spray bottle full of cold distilled water on hand and use it (and a clean waffle weave towel) to cool down your panels in between steps as you work

Welcome to the internet.
 

Welcome to the internet.
 

Welcome to the internet.
 

Welcome to the internet.
 

This one's titled "There's no way that's your daily driver" from the album "Stuff People Say To Me At Car Shows"
 

I think this is appropriate here...
 
 

 
 
 

Here's some new photos taken with a better lens...

Here's my new 2014 Dodge Challenger. I custom ordered it and made sure they didn't wash it when it came off the truck. Wash, Clay, Revive, Glaze, Buttery, Americana, VRT. I really like all the Adam's products I used; very happy!

2008ish, after finishing up the interior and mechanical restorations on the vette, I had to learn the paint. I knew Corvette clear was tough as nails compared to other vehicles, and I spent a considerable amount of time in this one spot until I figured out what I had to do to the rest of the car, on and off, over the course of the following weeks. 
 

Man do I love this car.
 

Hi All,
 
This game is simple. I'll start by posting a section of a car, the first person to correctly guess at least the make & model (kudos points for the year) wins and posts the next section of a another car to all to guess.
 
How well do you know your automobiles?