The Art of Auto Paint Finishing

The poly/wool blend cutting pad is an alternative that fits between a 100 percent wool pad and the foam cutting pad. It was developed for clear-coat correction to provide a more aggressive pad that would not scratch and swirl the paint. They, too, are available in lengths from a half inch to 1.5 inches and diameters from 6 inches to 10 inches.

The foam cutting pad has been around about 20 years. It is the pad of choice for most clear-coat finishes to prevent further damage to the paint. They were developed for use on clear-coat finishes and should be the pad of choice for most correction applications.

Foam polishing pads have become popular among detailers. The advantage of this pad is that it should not create swirls in the paint finish when used properly. They are designed especially for clear-coat finishes. This pad should be used with a swirl remover, polish, glaze or one-step. Never use it with a compound.

The sheepskin finishing pad is available either as “real sheepskin” or a synthetic (polyester) fiber. The choice is usually based on budget, because the 100 percent sheepskin pad is quite expensive. For years these were the polishing pads of choice, but for all intents and purposes these have been replaced by foam polishing or “finishing” pads.

The proper chemicals

Again with chemicals, simplicity is the watch word. This is in spite of the array of products that are offered by chemical manufacturers under a myriad of names. There are really only a few basic products required to detail most of the vehicles on the road. The chemicals required for the paint finishes are:

Compounds. These are used to remove oxidation, scratches, spotting, discoloration, etching and light orange peel. While most manufacturers offer a light, medium and heavy version, there is also a new grit size we can call “micro-fine,” which is for clear coats. Remember, it is not recommended to use a heavy-duty compound on a clear-coat finish. Always start with the least-aggressive compound to find out what grit will correct the problem.

Swirl-away polish. This product follows the compound and cutting pad to remove swirls in the paint and to provide the high-gloss shine. It is applied with the high-speed rotary buffer and/or sheepskin foam polishing pad. The foam pad works best on clear-coat finishes as well as on black and other dark car finishes.

Keep in mind that if you use too aggressive a cutting pad and/or too aggressive a compound, you will put “scratches” in the paint in the form of swirls, which means you will need to remove these scratches with a lighter compound and less-aggressive pad. A swirl remover will not remove scratches.

Carnauba wax. This product is used to provide final protection and shine. It can be available in a hard paste, semi-soft paste, and crème or liquid. We recommend a liquid carnauba wax be applied and removed with the orbital waxer or by hand. We have found this to be the most effective method in terms of time and satisfactory results.

Paint sealant. If you will be selling a guaranteed finish, you should use a sealant instead of wax. The sealants with amino functional silicones bond to the paint finish providing longer-lasting protection. Depending on the product, it can be applied and removed with the orbital waxer, or applied and removed by hand. But many detailers are using paint sealants as their product of choice for protection because they are easier to apply and remove.

The aforementioned three-step process deals with those paint finishes that require correction. You will find, however, that many paint finishes do not require any major correction and can be handled with less-aggressive procedures. Normally, you would then start with the rotary buffer and finishing pad using the swirl-away polish. The finish protection would be either a wax or sealant, orbital or hand applied.

Many detailers believe that paint finishes not requiring correction can be polished with an orbital. Personally, I don’t agree, since you get no friction or heat. However, when a retail customer pays you top dollar to have his paint restored and protected, you should give him the best possible service, which is with a rotary buffer.

To make a comparison, using an orbital to polish a paint finish is similar to putting wax on a shoe and brushing it off. On the other hand, using a high-speed buffer is like spit-shining a shoe. There is no comparison between