Newbies Guide to Paint Correction

The most commonly asked question in detailing is “what kind of wax do you use.” Most people assume the art of detailing lies in the product; if you find the right product, then your car will look great. What most people don’t realize is that 90% of the aesthetics of a vehicle are determined with paint correction – the art of polishing.

Polishes consist of tiny abrasives that abrade the surface of the paint, revealing a fresh surface. Some also include what are called “filler oils”. These oils fill in the gaps left behind by incorrect washing or poor polishing techniques. Often, these are referred to as “glazes”. Some glazes are in fact sealants, however (the term is often misused).

Polishers generally come in two forms: rotary and D/A (Dual Action or orbital). Rotary buffers use powerful motors and spin continuously in one direct and can be used to “burnish” paint, the effect seen in perfectly polished paint. These buffers are the most effective but in the wrong hands a rotary buffer may destroy paint. If left too long in one spot on a panel, the paint may actually heat up so much that it burns (literally smoking) and the paint will be permanently damaged.

D/A buffers on the other hand, are almost completely paint safe – even for beginners. Because they oscillate, rather than rotate, the pad doesn’t create enough heat at any time to damage. This, combined with a less powerful motor, also means that it is not near as effective in polishing paint but is an excellent training tool. Nonetheless, some of the best detailers in the world continue to use D/A buffers as their buffer of choice.

The point of contact between the buffer and the polish is the pad. These come in two forms: wool and foam. Wool pads are extremely abrasive and their use should be restricted to badly neglected finishes. Foam pads are the most common. They range in abrasiveness and come from a wide variety of manufacturers including 3M, Lake Country, Edge 2000, and Meguiars. The most important thing to remember about pads is to match the abrasiveness of the pad to the abrasiveness of the polish e.g. heavy cutting polish with heavy cut pad. Once you gain experience, you may mix and match.

Now that you are familiar with the essentials, you may now learn how to use those tools. Polishes have a certain working time and it is important to know when the polish is broken down so that you do not mar the surface by polishing too much. Most polishes will turn clear when they are ready to remove. If the surface requires further polishing, consider moving to a more aggressive pad/polish combination but remember: always begin polishing with the least aggressive pad/polish combination and work upwards until the optimal finish is achieved.