Paint corrections involve buffers, buffing pads, compounds, polishes, and sometimes sandpaper to remove paint defects. It’s essential to perform a spot-check to test your method. Begin with the least aggressive product combination available whenever performing a paint correction. For example, if a light polish yields the desired results, there is no need to diminish the clear coat thickness by performing a compounding step. Remember, there is a finite amount of clear coat. Its overall thickness is roughly equal to a sheet of paper.
Paint Correction Explained:
- Types of Paint Polishers
- Types of Buffing Pads
- Compounds and Polishes
- Maintaining Swirl-Free Paint
- Is Paint Correction Worth the Cost?
Types of Paint Polishers
Paint polishers will fall into one of two categories. The most common in the car-detailing world is the dual-action (DA) polisher. The DA polisher is more user-friendly and safer than a rotary polisher because it will stop spinning if too much force is applied or the buffing pad isn’t flat. Rotary buffers will not stop if too much pressure is applied, and they can damage the paint quickly if left in one spot for too long.
Short-Throw DA Polisher – Dual-action polishers initially only came in what we now call short throw, an 8-millimeter orbit. Some original DA polishers have been updated over the years. Now they include more powerful motors and a slightly larger orbit to help increase the speed of paint defect removal.
Long-Throw DA Polisher – Long-throw dual-action polishers typically have a 12-millimeter to 21-millimeter orbit. The broad reach allows greater surface coverage per rotation. A long-throw polisher’s increased orbit power results in a larger and more expensive machine. Also, long-throw polishers work best with a specific buffing pad size. In contrast, short throw polishers can handle smaller and larger buffing pads (3-inch to 5-inch pads).
Forced-Rotation DA Polisher – A forced-rotation polisher combines the power of a rotary polisher with some of the safety of a dual-action polisher. These tools allow more downward pressure to be applied, which can be helpful when polishing concave body panels. While forced rotation polishers are harder to control, they are still safer than rotary polishers.
Rotary Polisher – A rotary polisher packs the most power and requires extra caution compared to a dual-action polisher. Rotary polishers excel at removing sanding marks or heavy paint defects. The tool doesn’t slow down much when downward pressure is applied, making it easy for excess heat to build and remove too much paint.
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Types of Buffing Pads
Buffing pads come in three abrasiveness levels: compounding, polishing, and finishing. Each buffing pad manufacturer uses unique colors to identify the pad’s abrasiveness. Therefore, it’s critical to reference the buffing pad cut chart when trying a new brand for the first time. The color coding can even vary within a manufacturer’s buffing pad lineup when comparing one style of buffing pad to another buffing pad.
The composition of the buffing pad also plays a significant role in how aggressive it is. Wool buffing pads are the most aggressive and usually reserved for compounding the heaviest paint scratches and swirl marks. Microfiber buffing pads are less aggressive than wool pads but still usually need the help of a foam buffing pad to refine the paint and reveal a showroom shine.
Buffing Pad Cut Levels
Compounding Pad – Compounding pads have a rougher texture; in the case of foam buffing pads, there are fewer pores per inch. It’s always a good idea to refine the paint using a polishing pad once the compounding stage is complete.
Polishing Pad – The most commonly used buffing pad is the polishing pad which offers medium cutting power. Polishing pads offer enough cut to remove mild to moderate paint defects without dulling the paint like a compounding pad.
Finishing Pad – The lowest cut buffing pad is the go-to choice when the goal is to achieve maximum paint gloss and reflection. Finishing pads are comprised exclusively of foam and feature the most pores per inch.
Buffing Pad Compositions
Foam Buffing Pad – Foam buffing pads come in the broadest range of abrasiveness and are a tried and true favorite of car detailers. A foam buffing pad with fewer pores per inch will be more aggressive, and the pad’s cutting ability will be lower as the number of pores per inch increases. Foam is the only buffing pad material capable of being used across all three steps of paint correction (compounding, polishing, finishing).
Microfiber Buffing Pad – A step up in aggressiveness from foam buffing pads, microfiber pads offer more cutting power. These pads can help decrease the time spent correcting the paint. Microfiber buffing pads become matted, and for the best results, they require cleaning with compressed air after each paint section is compounded or polished. Microfiber buffing pads need less downward pressure than foam pads to achieve the same results.
Wool Buffing Pad – Wool buffing pads are the most aggressive of the three materials. Before microfiber buffing pads were available, they were the original choice for heavy compounding. A wool pad on a rotary polisher will make short work of the most severe paint defects. The increased correcting power of a wool pad might be appealing. However, they require laser focus and undivided attention to avoid burning the paint and causing permanent damage.
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Paint Compounds and Polishes
Almost every paint correction will use a polish, but a compound isn’t needed unless severe paint defects exist. Refining the paint after compounding with polish is essential to clean up what is known as compounding haze. Use a finishing polish in the third and final step of the paint correction. It’s most needed if the paint is very soft and scratching during polish removal or when trying to achieve maximum shine for a car show.
| Product Type | Cut | Gloss |
| Paint Compound | 7 | 3 |
| Paint Polish | 5 | 5 |
| Paint-Finishing Polish | 3 | 7 |
Paint Compound – Compound has large abrasives that quickly remove heavier paint defects. Large abrasives are great for leveling paint. However, they can leave the finish looking dull due to the micro-scratches they leave behind. Imagine the car paint has thousands of moderate scratches. Compounding will remove them, but it leaves behind millions of light scratches in their place. The new scratches are less noticeable individually, but collectively they dull the gloss and reflection of the paint.
Paint Polish – Polish has smaller abrasives capable of removing light to moderate paint defects without requiring a multi-step paint correction. Polishes come in medium and small abrasive formulations that determine how much “cut” the polish has. A polish with more cutting power will have a lower gloss rating. If a polish had 10 points to assign to its performance, a six cut would have four gloss, and a four cut would have a six gloss.
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Maintaining Swirl-Free Paint
When using proper car-detailing techniques and quality products, a car’s paint can remain free of blemishes for years. Always wash the vehicle from top to bottom. Use a separate wash mitt or microfiber towel to clean the high-impact areas to avoid paint scratches in easily visible places. Also, wash car panels lengthwise in straight-line movements to minimize swirl marks.
Hand Car Wash – Maintaining a defect-free finish after a paint correction requires a two-bucket car wash. The care taken during car washes is even more critical if a car has black or soft paint. Using two buckets equipped with debris filters helps to reduce the risk of causing wash-induced paint defects. Avoid automatic car washes that use brushes and rollers. These conveniences can ruin the showroom shine that took hours to achieve in a matter of minutes.
Paint Protection – A new layer of paint protection should be applied every few weeks or months, depending on the product. Car waxes have been the longtime go-to product to protect the paint. However, many detailing experts now prefer paint sealants. Both waxes and sealants perform the same function of providing a sacrificial layer against contamination and abrasion. Vehicle owners seeking the ultimate paint protection should consider ceramic coatings with durability measured in years instead of months.
Annual Decontamination Detail – It is good to perform a deep cleanse of the paint every year as preventative maintenance. An iron remover, tar remover, and a clay bar will remove contamination that might otherwise compromise the durability of the paint protection. In addition to decreasing product durability, the contamination will dull the gloss and reflections of the paint.
Is Paint Correction Worth the Cost?
Yes. With proper car care, a paint correction should only be necessary every few years. The time varies depending on how many miles you drive and the elemental exposure. Paint corrections start around $400 for a 1-step polish, removing swirl marks and light to medium scratches. Larger vehicles or multi-step paint corrections can increase the price to more than $1,000.
Brushes at automatic or self-service car washes can ruin the paint’s flawless finish. Remember to factor in additional costs that products may add if they aren’t already in your car-detailing kit.
As automobile lovers, I understand that a smooth finish is very important to maintaining the value and beauty of our vehicle. This guide is really helpful to understand the complete paint crrection process.
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