Sorry for such a dumb question but with every detailing website i read, i cannot get a truely clear answer.

Polishing(polish paste w/buffing machine) is what "removes" swirls. BUT, by doing this are you resurfacing your clear coat? OR each time you do it, you are removing a layer of the clear coat?

For example, i heard you aren't suppose to clay bar too much because everytime you claybar, your removing a small layer of clear coat. So does this apply to polishing as well?

If this is the case, that means you should not polish too frequently? What happens if you polish so much you completely remove the clear coat? Time for a new paint job?

thanks for the clarification.

 

Correct. Just think of polish like sanding wood: The more damaged the wood the more course you need sandpaper. Once you find the magic number then work your way backwards.

Auto polish is the same way. Some more some less abrasive than others. Polish will remove 1/1,000 or maybe 1/10,000 inch of clearcoat. So it takes a lot of polish to remove all clearcoat. Keep in mind that compound is also polish - just more abrasive.

A machine is a great time saving tool if you know what you are doing. In the wrong hands the results can be disastrous.

 

DavidV explained it well...

Polishing is removing a thin layer of clearcoat (which is where the swirls are). You are essentially re-leveling the clearcoat when you polish.

Pro detailers take paint depth measurements to make sure they aren't going to remove too much clearcoat when polishing.

You want to start with a polish with a light cut and a pad that is less agressive. Try that combination and see if it removes the imprefections you see. If it doesn't do the job then start getting progressively more agressive with pads and polishes until you get the results you are looking for.

Basically, you want to remove as little clearcoat as possible to get the desired results.

You could go at a mildly swirled car with a strong compound and get them out in one shot, but you would be removing more clearcoat than neccessary to do so.

 

thanks for the reply guys.

So how often do you think it's ok to do a full detail/polish?

 

I don't know. 58,000 miles and I have never used a polish just a one-step. I can tell when the car needs attention because the surface no longer beads water.

 

David your car is white and hides a lot of imperfections as does silver.If you have a darker colored car you can very easily see swirls and imperfections.So the way to stop polishing your car to often is to refine your washing tecniuqes(spelling of course).

You can easily lightly polish your car 2-3 times a year and not remove enough clearcoat to harm the finish or go thru the clearcoat.This is only true with a very light polish and not a compound

 

clay doesnt really remove clear coat, Polishing does remove clear coat. Just use the mildest possible polish you can and remove all of the imperfections. You could in theory polish as often as you wanted but eventually your clear coat will be gone. You shouldnt need to polish very often unless your washing process sucks.