Quote:
Originally Posted by bfets
 The wife has already started to roll her eyes at me for the last week. Whenever she is looking for me I have my phone in the hand and headset on looking at car detailing and polishing videos. I've been studying the process and taking in as much as I can. She says most people dread washing their car yet I can stare at videos of other people washing cars all night long. 
She might be right... I think there is something wrong with me
Anyway, the kit came with the three types of pads, yellow, blue and red. From what I've seen, a safe way to go (and I know one can deviate from this) is to use S30+ and the red pad for polishing/light swirl removal. Use S20 and the blue pad for medium swirls and scratches or anything the red combo doesnt want to remove. And then S2 and the yellow pad, I'll be very careful off because thats for heavy compounding and will remove even more clearcoat.
I know its a complex topic and hard vs soft paint can change things etc. I'll just start with a small section first on my older test car and see how I go. This is exactly why I bought everything now and not later. By the time I get my Mustang I need to be confident and skilled in the detailing world.
In terms of the grey pads... are they really that much softer and gentle than the red ones? I see the red ones are supposed to be used for polishing/finishing.
I must say I really love the Car Craft Auto Detailing channel. Sandro is so awesome in explaining everything. Just a level headed guy with good reasoning and thought processes. Its a pity I dont live in Melbourne or I would have taken my Mustang to him when it arrived. I wish I knew a skilled person like him here in Perth where I am. |
Ha ha, the eye rolling stopped a long time ago in this household, no point now!
YouTube is excellent for this sort of thing. I am a visual person, I learn from seeing what others do in both photos and videos. There is however a degree of "noise" and everyone will have a different take on detailing. So take it all in and follow what makes you comfortable. Sandro is good example of that, he has a great way of showing and explaining what he is doing with a reasoned approach. Every car and it's paint is different, so being able to go with the flow and adapt is crucial.
You are on the right track with pad and polish selection, trialing a small spot first and accessing what needs to used where/when.
As for the grey pads, they are really only needed for use when applying a wax or sealant. Not an essential pad to have as hand application of wax is generally not that hard. However I use my 5 inch machine to apply these products because it's easier to apply a thin, even coating and also as it speeds up the application.