# Correct hand polishing technique



## z4lover (Oct 14, 2008)

Hi All, I have been trying to find a guide on how to hand polish correctly but not had any luck finding it. Has the topic been covered in this forum before?

Couple of questions
1. If the paint has been treated with scratchX and no defects can be seen, is there any point applying polish as i understand doing so would remove the clearcoat which cant be good for the paint in the long run?
2. Is it better just to wax (once paint is clean) and then glaze. How good is Meguiars #80 by hand?

The paint is in pretty good condition - im just looking for that perfect wet shine!


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## ahaydock (Jan 4, 2007)

There is a guide here and IIRC Dave KG wrote it - take a look here.

In theory polishing by hand will remove the clearcoat, however in practise this isn't really going to happen unless the paint is very very thin.

If you are looking to polish by hand I would recommend AG SRP as this contains not only mild abrasives but also fillers to help mask the swilrs and also preps the apint well for a wax. A rough guide would be to work in an area of say a foot square and work the polish well, then buff the residue with a MF cloth. There is no harm in doing a few layers of SRP either.

Once you have polished the surface then you can either just wax or glaze then wax. You really need to Glaze then Wax as a Glaze offers no protection and will wash off with the first rain, however if there are 2 layers of Wax sitting over the top then it is nicely protected. Megs #80 is a great Glaze by hand and by machine. I would also consider CG EZ Creme Glaze as IME this can be slightly easier to use as Megs #7 sometimes needs a 2nd buff.

Also look to Clay the car before you polish.

HTHs :thumb:


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## SevenW (Sep 19, 2008)

I'm also a beginner, had SRP in my possesion for years and only discovered the proper way of using a few weeks ago and it is an impressive piece of kit.

Remember it's up n down, not round n round for polishing.


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## z4lover (Oct 14, 2008)

Do you think theres any harm in using cheap microfiber cloth - tesco do a 3-pack for £3. Just to wipe of polish/wax residue after working it in with a foam applicator?


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## joe_0_1 (Apr 7, 2007)

z4lover said:


> Do you think theres any harm in using cheap microfiber cloth - tesco do a 3-pack for £3. Just to wipe of polish/wax residue after working it in with a foam applicator?


See if they scratch a Cd, if so, don't bother. 

Costco do 36 for £11, which are great.

If your paint is near perfect condition, and you want a wet look shine, Get some Duragloss sealant on there, you won't be disappointed :thumb:


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## z4lover (Oct 14, 2008)

Good idea


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## SixDegrees (Oct 13, 2008)

SevenW said:


> I'm also a beginner, had SRP in my possesion for years and only discovered the proper way of using a few weeks ago and it is an impressive piece of kit.
> 
> *Remember it's up n down, not round n round for polishing.*


With hand polishing, why?

DA / RA type polisher is said to mimic hand polishing which is round-n-round, and having hand polished quite a bit this way I've foud it to produce decent results.


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## rockape (Feb 18, 2007)

when flatting or compounding/polishing by hand, i was taught to work in straight lines with the panel.


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

If you do straight lines then you will polish the surface unevenly.

Think about it, to change direction at the edges of the panel the pad slows to a stop so the edges of the panel get polished less than the centre.


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## Vyker (Sep 17, 2008)

I go round and round with SRP by hand!

But one thing to note, that to properly apply a polish by hand, you have to "work it" into the paint work.
If, like me, you would just rub it around a bit, half hearted, make a bit of a mess, wait for it to dry, then buff off with a smile on your face, you've done it wrong!!!

You need to work each patch for a good 3/4 mins. Really work the polish, then remove the residue, the results [so I'm told] are much better!


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