First time you buffed a car

[kboxer]

First time I buffed a car. MY sisters cavalier needed some color back to it. So I got some phaze glaze by car brite and the Dewalt. This guy had a little detail shop and was friends with my father. I had seen them do it. Looked simple enough.

So I threw the polish on there, cranked the Dewalt up. It was screaming. Hit that first panel and polish went flying. Well I finsished the whole car and it was bad. She didnt care. She drove it anyway.

So I was looking for some work and my dad knew of a good detail shop that was hiring and payed some good bucks. So he gave me a try and says did you ever buff. Being 19, in college, and having buffed a WHOLE car myself, I replied in an arrogant manner OF COURSE. So he puts me to work on a NEON. Well he was eating lunch when I started and he just happened to take a look through the glass at me and came running in. Needless to say he grabbed a junker from the car lot outside and showed me some technique and not too long after that it became and art form.

Funny story I thought I would tell

[TH0001]

First car I every buffed was when I was 15 (eleven years ago). It was my dads ZR1 Corvette with a wool pad and some and turtle wax rubbing compound....

Umm it didn't look so hot, lol...

[Chex]

I started at the age of 18, and I did a very neglected blazer hood with a wool pad & turtle wax rubing compound. then I used some color cure and came ok, but when it wore down, you could see all the circles from the rotary :P

well....that's the price for learning :P now things are different :P

[Michael Stoops]

At the tender age of 46 (not quite a year ago ) I took a PC7424 to my Miata's finish after seeing many photographs online showing wonderous transformations using this tool. I spent a couple hours going over that little roadster, pulled it out of the garage and into the blazing sun. Man, those swirl marks were really shiny now!!

Uh, what the heck??? I immediately blamed it on operator error. Surely it had to be my fault, and mine alone. So I discovered the Meguiar's Saturday Clinics and attended one - heck, I set it up for the local Autopia members! - and was given some quick instruction by none other than Mike Phillips. The light bulb that was suddenly illuminated over my head was bright indeed, and when I got home I took another shot at that little Miata. Attacking just the trunk lid, using the newfound techniques, I polished away! Again, pulling it out into the bright light of day........ta da!!!! Nothing but bright shiny Emerald Mica paint - not a swirl in sight!!



Fast forward several months and I learn that the Miata actually has quite soft paint, making my initial failed attempt all the more embarassing.

Or funny, depending on your point of view.

[Superior Shine]

Last week I happend across this car ------






I said to the owner, "hey mister, for a couple of bucks I'll shine'r up".

He gave me the thumbs up.


So I replaced the grinding wheel off my 9000 rpm grinder with a wool pad made from yack fur and the rest is history.

Easiest $50 bucks I ever made.

[kboxer]

From that point on we had a lot of dealer work. Good and bad. Good part, they were all dark cars that were great for experience. This guy invested in used caddys, hundreds a week and sent them to the auction. So we got a few. Bad part is that we were using 3m smr with a lot of fillers. They looked great , but I wonder how they looked a week after washing. Never got to see them. Makes me wonder on my technique. Maybe I buffed hundreds the wrong way. I know this.

[ramphonic]

first time

first time i buffed i used a wool pad on my ram
so my friend had me hit his vette with it and i burned through the paint around the door handle

[Michael Stoops]

Originally posted by Superior Shine
Last week I happend across this car ------





Easiest $50 bucks I ever made.

Good for you Joe. Now, keep at it, work real hard, invest in some proper equipment, and maybe one day you'll be able to raise your rates a bit.

[ALBIE]

hey im a newb here but the first time i buffed a car was at 15 and was my dad's 71 bb vette i dont think it turned out so bad

[LiquidBlack]

Hah that reflection is pretty crazy. Almost looks like the tree is painted right onto the car.

[97wyldstang]

Re: First time you buffed a car

hahaha oh man if i hadnt seen that guys thread about that being a tree i was like wow...thats the ugliest vette ive ever seen but damn thats a fantastic job.

[THE BIG BUFFER]

Re: First time you buffed a car

I started polishing for the company I worked for that sent trucks to the Auctions in the states. The guy I worked with pulls out the rotary and "shows" me how to polish. He was pushing so hard on the polisher that common sence told me he was doing it wrong. I tried it his way of course and nearly quit because I could'nt emagine doing this all day. And I burnt the paint on the edges on top of the hood!
When I went home I did ALOT of research and did a detailing course with the local Car Brite guy. I use to polish 50-70 trucks a month. All with a rotary and all using Car Brite! Now I am 100 percent Meg's! And I wish I had of used it from the get go. You guys (and gals) that are just starting out are way ahead of the game by just being on this site. I've learned more from here and Showcar Garage in the past year than I have in my whole 7 years of polishing. I stop by here everyday and read as much as I can. Filling your "tool box" with knowlage is an easy load to carry.

[LacViet]

Re: First time you buffed a car

Just finish detail half of my car for the first time using dual action polish. It takes a little long to get use to the new machine, but man, the result is magnificent. Hope I can post pic of complete detail this weekend. Couldn't forget to thank Mike for showing me the light at the end of tunnel, but I still need to attend more class!

[dnoraker]

Re: First time you buffed a car

PC: I tried it for the first time with #83, and it clouded up pretty bad on my red s-10. My arm speed was pretty fast, I definately didn't break down the abrasives, and I was using next to no pressure.

rotary: Just started a couple weeks ago. Got the Makita, couldn't wait until I got a junker car! I tested it in the bed of my truck with #80. It didn't burn paint and didn't leave any noticable holagrams, so I expanded to the outside of the box. Still, no burning on the edges (it seems common sense to be gentle on those areas anyway) and only VERY light holograms. I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I just did the whole stinkin' thing! I haven't washed it yet, but I can't see any holograms right now. It also looks more reflective than it ever did. I wouldn't recommend doing what I did. I could easily have made a big mess, but I wasn't as worried since it has about 150k on the odometer.

[Immaculate]

Re: First time you buffed a car

First time I buffed a car. MY sisters cavalier needed some color back to it. So I got some phaze glaze by car brite and the Dewalt. This guy had a little detail shop and was friends with my father. I had seen them do it. Looked simple enough.

So I threw the polish on there, cranked the Dewalt up. It was screaming. Hit that first panel and polish went flying. Well I finsished the whole car and it was bad. She didnt care. She drove it anyway.

So I was looking for some work and my dad knew of a good detail shop that was hiring and payed some good bucks. So he gave me a try and says did you ever buff. Being 19, in college, and having buffed a WHOLE car myself, I replied in an arrogant manner OF COURSE. So he puts me to work on a NEON. Well he was eating lunch when I started and he just happened to take a look through the glass at me and came running in. Needless to say he grabbed a junker from the car lot outside and showed me some technique and not too long after that it became and art form.

Funny story I thought I would tell

reviving the thread...


what did you do wrong? what did he say when he came running out?