Is your car not shining like before even after washing and removing water spots and other bonded particle stains from your car’s paint? Well, you have to keep in your mind that only washing and removing stains is not enough to get back your car’s luster.
A clean and skilled polishing and waxing of your car’s paint are needed in this regard. And a buffer is the affordable, fastest, and user-friendly tool that brings back your car’s pearl-like glow. So you have to know how to polish a car with a buffer.
Apart from protecting your car’s paintwork from becoming dull, polishing and buffing eliminate the oxidation, swirl marks, tar, bugs, acid rain etching, damages from light to deep, and other embedded contaminants on your car’s surface without harming the paint.
Regular driving and parking your car at unfamiliar places like in direct sunlight would cause damages from light too deep to your car’s clear coat. A skilled buffing not only eliminates these odds but gives a fresh shining look as if you have bought your car new.
Cartoolsguide will show you what criteria you should look for during buying a buffer and how to polish a car with a buffer.
You can polish your car by hand but you can only get rid of the minor scratches, swirls from your car’s paint.
In case of deeper scratches, you need machine polishing. In this way, you will not get the desired result of polishing but it will be very time-consuming and gives your arm muscles a lot of pressure.
Therefore, a quality buffer is always recommended for polishing and waxing your car. A quality buffer helps you to get desired polish and waxing of your car.
If you are the first user, it is very confusing for you to choose an effective buffer. Choose buffer from a reputed manufacturer that you can rely on.
Check both the quality and number of reviews of the company. Generally, professional suggests keeping the speed range of a buffer between 600 rpm to 3000 rpm.
If you are the first user, operate the buffer at a slow speed and gradually increase its speed as required. The ‘throw’ of your buffer is also an important factor.
It is the size of the orbit of buffer covering your car’s surface when it is used. The bigger the ‘throw’, the faster the polishing is done. But it is a little bit difficult for you to handle such a large buffer.
Consider its weight which is comfortable and easy to use in your hand. Price is no doubt an important determinant of buying a car buffer. Remember there is a number of cheap buffer in the market.
This will break after first use. So don’t be a fool after buying such buffer. A quality buffer is a little bit costly but will last longer. It is better to take a trial of buffer in a damaged place before buying it.
An orbital buffer is suggested for the person who is a beginner. So if you are a beginner then you must use the best dual action polisher for beginners while a rotating buffer is preferred by the experienced detailer. Besides, orbital buffer has the internal mechanism to slow down to stop.
The microfiber pads are called as ‘bonnets’ of buffer and the polishing compound used on the bonnets before polishing have to be considered on what type of damages you apply it.
More worse the damage more stiffer the pad and aggressive the compound. Professional suggest applying a small amount of the polishing compound to the pad and spread it within a 2ft by 2ft area before turning on your machine.
The more the polishing compound will be finer the more the buffer easily will run on your vehicle surface and the possibility of scratching due to polishing will be reduced. Generally, 5-6 pads are required for small vehicle whereas 7-8 pads for large vehicles.
How to polish a car with a orbital buffer
Table of Contents
Machine polishing is the least time-consuming effective way of polishing and waxing of your vehicle’s paint than by hand. It sounds good that a machine polish gives you a quick and complete shining of your car’s paintwork but it is not so easy to use because there is some certain tactics to be followed while buffing for a save and glowing polishing.
Your car’s paint is comprised basically of three layers- Primer, Base Color Coat and Clear Coat. The clear coat is thinnest layer of lacquer protecting the base color coat from oxidation and any type of scratches.
So, there is a chance of over polish of the clear coat resulting in light to deep scratches on your car’s paint if you don’t know the proper use of buffing.
It is not the end, you have to know when and how much speed to keep of your buffer, how long to buff on a spot of your vehicle, how to move and how much force to be applied on your machine.
Especially if you are a beginner, these questions will appear on your mind. In this case, we recommend you to use dual action polisher or random orbital buffer.
It is very easy to use because it automatically stops its spinning if a little bit pressure is applied. Our website has shown you how to polish a car with a orbital buffer in the easiest way :-
Wash your car with soapy water:- Your car’s surface is filled with many tiny particles and debris that could cause scratches on your car’s body paint while polishing.
So before polishing, don’t forget to wash your car’s surface or where you want to polish with light warm and soapy water. It is best if you use marine soap as your car’s wash shops.
After preparing this mixture, apply it with a sponge or clean cloth on your car’s surface. Then rinse off with clean water and dry with microfiber towel. Make a last time check whether any debris is left.
Apply drops of polishing compound to the buffer pad:- A car polishing compound is used generally in cleaning and shining of your car.
It removes small imperfections like water marks, light scratches, light oxidation whereas rubbing compound deals with severe scratches.
Consulting with a professional, choose a quality vehicle polish because the polish relies on the type of your car’s coat and the imperfections the car has.
Apply few drops of it in the middle part of your buffing pad. You don’t need to spread the compound across the entire pad.
Loop the buffer in few rotations for 5-10 seconds so that the compound can be distributed around the pad before placing it on your vehicle’s surface.
Before polishing, apply directly the drops of polish to those areas of your car where polishing is needed.
Turn on the buffer and use gently and carefully:- Before power polishing, you can take trial by polishing in an inconspicuous area of your cars like trunk lid or rocker panel to fit it in your hand.
Position your buffer on your car’s paint from where to start polishing. Grip the buffer’s back end along with front handle firmly.
Give a light pressure on your machine so that it can’t leave scratches on your car’s paint. Try to maintain even pressure while buffing. Remember about the speed of the buffer.
Lower RPM results lower friction and lower friction generates lower heat. So keep the speed as low as you can and then gradually increase the speed after each panel while polishing.
Stay between 1750-2400 RPM and 1200-1750 RPM at the end of buffing. Thus keep the speed and pressure giving on your buffer while polishing at the safe level and move your buffer gently and carefully.
Move the buffer gradually along the panel:- There is a particular pattern of safe and systematic buffing. After switching on your buffer, move your buffer from right to left or left to right on your vehicle’s surface. Push it with your front hand slowly but steadily.
At each stroke, turn back your buffer top to down or bottom to top in opposite direction for a consistent polish. Well, it is really no matter what type of pattern you follow while buffing.
Whatever the buffing type or pattern you follow, be careful of speed and and moving of your machine. Don’t linger your buffer on a spot too long because that leaves scratches on your car’s paintwork.
Apply re-polishing if you don’t get the desired polishing shine or still notice swirl marks on your car’s surface.
It will be better if you divide the car’s surface by 2ft*2ft (0.61mt*0.61mt) sections and add one drop of vehicle polish to each and then buffing each of the sections at a time. It will help you to achieve a perfect glossy finish of your car’s paint.
Finally wash off the polishing residue with a microfiber towel or cloth:- Finally, wipe off the entire buffed area with a clean microfiber towel or cloth to eliminate the remaining polishing residue.
How to polish a car with a rotary buffer
A rotary buffer is a polishing machine that removes serious paint defects like deep paint scratches, paintwork blemishes, etching, oxidation, tough stains, or discolorations and provides glass-like shine to your car’s paint quicker than the DA polishers in a single direction of rotation.
The rotary polisher is opposite to the DA polisher as the DA polishers rotate in two circular directions whereas rotary polishers spin in only one direction at a faster rate than the DA polisher.
This buffer is applicable to various kinds of car’s paint whereas you select a particular type of DA polisher according to the type of your car’s paintwork.
Although rotary polishers give high-speed performance and quick paint correction, proper knowledge and skill are required for proper use.
As it spins in only one direction the heat is built up and the possibility of burning off your car’s paint is also built up. So it can damage the entire paint in a wrong hand.
So you have to be an experienced detailer when polishing your car by a rotary buffer. Don’t worry. It is easy and safe if you follow our polishing tips. Below our website has guided you how to polish a car with a rotary buffer.
Polish at low speed as possible as you can because high speed of rotary polisher causes from deep scratches to burning to your car’s clear coat. Try to stay between 1000-1200 RPM and never exceed 1800 RPM. Increase speed gradually if needed.
Always keep the polisher moving on your car’s surface. Stick for a few seconds could cause deep damages to burning through your car’s clear coat. Never attempt to circular motion as your car gets very hot fast.
Avoid corners and edges of your car’s panel where the paint is thinner.
Keep the pad flat against the paint and tilt the back of the pad slightly upward to avoid dragging on the paint resulting into holograms.
After finishing rotary polish, many detailers prefer to wax car by DA polisher. You can also wax if you want a perfect shinny finish.
Even after our guidance if you are not getting the confidence to use a rotary polisher we recommend you to either choose a DA polisher if you are a beginner or appoint a professional to polish with a rotary buffer.
How to polish and wax a car with a buffer
Car wax is a thin layer made of soft hydrophobic coating that sits on top of the car’s paint and acts as a barrier between car’s clear coat and the outer world protecting from UV ray, sunlight, nasty weather, water from rain or road spray and also gives a perfect shine to your car’s paintwork.
It is like the sunscreen which shield your face from sunlight. The raindrops roll down off your car’s waxed surface. Hence you are free from fear of water marks on your car’s surface.
Waxing a type of car sealant is often applied after washing and polishing. It can be used after only washing also. Machine waxing by a polisher or buffer is easier and least time consuming than hand waxing. Certainly you want to know how to wax a car with a buffer?
Yes, below we have showed the possible steps to be followed to get a perfectly waxed car’s paint.
The materials required for the waxing process are-
- Liquid wax
- microfiber towel
- waxing pad
- wax removal cloth
- machine buffer
Step-1 : Choose a shaded area to work
Remember, waxing in direct sunlight could dry the waxing layer before when you are finishing. So always choose a shaded area for waxing like your own garage.
Step-2 : Wash your car before wax application
Before waxing, wash your car properly to eliminate dirt or debris rest on your vehicle’s surface that can damages your car’s paint while waxing. It will be better to polish after washing because of the coat will be super cleaned and you can wax smoothly. But if you want to finish waxing in a short period of time, only washing is okay.
Step-3 : Apply wax application and buff your car’s surface
Apply the liquid wax to the waxing pad and then wax your car’s paint horizontally or vertically directly with the pad. Then place the pad to the machine and keep it on your car’s paint and turn on to start waxing. Give light pressure when pushing your buffer towards to next move and glide the buffer steadily after each strokes. Avoid circular motion otherwise it can leave behind swirl marks on your car’s paint.
Step-4 : Finally remove wax residue
Lastly, make a final check whether there is any remaining waxing particles or residue on your car’s surface. If so, wipe off with a microfiber towel or wax removal cloth.
Why should you use Dual Action Polisher to polisher your car?
Hand polishing is both time and labor-consuming and hand polishing is not going to give you the desired shine to your car as like first time shining? Then why don’t you consider the dual action polisher to achieve a perfect finish?
It will cost a little but it will give you the best result that you want from it. Also, the polisher is safe and easy to use without any fear of damaging your car’s paint whereas you have to be an experienced detailer in handling a rotary polisher.
Both beginners and professional person can use dual action polisher as its both user friendly and powerful enough to meet the needs of the professional person.
The DA polishers eliminate small scratches, swirl marks of your car’s paint and improve your car’s texture and luster than hand polishing.
But it can’t provide you as smooth and shine finishing as the rotary polisher can do. It also can’t repair the deep scratches where the finger is going through. We have presented some benefits of using the DA polisher and how to select the best DA polisher.
Difference Between Dual Action Polishers and Rotary polishers
- Dual Action polisher is safer to use than rotary polisher. As rotary polishers spin in one direction the heat is built up quickly and by which the paint is burnt whereas DA polisher oscillates in two circular directions and will give your desired finish in the safest way. You can set up speed range in the machine as you want.
- Some DA polisher is equipped with variable speed settings by which you can set speed range of your polisher at which you want to buff.
- DA polishers make the small imperfections like light scratches ,swirl marks ,etching out of your car’s body paint and give your car mirror-like shine lasting for months.
- Polishing by DA polisher is safe on your car’s paint because it vibrates and adjusts speed automatically when a little amount of pressure is inserted while polishing.
- It is most useful polisher for beginners. From the above features you certainly realize how easy and safe it is to use for the detailers who lack experience.
- Rotary Polisher cuts your car’s paint faster than DA polisher and correct the serious paint imperfections like deep scratches only if you are efficient to use it. But in case of DA polisher you can polish the small imperfections like scratches, swirl marks, discoloration but it is easy to use because it automatically stops when a little bit pressure is applied while polishing. So DA polisher is easier to use for beginners.
- As rotary polishers spin only one circular direction the heat is built up quickly and burn through entire paint whereas you can stay stress-free with DA polishers as it rotate in two circular direction and that’s why they work smoothly on your car’s paint without any damages.
- The DA polisher is suitable for the beginners whereas you have to be experienced or trained detailer to use rotary polisher.
Best Dual Action Polisher for Beginners
If you are a beginner, you will no doubt choose a DA polisher as your polishing tool as its safest and easy to use quality.
But there is various types of DA polishers available in the market and each one is equipped with special quality like some are designed to work on the flat paint surface and some for narrow curved along with headlights. Apart from these, its speed, weight, throw, safety are other important considerations while purchasing a DA polisher.
That means a DA polisher cannot fulfill your all demands. So now the question is which one will you buy out of them? Surely, you will select such a polisher that provides the shiny look of your car’s paint and is both user-friendly and fit your budget.
Keeping in mind your preferences, we have listed some DA polishers below that are mostly liked by beginners.
BLACK+DECKER Random Orbit Polisher Review
This Dual Action polisher weighs around 2.05 pounds which is easily lifted and move on your car’s surface. Its ergonomic design with two handles and 10ft long cord will comfort you in polishing.
This polisher is most suitable for beginners as it is featured with 6 variable speed ranges from which you can select your favorable speed and is used for both polishing and waxing. The diameter of polishing wheel is 7 inches that provides you a large throw by which the polishing can be finished fast.
Autocare Car Dual Action Polisher Review
This is also a beginner-friendly dual action polisher which is 5.65 pounds in weight, equipped with 6 variable speed ranges and a detachable side handle for which you will feel easy when polishing. The special feature of this polisher is planetary gear group technology which will give you the best performance with less power consumption and lower noise.
Conclusion
Hope, our website has given all the answer of your queries about how to polish a car with a buffer. I hope after reading this article you are going to enjoy glass like shine from your car.