When do you remove a compound/polish?

[kty10]

When do you guys remove a compound/polish? I have a G100 and what I normally do is polish one small section and wipe the polish off immediately. Do most people use this technique or do you polish a panel or more before removing the polish? I'm trying to fine tune my process and I'm curious what everyone else does.

I'm also interested if anybody using the KBM could chime in as well. Thanks!

[Details]

Re: When do you remove a compound/polish?

If im indoors I polish one spot to see how many passes ill need for correction, then i go ahead and do half of the car with the same amount of passes on each panel and let the polish sit so that way the paint can get as much out of it as possible. If im compounding I wipe it off immediatley. If im outdoors I do one panel at a time

[Ryan L.]

Re: When do you remove a compound/polish?

A polish/paint cleaner is meant to be "worked in" then removed immediately without drying time.

Letting the product dry does not provide any benefits to the paint and just makes the product harder to remove in the long run.

Read this thread to help you out.

Which products need to dry before removing?

Ryan

[Michael Stoops]

Re: When do you remove a compound/polish?

The only products in the Meguiar's line that you want to let dry are waxes and sealants. All other polishes, cleaners, cleaner/polishes and compounds should be wiped off before they dry.

Having said that, when working with any of the products that should not be allowed to dry on the surface, the recommended process is to work them in a small area at a time (using the correct pad, speed, pressure, etc) and then wipe them off before they dry. In most cases, allowing the product to dry only makes it harder to remove it. In the case of products with an abrasive, whether a diminishing abrasive such as M80 Speed Glaze or the new SMAT technology like Ultimate Compound, the product only does its job while being worked against the paint. This holds true whether you're working by hand or with any type of machine, via traditional application methods or the Kevin Brown Method.

It sounds as though you're doing things just as you should.

[kty10]

Re: When do you remove a compound/polish?

Thanks for all of the info. It's good to know I'm doing something right!

Are there any instances where you would work a polish in and then apply either more polish or a finer polish on top of it, without removing the initial polish? I thought I read something along those lines, in order to save some time.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: When do you remove a compound/polish?

Applying a finer polish over the residue of a just used, more aggressive product could compromise the benefits of the finer product. We advise against doing this.

It is relatively common, however, to see experienced detailers work a cleaner to the point that it's almost gone and then just apply more for an additional pass, but it isn't really the best way to do things. For someone just getting started it's always best to develop good work habits, to maintain clean tools (cleaning the pad on the fly, etc) and concentrate on proper technique. Taking short cuts early on in the learning process only encourages sloppiness and laziness.

Mike Pennington often teaches that we should work slower to work faster. Rushing through things too often creates issues that cause you to go back and redo things. Slow down to avoid mistakes. It's always better to do things correctly once, than having to go back a second (or third) time to correct your earlier mistakes.

[Eddie6th]

Re: When do you remove a compound/polish?

I don't allow polishes to dry. Today I was clearing out the hut.I chucked out an old bottle of autoglym 'super resin polish' that was almost empty.on the back it said,allow to dry before wiping off.I used this years ago,and it did wipe off okay,but is that not contrary to the normal??

[Michael Stoops]

Re: When do you remove a compound/polish?

Well, it's contrary to normal with regard to Meguiar's position regarding Meguiar's products. If that Autoglym product's instructions say to let it dry before wiping off, then that's how you should use it.

Keep in mind, too, that not all finish care companies use terms the same way. Zaino long referred to their LSP products, such as Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish as polish, but many users would class them as sealants. Zaino also calls Z-5 PRO a polish even though it's recommended as a product to hide swirls, etc. The two products are different enough that you wouldn't necessarily think they would both be called polish, but they are. In both cases, instructions are to let dry before wiping off.

Turtle Wax ICE Liquid Polish is called just that, polish, yet in the description on their website they describe it as "a liquid wax". Whatever they want to call it, they recommend letting it dry before wiping off.

P21S Carnauba Paste Wax is a very popular carnauba wax, often used as an LSP over other manufacturers sealants, etc. Yet the instructions state to remove before it dries.

Bottom line: not only is there no hard and fast rules regarding terminology in this business, but each manufacturer develops their products to be used in a specific manner, and the instructions for each should be followed accordingly.

[kty10]

Re: When do you remove a compound/polish?

Mike Pennington often teaches that we should work slower to work faster. Rushing through things too often creates issues that cause you to go back and redo things. Slow down to avoid mistakes. It's always better to do things correctly once, than having to go back a second (or third) time to correct your earlier mistakes.

Thanks for clearing this up for me. I had read somewhere on other sites how some detailers would leave worked in polish on the paint as a means to save time. I'll be sure to polish "slow and steady" to get it right the first time.

[Eddie6th]

Re: When do you remove a compound/polish?

Thanks Michael.

To me, the term 'polish' should have only one meaning.The meguiar's explanation sounds the most logical to me,and means the same as you would find in a dictionary.

If another brand uses a 'filling' as disguising defects,then,they can call it a polish,but to me isn't.

I don't really like the way some other brands term their products.