A Step by Step on How To Sand, Compound, Polish and Protect

[TOMBSTONESTAN]

Is this clear laquer or just paint finish. Great job anyway .

[bank0fengland]

how long would this last? eventually the polish, wax and other compounds will wear/wash off and leave a messed up surface.

[platinumchoicemusic]

I recently got my car painted and I have light swirl marks from the buffing job. I used a rubbing compound by hand but swirls are still there. How do I get the swirls out?

[NITEOWL22LR]

excellent job what would ye recommend for fixing a deep scratch on a bumper?

[meguiarsasia]

@NITEOWL22LR the same process should work if its paint....usually just rotary compounding works well.

[EeLaMSaRu]

@meguiarsasia do i have to use a rotary buffer for compounding out the sanding marks or can i use a da polisher

[anandrulzs]

Thanks for the details

[anandrulzs]

Do You need to have a rotary and a DA. Can the entire process be done with just a rotary.

If just the rotary can be used, what would you need to set for the compound process and for the polishing process?

[meguiarsasia]

@anandrulzs its best to have both a rotary and DA even though you could just use a rotary if thats all you have. For rotary you would use 105, 205, 21 2.0, followed by 135. The pads used in same order would be W5000, W8207, W9207.

[sher854]

Also can you tell me what backing plate i need to buy for w8207 pad

[meguiarsasia]

@sher854 you need the w86 backing plate for rotary and w68DA for a DA machine

[manuelagrasrodriguez]

@meguiarsasia >>> WOw can I use this to sand compound after the clear coat?

[sher854]

would the w4000 fit 180mm backing plate

[cremocar]

rapaz esse produto é muito bom demais!!! eu uso so produto meguiars lavador e polimento CREMO-CAR... popular CREMO.

[siknowsstuff]

@444marines totally agree,it"ll look like crap

[robinleveille220988]

your sign in the background has orangepeel lol..

[memo123ism]

Excellent video two thumbs up..........

[VSIXHONDA]

My clear coat is bubbling up on my hood would this help it or make it worse.

[meguiarsasia]

@VSIXHONDA this would make it worse

[187MIAMIBOY]

My car has some scratches on it, do i sand that with 100 grit? and then apply putty and sand it again with 80 grit? and then the whole car with 400-600 grit for the base coat and then wet sand it before applying the clear coat? i need help am trying to paint my car.

[meguiarsasia]

@187MIAMIBOY we don't offer paint products.....the lowest you would go on clearcoat is 1500 grit

[JordaneX27]

I assume this is only for the pros. Should I just stick to my Meguiars Da Polisher?

[meguiarsasia]

@JordaneX27 yes if you are not a professional, we would recommend you stick to the DA polisher. We have a NEW DA system out though which would work perfect for you.....two types of pads and two type of liquids for a show car shine! :D

[NETWizzJbirk]

@meguiarsasia I have always used #80 (sometimes #83) with the Meguiar's yellow pad on a Porter Cable DA. What do you recommend?

[meguiarsasia]

@NETWizzJbirk normally M83 is used with our yellow pad on a rotary and M80 is used normally on a DA wish a finishing pad. In reality, it depends on the paint and what results you are getting. If you are happy with the results you have been getting, there is really no reason to change, but if you want to try a different approach....you can try that instead. Hope this helps!

[sharpanator]

i want to buy the Flex3401 and Meguiars 83, 82 and NXT 2.0 in the end. Is this a good combination? The paint is a pretty good condition. Ive never heard of applying sealant after a polish, i mean isnt NXT 2.0 also a sealant, why apply both sealant 2.0 and NXT 2.0 ?

[meguiarsasia]

@sharpanator Those products should work fine for you. Yes NXT 2.0 is a sealant but NXT and M21 2.0 are sold to different people and size packages. I would use either or but not BOTH NXT and the sealant.

[JoeyOhm]

I really need to learn to do this right; I half assed a car by not being educated. now to start process over; back to auto store.

[bloodyangel5463]

I still cant uderstand why there is a 11 dislike I think they like that their car look like shit.

[n3rdbear]

That looks amazing. My car's paint looks the same as the right side and I thought it needed a new paint job. It actually just needs what was done in this video.

[Abot87]

@meguiarsasia for me i apply sealant(2.0), then wax(nxt tech).. But i see some people apply wax then sealant.. Which is the correct way?

[meguiarsasia]

@Abot87 it should be sealant and then wax....both steps need curing time

[Abot87]

@meguiarsasia what if i apply sealant to my polished paint and followed by wax, would it be double layer or my wax will overwrite the sealant..? If it overwrites, i will just layer of my sealant with my quik wax or detailer..

[meguiarsasia]

@Abot87 that would work if you want extra protection

[gabster118]

excellent video- mequiars makes the best products in the world!

[Toyota4Life]

Hey quick question and anyone including Merguiar can ansa this.

Is the sanding needed ? and if so what is the point of it ? Is it not the something as the clay bar ? I brought the Merguiar wax kit which comes with everything need from compound to wax. But there is no sanding equipment inside but in this video I see that you use it. I wanna kno so that i can go out and but and im trying to have everything when it come time for me to wax my baby :)

Thanks and I love your products

[kragmutt]

@Toyota4Life I'm not expert, so take this with a grain of salt, but if youi're still wondering, not all steps are always needed. It depends on the state of your car. If it has lots of medium scratches like in the vid, then you probably need to sand, but if all you have is some swirl marks, then rubbing compound should be more than adequate. If you baby your baby, then you might not even need rubbing compound, just polish and wax. The order of the steps goes from most abrasive to least.

[meguiarsasia]

@kragmutt thats correct...there is no need to follow all these steps in every situation. It really depends on a case by case basis. Sanding should be the VERY LAST method tried since it does remove clearcoat and you do not want to remove too much.

[randomfoo777]

wetsanding leaves scuff marks on the car. once you compound/polish/wax, will the scuff marks left by the wetsanding be permanently gone? or will the scuff marks come back once the wax/sealer wears off?

[kragmutt]

@randomfoo777 If you're still wondering, the steps are progressively less and less abrasive. If done properly, after the polishing step, your clear coat will be very smooth and therefore have a mirror finish. You actually remove a thin layer of clearcoat, which is why it is good to wax at the end to seal and protect. You definitely don't want to be sanding all the time. Best to regularly polish and wax.

[Abot87]

What's the difference between sealant & wax? Which one is better?

[meguiarsasia]

@Abot87 wax goes on smoother and easier and feels fantastic afterwards....normally it contains synthetic and carnauba or even pure carnauba. A sealant seals with the clearcoat for loooooong lasting protection. Both are great, it really depends on what you prefer and need.

[phl2009]

Impressive

[corpusSCW]

Does anybody knows, what are the names of the two buffing pads used on this video

with the bigger pulishing machine. Could that be the 3M superbuff pad

[meguiarsasia]

@corpusSCW w5000 double sided wool pad...w8207 yellow polishing pad, w9207 black foam finishing pad

[gaisar80]

That fiber pad is better that the Clay Bar? 

[meguiarsasia]

@gaisar80 no its used after claying. the clay is for above surface contaminats and the wool fiber pad is for below surface contaminants

[gaisar80]

@meguiarsasia Thanks a lot!

[hotzone84]

y not use the 205 after the 105 ..any particular reasons in this case or no

[meguiarsasia]

@hotzone84 yes 205 after 105..... this is an older video and 205 was not released at this point when the video was made.

[blerta21]

ciao

la mia macchina e nuova 1anno di vita.un consiglio per mantenerla lucida .un altra domanda .la macchina e bianca ,si vedono dei puntini tipo ruggine attaccati sulla vernice.come posso eliminare.grazie

[performancecomputers]

why use a different machine for the sealant?

[meguiarsasia]

@performancecomputers the DA machine for the sealant is perfectly meant to apply an even amount of wax to the vehicle. It is less aggressive than a rotary and applies the product much more evenly.

[Aqeuatias]

would that work on a carbon fiber hood ?

[meguiarsasia]

@Aqeuatias if it has clearcoat, yes

[danlc95]

Forgot to mention that I used a Megs w - 4000 cutting pad on the rotary for the inital polishing, and a Megs w - 8000 foam pad for the secondary polishing with the da. I'm no pro, but I've been doing this for twelve years.

[danlc95]

My car was repainted, and had terrible orange peel. Here's what I used:

1. Wet sand with 1500, and 3000 Megs Unigrit

2. Compound with Turtle Wax Premium Rubbing Compound and a Wen rotary buffer.

3. Final polish with Turtle Wax Premium Polishing Compound, using a Griot's da.

4. Seal with Turtle Wax Ice Paste.

Yeah, I know.... The TW really suprised me though! I'm keeping it in my line up.

[spam420rice]

How many hours was this procedure?

[meguiarsasia]

@spam420rice this was only a hood demo, so it only took an hour or so

[mlau731]

Awesome video btw. I've watched most of the videos u posted, they are all top notch! Thanks!!

[mlau731]

I have a blk 2010 honda. With a deep hairline scratch, as i used scratch x and ultimate compound by hand was not able to take out but only blended the scratch into the paint. Its not AS noticable but its still there. Do you think this method will completely remove my scratch?

[theRDRman]

a mirofibre. typo

[577666]

Excellent - at last a vid where we are shown how, with relevent information and no stupid talking - well done!

[boricuaboi78]

great video very helpful

[sirruckus]

I have a black base/ clear car that I would like to polish - many people stay away from the wool because of swirls (and perhaps lack of experience with it). I have a makita variable speed polisher the 8" w7000 (for first stage), 8000 for second stage, and 9000 for final stage. I start with the m85, then (left over from a package deal) stage 1 of the deep crystal system, and lastley the stage 2 of the same system. Wonder what products you recomend for pads and polish for a new comer!

[meguiarsasia]

@sirruckus the best and easiest is: W5000 wool pad with M105 speed 1500-1700rpms....then W8207 with W68 Backing Plate and M205 speed 1000-1200rpms, then I would lastly use a DA machine with W68DA backing plate and the W9207 pad with M21 2.0 synthetic sealant. To maintain this you can wash it with ultimate wash and wax and also M135 spray with a microfiber towel.

[Pman47]

@sirruckus where can i buy all this?

[meguiarsasia]

@Pman47 meguiars.com

[weasel884]

wow if you can see the filament in the light then thats good wax!

[satanas90]

I used the maguiars m95 speed-cut compound red pad w8000.. Whats after that ..Used it on a Black double basecoat clear coat..I also bought the finecut compound number 2 and have a w9000 yellow pad. Thanks...

[meguiarsasia]

@satanas90 you should use W7000 with M95, then use M83 with W8207, followed by M21 2.0 with W9207.

[satanas90]

@meguiarsasia Thank i will try it again this weekend.... thanks

[corvette4554]

i have a question

have u used the wax that in the middle ( dual action cleaner ) ??

[meguiarsasia]

@corvette4554 this is dual action cleaner/polish which is normally used after a pure compound. This has diminishing abrasive technology and will break down after many passes to create a gorgeous reflection and shine on the paint. The bottle you saw is M8332....it also comes in one gallon sizes like M8301. Thanks!

[1pinoys]

how do you know when to apply more product onto the pad

[chikwin]

Imagine doing that to an entire vehicle...

[4jiggy1]

WOW thank you guys, so much for making all these videos to help me out. i do my own car detailing myself i let no one else touch ,and meguiars products really helps me as a regular Joe get the job done with professional results, i have told all my family and friends to ONLY use your guys product THE BEST ON STORE SHELF'S BY FARR!! and i had so many swirls! on my black car the ultimate compound is AS GOOD AS GOLD! i would of payed TOP dollar for those types and Meguiars is so affordable,SO THXS

[Shooting10s]

Can you wet sand, buff and polish with one stage acrylic paints? This paint is already glossy, just one application, no need for clearcoat. Can I still do what you did, because I have a little bit of orange peel, thanks!

[meguiarsasia]

@Shooting10s yes same process will work, you will see the color coming off obviously since there is no clearcoat but this process is for pro's only just as a caution. Try our NEW sand paper and foam finishing paper! It comes in Unigrit 6 and 3 inch sizes.

[RAJSTA81]

by the way, Awesome work Mate

[RAJSTA81]

hey mate, what was that bottle of spray your used on the foam pad??

why did you need that as well as the polish??

thanks

[FuckYouPayMeTV]

has anybody tried this? if so how well did it turn out.i have a 1992 Mercedes benz 2door 300CE.my niece scratched the hood and threw rocks on the left side of the car.

[gaisar80]

Amazing...i saw the video patiently and it is Amazing how the paint changed from a pale gray to a hard black color.

[a2nbball3r]

hey i saw someone put 1500 grit wet or dry sand paper on an orbital to wet sand his car. it was MUCH faster sanding that didnt seem harmful at all. he buffed and polished after that and it came out flawless and glossy just like the work you did here in this video. is there a reason you chose to hand-sand it rather than use a machine? just wondering.

[meguiarsasia]

@a2nbball3r yes machine IS better....this video came out when we did not have DA sander paper.....now we do though! Hand sanding is great for small areas but by machine will always be faster, easier and more efficient.

[a2nbball3r]

@meguiarsasia oh okay that makes much more sense lol. thanks for this very informative video btw. i will be sanding, buffing and polishing the new paint job on my car very soon. this video helped me considerably.

[HyperColours]

@meguiarsasia I sanded my car using glycerin soapy water, 3M 1000 grit on a cork block, it took 2 days and I'm shattered!

I plan on compounding the paint and then putting a wax on tomorrow all by hand as I don't have a machine.

I just sprayed the car with 2K black, then put on a 2K lacquer last week, I had lots of dust particles hence the need for cutting the paint once it had set rock hard.

Where can I buy your Wax and polish in Scotland?

[meguiarsasia]

@HyperColours please shoot me your email address and I can put you in touch with our Scotland team!

[ommadawn54]

Just got done painting my Conquest TSI (black),4 coats of clear,problem is that the final coat didn't go too well.I have started to wet sand with a 600 grit,is that too rough?Tried to start with a 1000 but wasn't cutting enough.

[meguiarsasia]

@ommadawn54 600 grit is WAY too aggressive! if you want to sand the vehicle, normally 1500 grit should do the job and if you use foam finishing sandpaper this should remove light to moderate defects while not flattening your clear coat and removing orange peel.

[ommadawn54]

@ommadawn54 So there's no way to bring back a shine now?Problem was a bunch of dust particles.I put 4 good coats on it so I could sand it down aways,my bad. Sounds like I'll have to tape it off again and shoot a final coat,what a pain!

[ommadawn54]

@ommadawn54 Well it looks like I'm gonna be able to save it.Worked on a couple of small pieces,600-1200-2000--compound­-polish-wax,and it's turned out great!Don't have a buffer so all by hand,the hard way as usual!Started out rough but had enough clear on there to make it right. Cheers Chris.

[tigiki]

question: I have the same problem whit the paint of my car.. I'm from Italy, where can i find this products online?

[WTC7WasPulled]

That song is funny sounds like farting.

[Tthemtrain]

will sanding get rid of a bit of oxidation and i spose min paint damage? is this the best process for that as well? thanks

[meguiarsasia]

@Tthemtrain sanding is the last resort to work on the paint since its the most aggressive and is for professionals only. If I were you, I would remove small oxidation and minimum paint issues simply by an aggressive DA machine or rotary with proper technique and tools as shown....if those methods do not work, then you sand for severe issues.

[snapfreak]

what backing plate and buffer pad do they use? brands ect...

[meguiarsasia]

@snapfreak here is the W5000 wool pad and W68 rotary backing plate

[xxHarveyMoonxx]

how many times can this be done before you would need a Re-Spray?

[alexandrespz]

hi dude, very nice video, thanks for posting.

i have a question for you , why did you used a polishing pad to apply the wax?

[nbondgil]

When I have to use sand paper before the compound?

[meguiarsasia]

the sandpaper shown is for removing clearcoat and flattening out the orange peel and or to remove severe scratches and big individual problems on the paint.

[12danny21]

hey i have a few light scratches on my new car and i dont want to do anything drastic like use sand paper on it. a few people told me to just wash, wax and polish it and that should do it. does that really work? or so i have to use sand paper and this whole process. (the scratch is not deep, just light from me wiping the car when there was a grain inside the sap i was trying to remove)

[meguiarsasia]

in your case, I would simply wash, then ultimate compound by hand, multiple times if need be until the light scratch is gone. I would then follow by a wax or sealant. Make sure you always use a clean towel and applicator pad.

[billjupliz]

@ meguiarsasia, do you sell Ultra-cut compound 105 in those bottles (300grams?) in Malaysia? I was told they are sold in 1 gallon containers only.

[meguiarsasia]

@billjupliz in malaysia they sell 1 gallons.....if you contact Hypercoat which is the sole distributor, they should be able to break it down into smaller bottles if need be.

[billjupliz]

nice

[faisalabulaziz1]

@@.......BLIINGG

[snapfreak]

i was browsing through ebay and come across a DeWALT DW849 Polisher for $174.99.

would you say that is reasonably priced?

[cr134r]

yes, i have the same polisher and I paid around $200, so that not a bad price. You might be able to find one used, but I dont recommend it.

[punksnaxa]

isn't it costly if you gonna buy the said products in one package

[meguiarsasia]

@punksnaxa These are all professional products and yes they cost more than consumer. The price is cheaper in the US market, it depends on where you are.

[Liberaltedjo]

woooow, in here not available compound like that........

how to use wax not much but shinny ?

[meguiarsasia]

@Liberaltedjo where are you located and what do you want to use...a wax with no shine?

[Liberaltedjo]

no, wax but not much process.....

maybe just compound and wax ?

i use turtle wax..... i buy long time ago but now i use it, but i want to change to meguiars....... maybe can very shinny.....

i'm in bali, in here only 1 outlet,,,

[Therocshw]

Would it be a bad idea to try and do an entire cars pain job with this at one time, or could you suggest a method for using the product that way?

[meguiarsasia]

@Therocshw its going to depend on your skill level...send me a private message for a more in depth Q and A.

[MrRichierich1990]

where do you get these products at? ive tried a few auto zones, wal mart, etc.

[miublingo]

what happen if i only sand and use m-105 and m-80?

[meguiarsasia]

you will probably get good results initially but M80 will not last as long as M21 2.0 and M80 will burn off quicker.

[BosnianWarLord1]

holy shit on a sandwich

im getting this as sson as i wake up in the morning

my car is going to be so damn shiny and clean

[GranTurismoDriver]

Me too

[fordfreak93]

how come i cant find the speed glaze also whats the difference between the diffrerent color pads also could the meguiars polisher be used with the wool pad with the same effect also whats the product you sprayed on the pad

[fatmike866]

ware is this place so i could bring my car there

[meguiarsasia]

this is the Meguiar's headquarters training center in Irvine California.

[ToddDavis5050]

If buffing with compounds and swirl removal products is supposed to remove scratches and swirl marks, what is the reason to sand the paint even more?

Is it to "level" all the clear coat?

Thanks in advance for your helpful answers.

[meguiarsasia]

yes compound and swirl removal products are made to remove scratches and swirls. The reason you would get EVEN MORE aggressive and to sand would be to even out the clearcoat and have the clearcoat have no orange peel.

[cutalex]

AM I DOING SOMETHING WRONG? I used sand paper 2000 grit practically without preassure under the surfase area andd all the related products in the video, however I just made more scratches in my cars paint :S....can it be fixed? HELLPPPPPPPPP

[meguiarsasia]

When using the paper, make sure you let it soak for 15 minutes in the water before use and also make sure you use a wool pad between 15-1700 rpms....it could be that your paint is very soft and you should use our red foam cutting pad at a slower rpm's.....take your time with M105 and make sure you use the least aggressive method first....if sanded properly with 2000 grit sandpaper, using M105 should be no problem! : )

[foufoutosx]

I need to know THE DIFFERENCE of the 2 different procedures that you apply to most cars

1)  a) Sand, b)Compound, c)Polish d)and then maybe Protect

2) a) apply ScratxhX 2.0 b) apply NXT Tech Wax 2.0 c) Ultimate Quick Detailer

What are the common parts of each technique? What are the applications of each technique (ie for older colours or new, for scratches etc)

Thanks

[meguiarsasia]

those two methods are 1) professional method and 2) consumer method...each is going to depend on your skill level and availability of product to use. If the vehicle neds a lot of work and the scratches are severe....professional is needed possibly....if the defects are light....you can use the consumer items.

[TopGear6666]

You missed a bit on the left :)

[CabrioHavanna]

Great video Asia! What about the new M105 and M205? Can they handle this jab faster/better than the products you've used in this video? Keep up the good work, c ya!

[DetailingByDustin]

Great how to

[jcof73]

this is a very good job now i do it my self gracias amigo

[ToganR]

oh my god thats too much work.. could be done only on weekends..

[MisterBaz1]

Sand in one direction only?

I guess all of these speciality hot rod painters don't know what they are doing when they wetsand $10k paintjobs.

[b209av]

awesome!!!!!!!!!

[JerZeyFiveOh]

I love this video. I think I watched at least 3 times. Great work!! Bravo!

[massdestruction99]

crazy music for car creaz peoples!!! that was nice

[StevenWyman]

That is truly impressive. I look forward to using more Meguiar's products in the future.

[meguiarsasia]

If you like this, try the new professional polish that goes with M105......M205!!

[StevenWyman]

Well the first product I have used is Meguiars Deep Crystal Car Wash... Excellent results, even fun to use like it says. Even smells nice, heheh.

I plan to get the Show Car Glaze #7 and the clay bar kit tomorrow. Perhaps it will get rid of the sap embedded in the paint, and touch up some scratches on the nose of the car.

[volvoali]

Thats a very impressive job, could you please give me a list of all the materials you used from meguiars to do this regards, Alistair

[meguiarsasia]

The product codes we used are: S1225, S2025, E7200, M10532, M20532, W5000, W8207, W68, W68DA, W9207, M2116, M3401, C2100, G110, M9910, W0004, M9912, MGAPRON

[B4NAftErDtailWash]

Nice thats how you do it

[randychippy]

hello i have a carbon fiber hood and pls help me on how to get rid of scratches swirling and oxidation on its surface. i really appreciated if Meguiars products will do the job.

[meguiarsasia]

great question! The products that work the best that I have found are the W5000 Double Sided Pad on a Rotary going at 1500RPM's with M105 Ultra Cut Compound. This does an awesome job at removing the scratches and haze. Then use the NEW M205 Ultra Finishing Polish with a W8207 pad going at 1200RPM's on a rotary. Follow this with a DA machine at 3.5 speed with M21 2.0 and finally M135 Synthetic Spray Detailer. Please send me a message if you have any more questions! happy detailing! -meguiarsasia

[devilshihan]

Wow I jus loved it Thanks MEGUIARS Hats Off 2 u guyz would u pls tell me i hafta wax my Lexus IS 300 am in Jeddah KSA wher is the Shop Located pls help me i lov emy ride n wanna maintain it

[meguiarsasia]

Hi There, please send me a private email and tell me your email, name and address and I can put you in touch with the right person to help you out!

[Buhundred]

tht was some crazy music

[fherrera99]

Way to go, thanks Megs

[fishbonezken]

fantastic video!

[pucholo143]

nice video!

[dcushing1955]

nice job all.

[meguiarscostarica]

Excellent Video!

[tmuldown]

Great job Mike and Anthony!