Favorite DA Orbital polishers

[antonini311]

Hi,

I had the unfortunate event of a friend's dog jumping up and putting it's paws on the window sill. When my friend pulled the dog away his nails left a few light scratches just below the back-passenger window. I don't have pics because I can't get the camera to capture it. But I don't catch a fingernail on them if I rub over them. So I'm pretty sure they are very shallow and didn't go past the clear coat.

I think they can be polished out. So I'm just trying to decide if I spend money on an orbital polisher, try by hand, or pay a detailer to patch up that one area. I have never used a polisher before and keep hearing about the fear of burning the paint if you try to DIY this process. Maybe I'm being overly cautious and the chances of that happening are slim, I don't know.

But what polishers do people recommend for novices?

Thanks

 

[Revvdmedia]

If you don't catch a fingernail, those scratches should easily be removed by hand. You can start with a polish (least abrasive) and move up to a compound, followed by a polish, if the polishing takes too long. I've "removed" numerous scratches by hand over the years. You'd have to be going at a spot for a REALLY LONG time with a polish to burn through the clear coat by hand.

I have a Porter Cable 6" variable speed DA polisher that I picked up for less than a couple hundred, less pads and polishes of course. I've been using it for a few years now and I'm pretty happy with the results. I usually go over the car every couple years to remove swirls and scratches. It seems a lot of "pros" use Rupes polishers and really like them, so I'd imagine those are good as well. DA polishers can burn through clear coat, but again you need to be going at it for quite a while, or with a very aggressive compound.

The rule of thumb when removing defects is to start with the least aggressive method possible. On the scale of activities, you have the most basic which is a wash, then a mild polish (like a finishing polish) for the least aggressive, a full polish, a compound, and lastly, wet sanding which is the most aggressive. If you have a defect that requires wet sanding, you usually start with that and work backwards, wet sand, then compound, then polish, then finishing polish. The point I am making here is start with the least aggressive method possible so you remove the least amount of material and ultimately save yourself some steps.

When removing scratches, sometimes you need to keep the approach in mind of what is "good enough." Sometimes scratches are deep enough that they will never be full invisible, but sometimes you need to consider 80% removed is "good enough." If you can't see it from more than a couple feet away, bystanders will never see it, only the owner will ever know it is there.

 

[antonini311]

If you don't catch a fingernail, those scratches should easily be removed by hand. You can start with a polish (least abrasive) and move up to a compound, followed by a polish, if the polishing takes too long. I've "removed" numerous scratches by hand over the years. You'd have to be going at a spot for a REALLY LONG time with a polish to burn through the clear coat by hand.

I have a Porter Cable 6" variable speed DA polisher that I picked up for less than a couple hundred, less pads and polishes of course. I've been using it for a few years now and I'm pretty happy with the results. I usually go over the car every couple years to remove swirls and scratches. It seems a lot of "pros" use Rupes polishers and really like them, so I'd imagine those are good as well. DA polishers can burn through clear coat, but again you need to be going at it for quite a while, or with a very aggressive compound.

The rule of thumb when removing defects is to start with the least aggressive method possible. On the scale of activities, you have the most basic which is a wash, then a mild polish (like a finishing polish) for the least aggressive, a full polish, a compound, and lastly, wet sanding which is the most aggressive. If you have a defect that requires wet sanding, you usually start with that and work backwards, wet sand, then compound, then polish, then finishing polish. The point I am making here is start with the least aggressive method possible so you remove the least amount of material and ultimately save yourself some steps.

When removing scratches, sometimes you need to keep the approach in mind of what is "good enough." Sometimes scratches are deep enough that they will never be full invisible, but sometimes you need to consider 80% removed is "good enough." If you can't see it from more than a couple feet away, bystanders will never see it, only the owner will ever know it is there.

Thanks for all the advice. As they stand now, you cannot see them unless you are within a foot of the car I'd say. And you'd have to be looking for them.

So given that, I wonder if I can polish them away without even using a DA. Or is it too much to ask to hand-rub them away? My other option is always to contact the company that did my first post-dealership detail (free of charge, thanks to the company that found me the car). He may do it for like $30, then I don't have to worry about it at all.

 

[nhcowboy28]

Unfriend that friend

 

[Revvdmedia]

Thanks for all the advice. As they stand now, you cannot see them unless you are within a foot of the car I'd say. And you'd have to be looking for them.

So given that, I wonder if I can polish them away without even using a DA. Or is it too much to ask to hand-rub them away? My other option is always to contact the company that did my first post-dealership detail (free of charge, thanks to the company that found me the car). He may do it for like $30, then I don't have to worry about it at all.

If the scratches are that fine, you can just get a polish (Mother's, Meguiar's, etc) and a microfiber detailing cloth and "rub it away." While I'd say the 30 dollar fix sounds appealing, this would give you some experience and you could take care of subsequent scratches yourself. These ones will be a satisfying fix for you. You will not burn through clear coating getting these ones out. Just make sure you buy a polish, not a compound.

 

[antonini311]

Another question: Are Stingers considered to be cars with soft or hard paint? This seems to come up as a point for detailing and knowing what kind of surface you are working with?

I will probably try to remove these scratches with some Meguiar's M205 and a microfiber. And hopefully additional steps aren't needed. Then give the area a waxing.