# New to Machine Polishing - Have I got this right?



## Pars_Andy (Jul 4, 2010)

I purchased an Estoril Blue 330D BMW last monday. The car was registered in April of this year and came with delivery mileage. It has also come with a multitude of swirl marks and a few hazy spots on the bonnet which I 'think' are bird poo marks. I'm hoping that everything is pretty shallow as I require bright sunshine to see the swirl marks (I can't see them on a dull day even when up close) and the hazy spots on the bonnet seem smooth and can't be felt with my finger.

I've detailed my previous cars by hand but I'm keen to give machine polishing a go. I've watched all the main videos I can find on this site and I've purchased a das 6 v2 polisher from clean your car. This comes with orange and white hexlogic pads and bottles of 105 and 205 megs. My plan of attack is as follows:

1) Wash the car
2) Clay the section I'm going to work on (the bonnet first)
3) Rinse this down with water and dry it
4) Try some 205 on the white pad to see if it does the trick. If not, progress to 105 on the white before trying the orange pad. Is this right??
5) Once the test spot is good and the rest of the bonnet done, put some Super Resin Polish on a black hexlogic and apply
6) Finish off with Extra Gloss Protection applied and buffed off by hand??

Is there anything I've got wrong or I'm missing? Also, the BMW bonnet has some countours and creases in it. Can I go near them with a DA??? Or should I invest in a 3.5" backing plate and 4" pads? I'd heard that polishing near edges can be risky.

Finally, I've got gloss black plastic door pillars which look like they've been swirled to hell. Can I use a DA on them? Or should I just stick to SRP applied by hand to be on the safe side?

My car is very new and I love it! I'd be devastated if I caused it some damage. 

Thanks in advance!


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## Pars_Andy (Jul 4, 2010)

Here's a photo of what I'm trying to fix

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## Pars_Andy (Jul 4, 2010)

Ok....so gave it a go today. Had to use the orange pad in the end with 105 so just worked on getting the bonnet as good as I could. Here's a photo of the untouched boot area followed by the competed bonnet.The hazy things are reflections of clouds. 


















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## wrxmania (Apr 15, 2007)

That looks like a pretty good effort - well done. 

How much did the DAS v2 kit come in at?


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## Pars_Andy (Jul 4, 2010)

wrxmania said:


> That looks like a pretty good effort - well done.
> 
> How much did the DAS v2 kit come in at?


Cheers.  I'm honestly blown away by the effort. The Das v2 kit was £114 and included chemical boys quantum hexlogic pads (orange and white) and megs 105 & 205. It also came with a 6" and 5" backing plate. I bought the black pad as an extra.

I needed two goes with the orange pad to get rid of the bird poo etchings but they are absolutely gone now. The only problem I have is that the sun was pretty hot in the afternoon when applying the final coat of EGP and it's still a bit streaky in bits. Intense buffing with a bit of pressure sorts it and I'm nearly done. The sun has lowered a bit now though and I need it to be pretty direct so I can see any bits I've missed.

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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Pars_Andy said:


> Cheers.  I'm honestly blown away by the effort. The Das v2 kit was £114 and included chemical boys quantum hexlogic pads (orange and white) and megs 105 & 205. It also came with a 6" and 5" backing plate. I bought the black pad as an extra.
> 
> I needed two goes with the orange pad to get rid of the bird poo etchings but they are absolutely gone now. The only problem I have is that the sun was pretty hot in the afternoon when applying the final coat of EGP and it's still a bit streaky in bits. Intense buffing with a bit of pressure sorts it and I'm nearly done. The sun has lowered a bit now though and I need it to be pretty direct so I can see any bits I've missed.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Just a quick question, did you refine after using 105 on the cutting pad:thumb:


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## Pars_Andy (Jul 4, 2010)

I used 105 on the cutting pad then 205 on the polishing pad. Then....super resin polish on a finishing pad - my guess is that this wasn't really necessary. 


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Pars_Andy said:


> I used 105 on the cutting pad then 205 on the polishing pad. Then....super resin polish on a finishing pad - my guess is that this wasn't really necessary.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


It depends after the finishing if you removed any of the hazing from the cutting stage :thumb:

Looks great anyway bud:thumb:


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## Pars_Andy (Jul 4, 2010)

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I've finished the car. Just worked away at a panel at a time whenever I had the energy and the weather was kind. Washed and waxed my car today but the sun was nearly set when I was finished so couldn't get any close up shots like in my earlier posts.

Thought it was worth posting these though. Just so you can get a picture of what machine polishing has done for the overall presentation of my car. Despite how light it appears in the photos, it was actually nearly dark when I was done. 






























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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

We also have a EB BMW, which, like yours, looks stunning once machined and sealed.

It looks like you've done a very good job with the DA and Pad combo you used.

With a DA, it's pretty difficult to do any harm so long as you start at the lowest cut/pad combo initially and then step it up gradually if the results aren't there for you.


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## Pars_Andy (Jul 4, 2010)

Thanks. I’m so happy with the results. Despite the car sitting in the dealership for 3 months before I bought it, the paintwork really was a mess considering. I’m done now. Hopefully I’ll not be doing any damage while washing the car so I’ll just be using the polisher for the occasional touch up job and maybe a once yearly application of srp. 

Really glad I’ve taken the plunge. I’ve thought about it on a few occasions over the years but wasn’t brave enough until now. 

If I can give any advice to other newbies it’s just to be patient and take your time. Doesn’t matter if it takes weeks to get it done. The untouched panels will still be there next week!


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