The Art of Polishing
Hi Performance Detailing Catering for the Car Enthusiast
The Art of Polishing
Hi Performance Detailing Catering for the Car Enthusiast
-True Shine"& Swirls Page (1)
"True Shine & Swirls" Article by Brett Newman
True shine can only be achieved by removing defects that distort reflections on the painted surface. Swirl marks from either general washing, or previous buffing are, in effect, thousands of micro scratches that refract the light reflecting off the painted surface. This gives the appearance of a dull, and in severe cases, cloudy surface. Ever wondered what happened to that vibrant colour you fell in love with in the dealer showroom? It’s hidden beneath all those imperfections.
AutoFX has spent many years researching the best products, and refining the techniques required to restore automotive paintwork to its peak condition. From compounds, to buffing pads and hardware to paint types, he has left no stone unturned in pursuit of polishing perfection, only passing this information to a select few.
How are these swirls removed?
We can remove swirl through a multi stage, mechanical process of polishing, using abrasive compounds. This mechanical polishing levels the paint to create a true reflective surface. The compounds we use contain no “fillers”. Fillers are used in other cutting compounds to mask up the swirl left behind by highly aggressive abrasives. Effectively reducing the number of stages of the polishing required thus reducing the time taken to complete the treatment. This one-step cut & polish, however this is a “band aid” solution to the problem. Polishing with these compounds looks fantastic when first done, but after the “fillers” are washed out all you are left with is a surface that has more defects than before the treatment was carried out. Because we use no “fillers” we can achieve true shine before any waxes have been applied.
Why do we use waxes then?
Once the paintwork has been corrected we have to protect the surface from nature's elements. UV rays, acid rain and general dirt will break down the oils in a painted surface and essentially dry it out leaving solid colours looking faded and clear coat finishes dull, in some cases blistered, flaking or peeling.
How many stages of polishing will be required?
This all depends on how deep the swirl is. For the paint to be level we need to cut down to the bottom of the deepest swirl. The deeper the swirl, the more stages required to level the paint. For daily driven vehicles we would recommend a treatment that will remove about 95% of the swirl. More often than not this achieves a perfect finish in the eyes of our customers. The last 5-10% of swirl is the hardest and most time consuming to remove, hence adds a significant cost for little obvious gain in the minds of most.
What about scratches?
Some scratches can be removed. However our number one concern during a paint rectification treatment is for the safety of the paintwork. If too much paint is required to be removed in order to remove a scratch we will err on the side of caution and not risk future paint degradation. In most cases these deep scratches will have a reduced appearance and be less noticeable. As a rule of thumb, if you can feel the scratch with your fingernail, it’s probably too deep to totally remove safely.
What is it?
Why should you use it?
Does it scratch?
What’s the best one to buy?
A clay bar is also known as a compound block, because it’s made from various compound materials to make different grades of bars. Clay is an important part of your cleaning maintenance of your car’s exterior whether paint or glass.
Why?
Cause it is like a magnet that absorbs foreign particles that have fallen on the car’s surface that etches in over time that doesn’t wash off. Have you ever had your car’s surface silky smooth when you bought it and months or a year down the track it started to feel rough whilst running your hand over the paint work? Then you need to “clay it” It will pick up nearly 99% of fine particles from the paint leaving it so smooth you’ll fall off it if you lean on it.
Other ways you can use a clay bar is on black or dark paints to remove bugs during the washing of your car instead of scrubbing it which may result in far worse scratches. By using it on your glass every so often it keeps better surface tension on your glass making it easier to clean and water beads off more so in the wet driving. The conclusion it is important to treat your car with Clay at least twice a year.
Yes clay bar can put in 'very very fine' scratches (called marring) into the paint work, they can be reduced to almost nothing by using precautions like making sure the car is properly washed before you start. Making sure the painted surface is wet and cool at all times with water, soapy water or clay lubricants. If soapy water is your choice then I recommend that you only use the good car wash shampoo which is common sense that you would not use any domestic cleaning agents/ detergents on your car paint anyway.
The better clay bars to buy are not the retail units found everywhere. Trade brands are the ones to look for. A trade clay bar which will range anywhere between $40 and $55 each. The retail blocks are week and will break down in a few uses and they are less than half the size of a trade/professional blocks. The advantage of buying a trade/professional block is that it is double the size and will last forever or until it gets to dirty to re-use. The other advantage is that if you want to use a trade block for less than $30 you get a mate to go halves with you on the trade block and cut it in half. Another advantage of a trade block is that you can cut It into 2 and use one for the top surfaces only and the other for the bottom halves of the car.
Remember to wax your car after the use of clay bar unless you have had proper paint correction lately with and/or a minimum of 2 coats of wax containing a minimum of 40% in the last 3 months.
Good luck.