The 21mm da's will definitely do some serious work but again the G9 can get to the same result and will run smoother.

If you don't have much time behind a da, then yes the 21mm is more prone to "stalling" when trying to roll up and around body lines but with time on those polishers you learn to work it to prevent that and it's a non issue.

By "stalling" I mean the polisher will still oscillate but you will not have pad rotation.

 

Got ya. They had more of the Bauer at HF so I got it exchanged. Should I just use the thing or get my money back and grab the G9?

 

If ya got it, use it. You will love it.
I have a 8mm, 15mm and 21mm da and the 21 gets used the most by far !

What vehicle are you doing?

 

I want to do some light work on my 99 Camaro. Paint isn’t in bad shape at all but, I think this will really bring some life back to the paint! I’m gonna run by a local joint that sells car care stuff. Gonna pick up a few pads and some Jescar All-in-One stuff to try out. I read it’s a good light wax/polishing product. I also want to ditch the door moldings on my car. Not sure what I will encounter or if I need to do any work to disappear the aftermath.

 

Okay, you've all inspired me. I'm going to get the HF version of the polisher. I already have some Griot's and Meguire's so I'm set there. I'm going to start with my 06 GTO and if that turns out well I'll move on to my classics which could use a polish too.

Any quick tips, things to avoid? I've always done this by hand but it is time to put on my big boy pants now I guess.

I've always kept the GTO (well all my cars) clean, waxed and under a cover when parked in the garage. They don't even see rain. The big question is, if the paint feels smooth do I need to claybar the paint before going after it with the polisher?

 

I'm new to DA polishing.......but I have been claying my car for 20 years. I say......clay it no matter what before using the DA. And I don't use actual clay, I use that newer tool that lasts forever. You just rinse it off occasionally. Not sure what its called though....LOL Works just as good as real clay.

I figure if you're gonna go through the trouble and time to use the DA.....clay it first and get the best results you can.

Found it: Mine is maybe 10 years old, its like new. I've tested this and real clay side by side on my hood. Identical results.
https://www.nanoskinusa.com/products...nge-fine-grade

 

I got a synthetic clay pad, made by Mother's. Looks just like the stuff Griot's sells.

 

I really want to try that Mother’s pad with some ONR. Does that pad cause any marring at all??

 

I haven't tried it yet. Hope to give it a try this weekend.

 

First try results.I got the tools I needed over the past week or so. The polisher is not horribly expensive and comes recommended by many. It worked flawlessly and was easy to use. It will be hard to damage the paint with this machine and the polishes I'm using (which is good). But, still being an utter novice I thought I'd try it on my spare GTO hood before I go after a real whole car.

The tools and products.





The before of one of the worst scratches that wasn't through the paint.





And after (it was kind of hard to find the same spot on the hood as the scratch had virtually disappeared).





Whole thing after.



I applied my favorite wax with the machine too. Good results and super easy to wipe off the residue, much easier than doing it by hand. Water was just running off from the slope of the hood panel to the edge.



I guess I'm ready to go after the whole car.

 

Easy stuff...right?

Nice job.....go do the car now. And do all the glass too, then coat of wax.

 

Many detailers try to scare people away from doing their own paint correction. Sure, you could screw up something, but remember at the end of the day, it's just paint. No need to be scared, just cautious. A lot of good products & tools out there now that are pretty gentle when used properly. For anybody in the moderately skilled hot rodder category, paint correction is just another thing to learn & enjoy the results.
I'd say biggest caution is sharp edges. 2nd biggest is trying to remove enough clear to get super flat on recent late model vehicles with super thin pebbly finished clear
A cheap polisher can give great results, their just not something you could use day after day professionally.

 

I did clay the hood before starting. It was actually pretty smooth to begin with. This hood must have been off of a very low mile car. It only had one chip that appears to have come from "life". The rest were all from storage and transport from the looks of it. Still, given the cost of and difficulty finding them, I'm super happy to have a spare especially given how little I paid for it. If it wasn't dinged at the back corners I'd probably try to fit it onto my car since it has so many fewer chips (other than that) than the hood on my car.

I don't know if I'll get after the car tomorrow or not. Washing, claying, polishing and waxing would probably be an all afternoon thing and I like to not work my entire Sunday most weekends. I got all the yard work and primer touch ups done on the house today along with the hood polish so it would be nice to take a day off tomorrow. When the time comes I suppose I could just do the one step with the Griot's since it leaves behind a wax. But the Meguiar's did shine better in my hood experience. And it is time for the fall coat of wax on the GTO anyway.

 

Next time, put the 3-n-1 Griots on the pad and also put wax on the pad. I use Mequiars Ultimate Wax. Do it all at one time. I experimented and just did one area like that and did just the Griots on the rest of the car. The area where I applied the Griots and Mequiars mixed on the pad (hood and front fenders) is still slick like day one. Better than the rest of the car.

It works. One pass and you're done and the wax will remain. The Griots wax won't last long, maybe a few weeks outdoors......

 

Picked up a new toy few days ago.