IMPORTANT: ALWAYS CHOOSE A TEST AREA TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT PROCESS BEFORECOMPOUNDING AND POLISHING THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. YOU NEED TO TEST TO SEE HOW MUCHCORRECTION IS NEEDED FOR EACH VEHICLE. CHOOSE AN AREA REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OVERALLCONDITION OF THE CAR, SUCH AS A SECTION OF THE HOOD OR TRUNK LID. NO TWO CARS AREALIKE. WHAT WORKS ON ONE CAR MAY NOT WORK ON THE NEXT. BE SURE TO HAVE YOURPROCESS DOWN AND ARE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE REST OF THEVEHICLE.
1] CHOOSE A 1-FOOT BY 1-FOOT TEST AREA TO BEGIN PAINT CORRECTION. TAPE OFF THEAREA IF DESIRED FOR MORE NOTICEABLE BEFORE/AFTER IMPROVEMENT.
2] START WITH THE LEAST AGGRESIVE APPROACH:
A. IF THE AREA HAS VERY MINIMAL SWIRL MARKS OR SCRATCHES, ATTACH THEWHITE FOAM PAD TO THE MACHINE AND ADD 3 PEA-SIZE DROPS OF POLISHONTO THE PAD.
B. IF THE AREA HAS MORE SIGNIFICANT/HEAVY SWIRL MARKS OR SCRATCHES,ATTACH THE BLUE FOAM PAD TO THE MACHINE AND ADD 3 PEA-SIZE DROPSOF COMPOUND ONTO THE PAD.
3] BEFORE TURNING ON THE MACHINE, SPREAD THE POLISH OR COMPOUND OVER THETEST AREA TO AVOID SLINGING ONTO YOURSELF AND THE VEHICLE.
4] SET MACHINE SPEED TO 4, PLACE PAD FLAT ONTO SURFACE IN ONE CORNING OF THETEST AREA, THEN POWER THE MACHINE ON. DO NOT POWER THE MACHINE ON INMID-AIR (THIS WILL SPLATTER COMPOUND/POLISH EVERYWHERE)
5] USE APPROXIMATELY 2-3 POUNDS OF DOWNWARD PRESSURE. DO NOT APPLY TOO MUCHPRESSURE THAT THE PAD/BACKING PLATE OF THE MACHINE STOPS SPINNING (THIS ISCALLED MACHINE STALL AND IS NOT PRODUCTIVE TO THE COMPOUNDING/POLISHINGPROCESS).
6] MOVE MACHINE LEFT TO RIGHT (OR VISA-VERSA) AT A SLOW AND STEADY PACE. THENMOVE UP & DOWN (OR VISA-VERSA) AT A SLOW AND STEADY PACE. MAKE SURE TO OVERLAPBY APPROXIMATELY 1 INCH. (THIS PROCESS IS CALLED "CROSS-HATCHING")
7] FOLD A PLUSH TOWEL INTO FOURTHS, THEN WIPE AWAY THE POLISH OR COMPOUNDRESIDUE USING LONG FAST WIPES. FLIP TOWEL OVER AND BUFF AWAY FOR A FINAL WIPE.
8] INSPECT THE SURFACE FOR IMPROVEMENT - SCRATCH/HAZE REDUCTION AND CLARITY
A. IF THE WHITE FOAM PAD AND WHITE POLISH DID NOT IMPROVE OR REMOVE THEDEFECTS WELL ENOUGH, MOVE TO THE BLUE FOAM PAD AND COMPOUND, THEN RE-DOTHE TEST AREA.
B. IF THE BLUE FOAM PAD AND COMPOUND DID NOT IMPROVE OR REMOVE THE HEAVIERDEFECTS WELL ENOUGH, MOVE UP TO THE MICROFIBER CUTTING PAD WITH COMPOUND,THEN RE-DO THE TEST AREA
NOTE: IF THE MICROFIBER CUTTING PAD AND COMPOUND DOESN'T REMOVE ALL OF THEDAMAGE, YOU CAN BOOST THE COMPOUND BY ADDING A FEW PEA SIZED DROPS OF HEAVYCUTTING COMPOUND. ADDITIONALLY, SWITCHING TO THE WOOL CUTTING PAD CAN HELPREMOVE MORE DEFECTS. (HEAVY CUTTING COMPOUND IS INTENDED TO BOOST ADAM'SBLUE COMPOUND AND IS MAINLY USED FOR SEVER SCRATCHES/DAMAGE OR VERY HARDCLEAR COAT FINISHES).
9] THE BLUE FOAM PAD AND MICROFIBER CUTTING PAD USED WITH COMPOUND CAN LEAVESLIGHT HAZE BEHIND ON SOME DARKER COLOR VEHICLES. FOLLOW-UP WITH THE WHITEFOAM AND WHITE POLISH TO REMOVE THIS HAZE AND LEAVE THE SURFACE WITH A DEEPGLOSS AND DEPTH IN THE PAINT.
10] ONCE YOU HAE YOUR PAD AND CHEMICAL PROCESS DOWN, YOU DO NOT NECESSARILYNEED TO WIPE AWAY THE COMPOUND RESIDUE - YOU CAN POLISH RIGHT OVER THECOMPOUND RESIDUE TO SAVE TIME AND EXTRA WIPING WITH TOWELS.