# Sticky  Machine Polishing Guide



## bigsyd

had a few Pm's from peeps who are at the very start of taking a polishing machine to there cars, so save me writing a long ...how to...this guy is very good and helped me no end when i started out

Please note that in the interest of world peace and harmony... it has been brought to my attention my double standards so just to clear this up.. I do not condone the placing of any objects on bare paint in any situation by a professional or armature due to the risk of damaging paint


























and finally, no matter how bad you think your car is, it can be transformed with a bit of hard work...this is the wifes roadster, and to say it was bad is a Major understatement


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## Ikon66

thanks syd, made it a sticky as the subject comes up frequently

cheers

Paul


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## ian222

Very good Syd, just watched all them. Interesting stuff, can you get Adams stuff over here?


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## sTTranger

this is great, now i just need to get the stuff and im away


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## chrishumes

think i will try this at the weekend. aldi were doing cheap m/c polishers so i got one!


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## DunnersTT

I got a DAS-6 some time last year, used it a couple of times just wondered how the speeds on the PC in the YouTube clips compare with the DAS-6? :?


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## DDcrash

Thanks for this syd very interesting stuff there


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## J55TTC

I love this chap, he is cool!


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## ecko2702

Good video and how to. It is a little overkill though


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## bigsyd

but as i said in my post


> peeps who are at the very start of taking a polishing machine to there cars


 they have a 1000 questions and are very intimidated by using any sort of machine on there cars... so how would they know what would be


> overkill


 with out starting at the basics and then adapting there own technique... i would rather learn everything and then remove things than have 1/2 the information


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## nathan88

Excellent info 

This guy is great! "looks like Wolverine came off the back of this thing...check that out!"


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## dooka

bigsyd said:


> but as i said in my post
> 
> 
> 
> peeps who are at the very start of taking a polishing machine to there cars
> 
> 
> 
> they have a 1000 questions and are very intimidated by using any sort of machine on there cars... so how would they know what would be
> 
> 
> 
> overkill
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> with out starting at the basics and then adapting there own technique... i would rather learn everything and then remove things than have 1/2 the information
Click to expand...

Also, those who like to machine polish their vehicles all the time, should be careful, as each time you actually remove swirls, and not fill them, are actually taking paint off, and over time will be left with very thin clear coat or on single stage paint, very little paint left. This can lead to early paint failure..


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## nathan88

Very true > Although with the proper precautions taken such as a 2 bucket grit guard style wash, and other techniques, the need for frequent machine polishing should be reduced :wink:


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## S11POW

There's a cracking guide here:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/s ... +polishing

@DunnersTT - Both have a scale of 1 to 6 and the same approx top speed so I'd imagine they are pretty similar


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## audimad

Autosmart do detailing/valeting courses you can attend. 

www.autosmart.co.uk


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## tony_rigby_uk

that guy is cool 8)

so is adams available in the uk?

that other video with maguires diamond cut (being harsher or harshest) was abit shocking  have to see what the maguires polisher is like.. but this guy has a very good vid on polishers to choose and what you should use as a novice to not burn through... (theres even a vid of him trying to burn through and it wouldn't)

Very good and informative.


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## daryl

Hi, I have a Megs g220 DA polisher and I used Ultimate compound and also tried Mirror glaze followed by Megs polish and Gold class wax, all gave outstanding results in shine but after all the time I spent on it, it was unable to remove swirls, this maybe due to Audi's hard clearcoat?? so I may try my rotary polisher at some point as it generates more heat. Oh yeah I clay barred it first.


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## p1tse

what do you do after claying, straight to polish?

what do you do after polish, straight to wax?


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## Hark

In that video he clays before polishing out the swirls. But I was told that that is pointless as your claying bits out of the clearcoat, which you are going to remove a small amount of anyway. Hence wasted time.

This seems to make sense to me. Thoughts?

I'm off to Phil's house later and hoping to get a bit of a tutorial.


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## p1tse

did my bonnet today

claying prior to polish is a good idea, as it removes contaminations. yes polishing will do it too, but you want a clean surface before polishing. forexample, when claying mine picked up a small hard dirt bit, if i didn't clay it out it would have meant when polishing it would have got caught in the pad and caused more damage


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## Hark

Picked up the DA from Phil today and some Megs cutting paste. (Thanks Phil  ) Going to aim to do the whole car over Easter weekend.

I just had a practice on my Wife's Rover. Seems easy enough. Someone had scratched/keyed her door, so I had a go and maing it look better. It's definitely improved it and the panel looks alot better. Needs a respray to get rid of it completely though.


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## TT4PJ

Hiya,
With a lot of work you can get your panels to look really slick. 
To be honest, to get the kind of result I have which is known as a piano finish you have to flat the factory fitted orange peel first using 3000 grit wet and dry. Then machine polish it followed by a few coats of nice quality carnauba wax. This was done on my TTS that was less than a year old and maybe not for the faint hearted.


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## p1tse

nice

mine is similar in gloss i would say, but in sunlight you can see some hair line and very light swirl marks
not sure a dual action will be able to fetch out


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## E5ttMAN

Great vid, great info, detailingworld is full of quality info, thanks.


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## Dingabell

Got most of the gear just need to practice now :wink:


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## New2AudiTT

sorry for reviving an aged post

Are these any good: http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/store ... yId_212473

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/store ... yId_212473

Prices are tempting.

cheers


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## New2AudiTT

New2AudiTT said:


> sorry for reviving an aged post
> 
> Are these any good: http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/store ... yId_212473
> 
> http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/store ... yId_212473
> 
> Prices are tempting.
> 
> cheers


Anyone plssss???

cheers


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## Templar

New2AudiTT said:


> New2AudiTT said:
> 
> 
> 
> sorry for reviving an aged post
> 
> Are these any good: http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/store ... yId_212473
> 
> http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/store ... yId_212473
> 
> Prices are tempting.
> 
> cheers
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone plssss???
> 
> cheers
Click to expand...

Hi fella,

I would save your money IMO, try starting with a da orbital machine and some megs ultimate polish to get a feel for things.
Have a look on detailing world and cleanyourcar.co.UK for supplies. Elite are also a good detailing company/supplier. ;-)


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## foster2108

I'm selling the exact machine he's using in this video in the sales section!


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## Tangerine Knight

bought myself a das6 pro from clean your car, i have been using an orange pad and some poorboys ssr2.5 it does not seem to be shifting very much

i have used a rotary in the past but dont really want to use it on the tt as i can be a bit heavy handed

just cannot seem to shift very much with the combination i am using ,anybody any ideas where i am going wrong i did not want to get the poorboys ssr3 as someone said it can be a bit harsh were they wrong ?

the car in all fairness is not to bad ,few blemishes where the previous keeper was not as keen as me, but they only show up when its in the garage with the light on [and its 5 years old anyway]

anyone point me in the right direction where i am going wrong


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## Templar

Try some Scholl Concepts compound (S17) and a firmer pad for starters. If you've got a lot of deeper swirling you might want to use a more aggressive compound. Difficult to say to be honest but Audi paint is generally very hard.


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## Tangerine Knight

thanks for ,what pad do you think i should be using ?

the machine has 6 speed settings on it i am doing it on 2,do you think i should turn it up a bit more ?


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## Jay89

Can anyone recommend a good polish to be using when machine polishing? Have some Mers stuff in the garage but it seems a bit too abrasive


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## Tangerine Knight

ive finally got the combination right using a microfibre da cutting pad and some poorboys ssr 2.5 really has transformed the car 
still got a few marks but they have been reduced and look better


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## Jay89

blackpoolfc said:


> ive finally got the combination right using a microfibre da cutting pad and some poorboys ssr 2.5 really has transformed the car
> still got a few marks but they have been reduced and look better


Where's best Internet spot to get the poor boys polish from?


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## Templar

Jay89 said:


> blackpoolfc said:
> 
> 
> 
> ive finally got the combination right using a microfibre da cutting pad and some poorboys ssr 2.5 really has transformed the car
> still got a few marks but they have been reduced and look better
> 
> 
> 
> Where's best Internet spot to get the poor boys polish from?
Click to expand...

Have yourself a little look on Fleabay..price is generally a bit cheaper on there.
Failing that you could always try.. clean your car or elite.

Not hard stuff to come by but you may end up buying more stuff than you anticipated.


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## Jay89

Got some on eBay, came with. Few polishing pads and was only £13 for half a litre, bargain!


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## Templar

Jay89 said:


> Got some on eBay, came with. Few polishing pads and was only £13 for half a litre, bargain!


Great, let us know how you get on :wink:


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## Jay89

Yea will do, it is reasonably good now but there's a few bits I'm not happy with even after been asked twice this week if its been done and also asked if I've had a respray! Eye for detail! I'll get some before and after pictures up if I remember


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## bboy80

Just tried to watch the Vids. They are now marked as private???


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## Templar

bboy80 said:


> Just tried to watch the Vids. They are now marked as private???


What vids are these fella ?


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## bboy80

Templar said:


> bboy80 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just tried to watch the Vids. They are now marked as private???
> 
> 
> 
> What vids are these fella ?
Click to expand...

Op's first post, there are a few vids showing instructions on how to machine polish from youtube. These are now unwatchable as they are marked private?


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## mullum

Still private. Kinda makes this thread/sticky redundant, unfortunately


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## jamiemcc

good vid,,some difference in before and after pics ;-) tidy


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## Eadon

Look forward to purchasing a DA!


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## mullum

Still says "video is private" when I click on the link :-?


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## Oli.

I've got the DA, I've got the products.... now all I need is the time!!

so satisfying seeing the paint transform after a bit of hard work. 8)


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## snap

Ive got the polisher and the products 
still looking for a car though lol


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## fishchicken

I cant justify buying a new polisher for £70+, but I am lazy so could do with a machine to do this...

...Any suggestions on cheaper products, or ones worth sourcing second hand?


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## mullum

These were recommended by another guy on here, do search to read his recommendation ..

http://m.clasohlson.com/uk/Cotech-Car-Polisher/18-3041

They do pads too.

I bought a DA off a German eBay seller in an auction for around £70 - an amazing deal including tons of pads etc.

This is the same set, not sure if they're still doing auctions ..

http://bit.ly/1fSexHA


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## fishchicken

Thank you!


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## Templar

mullum said:


> These were recommended by another guy on here, do search to read his recommendation ..
> 
> http://m.clasohlson.com/uk/Cotech-Car-Polisher/18-3041
> 
> They do pads too.
> 
> I bought a DA off a German eBay seller in an auction for around £70 - an amazing deal including tons of pads etc.
> 
> This is the same set, not sure if they're still doing auctions ..
> 
> http://bit.ly/1fSexHA


You'll be a bit limited on your pad size also, will be tricky to get in to more difficult areas.


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## chazhs88

Thanks for the guide


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## Templar

If I'm honest you can't beat proven and tested equipment and products if you're to delve into the world of regular polishing and detailing.
Cheap is not good and good is not cheap. Just a few words that stick in my mind but hey it's your money.


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## ScottishTT

Around five months ago, I followed some great tips found on you tube [smiley=book2.gif] and gave my pride and joy a really good wash then clay bar,wash/rinse,autoglym HD polish (applied by hand) then Mcguires wax (applied by hand) the final finish was amazing and has made keeping it clean for the last 5 months really very easy..
Loved polishing and waxing her by hand but it took a lot of elbow grease.

Ive just bought a 240 volt polisher from halfords reduced to £35.00.
Now that winters here I'm going to do another clay bar wash/polish/wax with the machine.. just waiting on it staying dry long enough to get it applied!! [smiley=bigcry.gif] 
I'll let you all know how i get on,


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## VdoubleU

My advice to any one starting machine polishing is don't be scared. It really is easy. It is very rare you'll mess up so long as you're careful (not polishing the same spot several times and not spraying water on it to cool the panel down). The only problem is when it does go wrong it means a respray is needed.

I can highly recommend the 'Dodo Juice Fin cut' pads, especially the black one, for beginners because they're softer and don't 'grab' onto the paintwork and make the machine jerk about as easily like the harder foam ones. I'd also say don't go out for a 'Full correction' on your first go. Just use a lightly abrasive polish/pad combo to get used to the machine then step it up.

And what ever you do DON'T use wool pads!!!!


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## legend139

I've been interested in doing some myself instead getting a detailer garage to do the work for me for lots of £££

I ended up getting my phantom black 56 reg v6 paint corrected and boy they did a fantastic job, I was surprised how well they managed to remove some of the scratches! One thing that would worry me is depth of paint. So I'd definitely get a paint gauge, just finding the right one for relatively good price.

DA6 Pro is on my christmas list, Oh and a scrap panel 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Nick3.2V6

Hi Syd

For some reason I cant view your Vids about polishing, is this also available on the TTOC website?

Thanks Syd

Kind Regards

Nick


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## Bueller

Hi all, anyone advise on a good range of polishes to use with my DA? Thanks


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## Pukmeister

I just spent the day using a dual action polisher for the first time ever. I'm never hand polishing a car again, its a game changer !

I bought a cheap Katsu branded machine via amazon after reading reviews and I am amazed at both the results and the quality of the polisher. For £70 it came with a storage bag and a lot of pads, the only negative is a fairly short mains cable on the unit, requiring it to go over your shoulder in use.

My car had been keyed deeply by scrotes under the previous owner, I flatted them out as best i could and compounded with farecla G3 then polished with autoglym super resin polish. I'm gonna buy some wax online for dark colours which I hope will hide the last tiny remnants of damage, one door scratch will need a paint/clear touch up. My neighbour was stunned at how deep I have got the shine on a 13 year old car in just a few hours.

Just need the alloys refurbished to complete the look.


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## WaynoTTV6

Hi Guys,

I machine polish in my spare time - Typically only ever do Black cars it seems!!! [smiley=bigcry.gif].

It's such a great feeling seeing a poorly maintained surface, become like glass and seeing all that hard work pay off.

I recently polished my mates Black Focus ST. Had it for 3 days, took me 21 hours in total.

3 -4 hours to decontaminate it alone
10 Hours to Compound it
Remaining hours - Refine, Glaze, Wax, Trim, Tyres & Glass.

I can't recommend Scholls S3 Gold XXL. It really is a game changer compound, along with Lake Country's Hydro Cutting Pads and Menzerna's 3800 finishing polish with Chemical Guys White Hexlogic.

Look up Junkman 2000's compounding guide on YouTube.....I followed this to begin with, and then developed it all, into my side line now.


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## credy68

does anybody have or recommend halfords da polisher at £85?
if not can recommend another at similar price or less?


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## happychappy

credy68 said:


> does anybody have or recommend halfords da polisher at £85?
> if not can recommend another at similar price or less?


I have no idea about the polisher, but if you do decide to go for it and are a member of the AA go onto their site to receive a voucher for 10% off.


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