Finishing Polishes are light polishes designed to really shine the paint and restore a glossy finish. As most detailers know it is how you prep the surface that really determines the end result of your detail. Finishing polishes will help remove old wax or sealant, oxidation, embedded contaminates, very fine surface imperfections and more. This process helps clean the clear coat, which allows more light to pass through, thus creating a deeper shine. A cutting polish may leave a slight haze in the clear coat. Using a finishing polish will restore a brilliant gloss. The haze should be completely removed and the surface should be extremely smooth to the touch. This is the perfect step to take to prep your paint after using a cutting polish or before you use a glaze, sealant or wax.

Recommended Products For Machine Buffing:
* Porter Cable 7424 Buffer or Cyclo Polisher
* Velcro Backing Plate
* Polishing Pad or Finishing Pad
* Light Cutting Polish or Non-Abrasive Polish
* Quick Detailer Solution
* 1 - 3x Microfiber Towels

Recommended Products For Hand Buffing:
* Lake Country Hand Applicator w/ Appropriate Pad
or Microfiber Applicator Pad
* Light Cutting Polish or Non-Abrasive Polish
* 1 - 3x Microfiber Towels

Is A Buffer Necessary?
Below are some of the major benefits of using the PC7424 with the velcro backing plate. The velcro backing plate screws directly into the PC7424 and allows you to easily swap pads on and off. The velcro backing plate is also 6” in diameter, which evenly distributes pressure from the buffer throughout the entire 6.5” diameter of the pad. This ensures that you get perfectly even coverage with the sealant and that it has properly bonded to the surface. Here are some other benefits:

A) It saves you time and energy. When applying coat after coat by hand, you tend to get tired and slow down. Your fingertips exert pressure over a very small area so it requires many passes just to cover a small area. The 6.5″ circular pad on the PC7424 can cover a larger surface area quickly and easily. The Porter Cable is only 6lbs and has two comfortable places for your hands to guide the buffer. The buffer completes 2,500 to 6,000 orbits per minute, which creates plenty of pressure that’s nearly impossible to duplicate by hand. On average the buffer can help you complete a coat in 50% - 75% of the time it takes to complete hand applications.

B) You achieve more consistent results. When you guide the buffer across the clear coat it creates pressure that breaks down the product and works it into the clear coat. Alternatively, hand applications force you to attempt to apply the same exact force through a multiple step detailing process. Most hand applications yield varying levels of pressure that may leave the process looking slightly inconsistent or blotchy. You are exerting a lot of energy during hand applications, especially for polishes, which require steady pressure to perform their best. The Porter Cable comes with a dial that controls the buffer’s speed, so you get the exact same results throughout each coat.

C) You obtain better results. Because of the Porter Cable’s random orbit pattern you will not risk burning the paint like you would with traditional rotary buffers. The even distribution of heat and pressure will break down the product evenly so the results are perfectly uniform. This uniform application is essential for even protection and shine over all the clear-coated surfaces. The PC7424 is compatible with a variety of different pads that help best work in certain products. Sealants and waxes should generally be applied with a soft finishing pad. The correct pad selection is crucial to achieving maximum results.

Choosing the Proper Polish:
Deciding on which polish to use can be a difficult decision. Some of it will depend on if you are trying to tackle the job by hand or with a buffer, severity of the imperfections, ease of use and more.

Finishing Polishes Overview:
One thing to keep in mind is that detailing is an art form and you’ll get better with experience. It is nearly impossible and generally not safe to remove every single scratch and swirl. Therefore have a realistic expectation on how much you can really buff out. A variety of factors will affect the results of the detail such as: manufacturer’s clear coating process, age and condition of vehicle, type of product, hand or buffer application, type of pad or applicator, skill of detailer and more. All of these factors ultimately mean that finding out what works best for your particular vehicle takes a little bit of trial and error.

Prep Stage:
At this point the vehicle should be freshly washed, dried and already treated with clay bar and a cutting polish if needed. For ease of use and best results the vehicle should be worked on in a shaded area where the paint is cool to the touch. Attach the appropriate pad to the Porter Cable 7424, centering the pad on the backing plate. Whether doing the application by hand or with a buffer be sure to match the aggressiveness of the product with the aggressiveness of the pad (refer to Finishing Polishes Info). Prime the pad, especially new ones, with a couple mists of quick detailer solution. This will help keep the product on the pads surface and enhance your polishing results. A general tip for using the PC is to move relatively slow and keep the pad flat when possible.

Instructions for Machine Buffing:

1. Dispense a ring of product around the outer edge of the pad.
(Note: If the pad is brand new add a little extra product, so the pad does not run dry)
2. With the PC off smear the product over a 2’ x 2’ area on the clear coat.
3. (Optional) To help spread the product you can turn the PC unit on at a low speed setting and spread the product out evenly over the 2’ x 2’ section
4. Increase the speed setting to 4 - 6 and begin to apply light to medium pressure to the head of the PC unit. If the PC bogs down, you are applying too much pressure. (More experienced users may want use higher speed settings to attain better results. Newer users should start at lower speed levels.)
5. Start in the top left corner of your 2’ x 2’ area and move the PC from left to right at a pace of 3” per second, overlapping each pass by 50%.
6. With the PC still on work the buffer from top to bottom moving at no faster than 3″ per second, while overlapping each pass by 50%. Use light pressure only so the pad spins freely for this set of passes until the entire 2′ x 2′ area has been completed. After completing the 2′ x 2′ area turn the buffer off. (Note: At this time the entire 2′ x 2′ panel should have received four passes. If the polish dusts excessively, the product was overworked.)
7. After completing a section or panel use a paint safe microfiber towel to wipe off any remaining excess product. Replace towel if it smears or becomes saturated with product.
8. After a few panels take the time to wipe off excess product from the pad so it does not get saturated. Another option is to spin the buffer on a low speed and agitate it with a clean toothbrush to remove product build up the pores of the foam pad. Re-mist the pad with some quick detailer spray to increase lubrication and keep the product on the surface as needed
9. Continue this entire process until the entire vehicle has been buffed.
10. When finished, clean pads with Snappy Clean pad cleaners to ensure pads are in proper working condition.

Instructions for Hand Buffing:

1. Dispense a quarter sized drop of product on the applicator pad.
2. Spread the product and outline a 2’ x 2’ area that you plan on working the polish
3. Start in the top left corner of your 2’ x 2’ area and work the polish in small circles with medium pressure moving from left to right, overlapping each pass by 50%.
4. Repeat this process moving up and down.
5. After completing a section or panel use a paint safe microfiber towel to wipe off any remaining excess product. Replace towel if it smears or becomes saturated with product.
6. Continue this process until the entire vehicle has been polished. Re-mist the pad with some quick detailer spray every couple of panels to increase lubrication and keep the product on the surface.
7. Clean the applicator pad with the Snappy Clean pad cleaning solution to remove excess product and to ensure the pad is clean for the next use.