Does everyone use a DA machine or by hand as well ?

Mister Jingles

Want to try and get into detailing my car soon depending on funds and that but anyway between looking at videos on YouTube and lurking here I'd be fairly clued in on what to do and how to do most things but one thing that really puts me off is using a polishing machine as if you don't use one right you can destroy your paint work.

So I was basically wondering if people do still polish by hand and does it give decent results or is a machine the only way to go ?

Curran

There are two types of machine - Dual Action and Rotary - the latter is the one to be more weary using without experience.
The Dual Action, rotates and oscillates, and thus the heat generated isnt concentrated on the one spot, and is much safer.

Decent results by hand? Yes and no.
You wont get any correction by hand. At best you will restore the appearance of depth and gloss, but after a few weeks, you will be back to square one. A hand polish will remove a thin layer of oxidation, that dulls the appearance; but after that, it relies on fillers within the polish to help fill swirls and re-level the paintwork. Does an OK job, but its a case of polishing and re-protecting the car quite often. With polish on the paintwork, before waxing or sealant, will hinder either bonding to its full potential, so having to re-do the protection will be more frequent that waxing or sealing bare paintwork.

Machine polishing is different, as the polishes need to be washed off the paintwork before taking any further steps.

Mister Jingles

Thanks for the reply Curran.

Wasn't aware there was two types of machines so that's a bit of a relief that the DA is more user friendly.

So before using a DA on a car that's probably never seen one you would have to de-tar and clay it to strip any old wax or polish off ?

When it comes to hand polishing then I'm guessing that these days its only the type of thing that someone who's displaying their car at an event to get that fresh look ?

When I said I was clued in I was referring to the actual washing of the car but with the polishing/waxing etc I'm not too up on it.

Curran

No, polishing is often confused / mixed up with other steps - this is mainly down to manufacturers marketing their products poorly.
If a car has been polished by machine, there is no real need to polish it futher, as the paintwork is of good standard. After that its keeping it decontaminated and protected (wax or sealant)

Hand polishing is more of a temporary enhancement to the appearance, to the overall look of the car. If at an event, the polishing step, either by hand or machine, would have been done at an earlier stage. Then at the event, the car might be washed, and a quick detailer with gloss enhancers might be applied to try get the extra bit of gloss.

Prior to machine polishing, the paintwork must be decontaminated. The full process would be a wash, de-tar, de-iron, clay, re-wash, dry...at this point either a hand polish or machine polish would be done. Then further steps to protect the finish youve just achieved.

Mister Jingles

If you where to do a paint correction on a car, then how long after that would it need another polish ? ( I'm assuming that paint correction and polishing are two different things ? ) or would it just depend on if it's been washed properly regular enough and if so it might never need one for years ?

Wax and sealant can also be applied by us of a DA machine ?

And final question, would it be considered bad practice to not do anything else to a car after it is clayed ? Like is it necessary to polish and wax after claying ?

Curran

Polishing and paint correction are the same thing!

Polishing is the name given to the restoration of paintwork, it could mean a very light hand polish or intensive machine polishing - paint correction, essentially is polishing, but to correct paint, you are at the more intensive end of the scale.

How long between polishing the car and needing it again - that depends on you - you could polish the car, and be reasonably happy with it, and then see the car in the sun and realise you didnt polish enough, and want to do more :P
But assuming you do a good job polishing, and wash the car with the correct wash techniques and good products, it could be 2 years, more, perhaps. I havent polished my car in 5 years, and it still looks good, but does need a polish. And I should have polished it sooner! :P I have no reason not to, only time...I have all the necessary items at my disposal!
Having said that, if you owned a machine, you might do a good paint correction initially, and once a year, give it a light polish with a finishing polish and finishing pad, to ensure the paintwork is in excellent condition.

Yes, wax and sealant can be applied with a DA or rotary, but its nearly more effort than its worth.

Claying the car ensures the paintwork is fully decontaminated; the paint surface with be like a sandy gritty feel to it before hand, and will feel like glass or ice after - its hard to believe that, until you've actually experienced it. On a car that is years old and badly contaminated, claying the car will make a massive difference; almost a much as giving it a good going over with a hand polish. Its a dramatic change. But yes, it is advised you go further, in an effort to help prevent the paintwork becoming contaminated sooner. So a wax or a sealant is the way to go. Being protect, also enhances the appearance further!

Mister Jingles

Cheers again Curran for taking the time to write that. Hopefully I will can get my Mondeo looking good eventually.

So when it comes to waxing or sealing its best to do by hand ?

Curran

Yeah, its easier to do it by hand. Its a bit of effort, but so is the weight of the machine.

DoctorStrange

OP, would you consider having the car professionally polished and then you would have a nice surface to start from.

You can then experiment with different applications yourself.

You would have the peace of mind knowing it was done properly (I'm sure people on here could recommend someone based on where you live).

Mister Jingles

Yeah in was thinking of that as well, probably just save myself the hassle. I know of a good few places around me so that wouldn't be a problem.

Curran

If you are anyway hands on, then using a DA will not be an issue - the money you'd spend on having it done right, you'd spend on getting the machine and all the necessary products. And then you have the machine to do future enhancements as needed, or even to be able to give a friend or family a bit of a going over.