Repair 7

Auto Polishing Tools

Tools used for polishing automotive finishes can be either handheld or used with an orbital buffer. All polishing tools use a variety of different waxes and polishing compounds that smooth the painted surface of a car and buff away scratches and oxidation left behind after a vehicle has been washed. Orbital buffers are best used on particularly difficult-to-clean spots or on large areas where it is too time consuming to use a handheld wax applicator.

Orbital Buffers

Orbital buffers are used along with a wool or foam pad to apply polishing compound to a vehicles surface. Once the polishing compound has been applied from its container, the orbital buffer speed can be selected on a rotary dial near the handle. The foam or wool pad is then placed onto the spot where the polishing compound was placed and the trigger of the orbital buffer pulled. Moving the buffer from side to side distributes the polishing compound over a wider area, allowing the user to polish a larger area at one time.

Foam and Wool Buffing Pads

Foam and wool buffing pads are used with orbital buffers to produce the final finish on a vehicle being polished. Wool pads have a deep scouring action that heats up the paint of the car. These pads are best used after a car has been painted and then wet sanded to remove the final sanding scratches left by the sandpaper. Foam pads, while being less resilient than wool pads, do not heat up as much, and so are well-suited to lighter buffing or polishing jobs, such as immediately following a thorough cleaning of a car.

Wax Applicators

Wax applicators are a round or square-shaped sponge that has a soft, flexible feel. These applicators are used with liquid or solid wax and can be rinsed out using a garden hose when they become saturated with wax. Wax applicators should not be used to polish vehicle paint since they tend to draw the wax into their pores, preventing the wax from drying.

Polishing Cloths

Polishing cloths for automotive polishing are the same material as washable dusting cloths used in your home. They have a slightly tacky texture, but they do not stick when rubbed against a smooth surface. These cloths are used after a coat of wax has been allowed to dry on the surface of a vehicle to remove the dried wax. Rather than simply pushing the wax off of the surface, they pull the wax into the fibers of the cloth. The cloth is then snapped in the air to release built-up wax dust. These cloths can be cleaned and reused multiple times.