COMPOUND VS POLISHING FOR YOUR CAR | When to use compound vs polish?
One of the questions I get all the time is how do you know if you should use compound or polish on a car? In todays video I will be going over exactly that. What the differences of compound and polish are? When should you compound a car? When should you polish a car? Do you have to polish after you compound? The simple answer is to use the least aggressive method to achieve. the results you want. I will walk through 3 different brands of compound and polish and see which works best: Meguiars, Chemical Guys, or Turtle Wax? ENJOY!!!
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COMPOUNDS:
Meguiars M110 - amzn.to/3Vf9459
Chemical Guys C4 - amzn.to/3EhyMzO
Turtle Wax Compound - amzn.to/3Ef2uFB
POLISHES:
Meguiars M210 - amzn.to/3M4qFbD
Chemical Guys P4 - amzn.to/3rBKIVf
Turtle Wax Polish - amzn.to/3rwcTFq
Time Codes:
0:00 - COMPOUND VS POLISHING FOR YOUR CAR
0:11 - When to use compound vs polish?
0:42 - Meguiars vs Chemical Guys vs Turtle Wax
2:40 - Showing the difference of Compound and Polish
4:37 - What Pads do you need?
5:44 - Polishers
8:05 - Compound Results
8:58 - Polish Results
12:54 - Final Thoughts
**These are affiliate links to the products. We make a small commission on anything purchased from our links.
#cardetailing #paintcorrection #CompoundVsPolishing
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond my control, I cannot guarantee against improper use of the information I share in my videos. (IMJOSHV) assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not (IMJOSHV) or any business affiliated to (IMJOSHV).
Man I was so lost about what everyone on the internet had to say for beginners. You made it super easy to understand and easy for a hands on person like me to sit down and watch a full video! Subscribed and will definitely watch more content!
Would be interested in a video about different pad types and their functions/use
Would love that 🫣……. Recently subscribed and thankful
I agree, love to see the actual process instead of like this where it was jumpcut passed all the actual polishing
Due to last season’s Hurricane Ida, home renovations forced us to live in our Garage for 8 Months. My white truck had to stay outside for those months. Finally when Renovations were 95% complete (is it ever 100%?) my 2012 Tacoma was spotted like an Old Dalmatian. After a deep strip wash, and clay barring, a compound was a no brainer followed by a polish (Meguiar’s products locally available) before waxing. It came out nice following Josh’s excellent advice and teaching. Another great production Josh
Earned a sub from me. I’m a DIY guy in everything and auto detailing is by far the most difficult to find a KZhead guy that will get to the point and make it simple. Thank you!
Great video Josh! Just what I was looking for. I’m about to tackle my first car and it’s similar to this panels paint condition. I’m still confused about when to use a one step polish and which pad to use the one step with , compound pad ? Microfiber pad? Would love to see a video on that. Great info as always though 👍
Really good vid Josh. With ALL of the wretched excess of detailing products and brands out there [most of it solid] it is good to see you use some standbys that have well known names, are readily available at a brick & morter on a Saturday morning and are considered to be generally reliable. Imo these are generally considered to be solid driveway detailer go-to's for solid results. Although [as a driveway detailer] I lean towards TW products, one cannot deny just how good Meguiar's compounds and polishes are. Well presented cause and results here... Shine on you crazy diamond!
I was just looking to do a decent once over on our 11 year old vehicle we were gifted from my mom and it's never had anything but hand or automatic car washes. Thanks for the amazing display of side by side.
Great video bud, nice to see the effort of what it takes to get a good finished product!
I like your honesty in all your videos and you make it easy for my to pick up the right product, I enjoy your videos. Thanks Josh
Glad to see you upload this. Man always gets into the nitty gritty.
Half way in to the video and loving this types of in depth vids. Love that you mentioned playing with the pads and liquids (ex. Polish on a compounding pad and vise verse) Yes to the Depth gauge and seeing how much you can relatively speaking could bring down a clear coat.
I wpuld love to see a all in one comparison. I have fallen in love with 3d speed, the griots 3in1 ceramic has excellent scratch removal and water beading but is very hard to buff off
I've used both the CG's products you used in the video and had similar results. I might have to try out some of your suggestions.
Hi Josh, I really like your videos, lots of info. I was wondering if you used CarPro Ultracut compound? I just did my vehicle and I wasn’t impressed, and I used the orange lake country pad. Thanks
Great, informative video as always! I did not see the link to the recommended pads? Thanks.
Hey josh! Liked the video but was wondering why you did t use the 3D polish compound in one? I wanted to see how it compared to meguiars and turtle wax.
Using off the shelf products is great, thanks Josh 👍😁
great job with the unbiased video. Thanks!
Hi Josh..thanks for your input and time making this video. I would of liked to see if you did a section on the panel using 1500 wet rub and polishing to see if there was a difference..cheers
Definitely, would love to see a paint Gage video
Yes please can you do a video of the paint dept gauge also keep up the good work love your videos
I’d watch the paint gauge video, looking forward to it.
I use Meguiars Compound & it's just PERFECT!
Best way to find a great paint corrector.
Great video had all the info I was looking for
Sonax Cut Max paired with Sonax Perfect finish to finish out are my favorite combo 80% of the time I’m doing a 2 step paint correction!!
Just did Sonax ultimate cut, Sonax Perfect finish, then CarPro Essence, followed by ceramic coat then griots 3-1 ceramic spray as a topper. Maybe a little overkill but Outcome was very good.
@@KosmicHRTRacingTeam as long as you’re not cutting more clear coat than you have to it’s never overkill especially if you get great results 👍
I'm a novice. I was thinking of going with McGuires compound and polish rather than the 3D , but trying to save money and time. I will take note from u. U did well.
Very informative, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and insights.
Would love to see more polishing videos. Agree that 3D would be great to see. Along with a video of 1steps
Best video on the subject
Best explain video about 2 step paint correction my brother you are the best
Thanks for this and all your other videos. I'm starting to get some clarity (HAHA, see what I did there?) on when to use which products. I'd love to see you do a sort of work flow chart. Kind of a "If it like this, Then do That" video. After watching so many videos it seems there are no straight answers. Mostly due to the paint's starting point and the expectations of the user. Obviously if you're going for a fresh start you're going to start with a strip wash to get all the other polishes and waxes off the surface, then inspect the surface and determine if it needs claying. Then determine if it needs compounding or just polishing. This, for me, is the point where it gets confusing. Let's say I've got the imperfections out, do I use a glaze, sealant, wax, Si02 protectant and in what order. At this point I feel like I'm going down the rabbit hole. There are so many product in each of these categories that make very similar claims. Anyway, thanks for the videos and all the info.
Great video! +1 on Meguiars products! I used the M210 Polish by itself a couple months back to polish my new ride before applying a glaze, sealant and wax. A nice upgrade from the M205.
What do you use for a glaze, sealant and wax?
@@Rahz743 I used a glaze, sealant and wax from Chemical Guys but wasn't impressed and haven't used a glaze or sealant since then. Nowadays I use CarPro HydrO2 & Reload and very pleased.
Great video. Where did you get the racks from holding your chemicals?
3D speed and one have been my go to for my business. My next pick up is griots FCC. Heard that one is great. Shine supply is also getting great reviews and I've spoken to Jared at Carglo and know they have some heat
great information, that looks like a interesting Ford in the background
I’m new to detailing/correction/polishing. Would you say the 3D One product sits between the Meguiar’s compound/polish?
good information on which to use... question? how much pressure do you apply with the buffer... is it just spreading the compound/ polisher lightly or firm? Thanks in advance ... I am having trouble with my Black Nissan which I cannot get it to where it was when I was impressed by the shine and ended buying the car....Great video!!!!
Great video. Enjoyed it.
if you do another test would love to see how adams stacks up against meguiars i personally love they way adams compound and polish come out keep up the great vids thanks
As a novice I had great results with the Adams 2 step correction compound with blue pad and polish with white pad . My friend was very happy with results
That is really helpful thank you
Josh.... Min 5:45 YES absolutely please make a video of how much clear coat is removed with different pads including wool. Can't wait..Thx
ya i was curious have polishing equipment and realize there different types of pads you can get like terry cloth , foam pads , wool pads ...etc. So i am curious when you use one over the other. Seems like your testing with only foam pads do you ever like using the other types.
Hey josh what is better meguirres ultimate polish or mirror glaze polish
I use the clear cut as a stand alone with a white hex pad only and get great results...orange or yellow hex cutting pads leave a cloudy haze
Hey josh I purchased a Simpson mega shot MSH3125 model and I want to start detailing… should I sell it and get an electric pressure washer? ( if I sell it I’m going to try and buy the active 2.0)
I'm old-school and prefer 3m. Would honestly like to know your opinion. Thanks for the content
Quick question on vinyl wrap on a semi race hauler... anything u prefer or options
Chemical guys uses pad conditioner with the polisher that moistens the pads. Maybe that is why it seems dry.
The pad conditioner from CG is a no-go for me! I used it on three pads before I realized it was drying them out. It dried out the pads so severely that each one started flaking and coming apart from dry rot. I used two additional LC pads that were the same age and primed both with a spritz of Duragloss DG 923 detailer. No dry rot! Stay away from the CG pad conditioner.
Needed this thanks
I’m new into this business and I have done a few cars but I old like to know the best polisher for a beginner. I ordered the Ldhthop polisher off Amazon but after watching your videos I don’t know if I should use this one on my car or return it for the max shine as you suggested. Also I did get the Meguiars polish and compound but mine is a 205 ultra finish polish. I’ve used the other meguiars that u have used and just would like to know the difference.
Great video. I would be interested in seeing the same type of test but with some of the one and done type products. I used the TW pro one and done compound with a polishing pad this year and the results were really nice. But I'm curious to know if I could have gotten a better result by using a slightly more aggressive pad.
i used the tw 1 and done and got pretty amazing results imo. and im also courious bout the same, but i was able to remove some decent marks out of the paint from a dogs toe nail
@@stealthsrt4 we’re they pretty deep scratches? I have some form my dog too but they are not very deep
Any recommendations on how to get rid of overspray compound? My other panels feel caked on when I tried to run a drying aid.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Griots Garage G9. I see mixed reviews, the thing that's a plus for me is that my local Advance Auto Parts stocks it, if I had an issue.
Would live to see a psint gage video, multiple mix n match polishes, pads, compounds as well as da vs rotary
Totally unrelated, but, are the foaming cannon orifices standard? If I want to upgrade to a 1.1mm orifice are they universal?
new at this, do I need to do a Wax after compound and polishing? I usually use liquid wax by meguiar
huh...pondered this this morning on a prestine 2010 car...Ultimate polish vs Ultimate compound. I just went with Ultimate Compound (kind of best of both worlds?)...and that was fine. then followed with Seal and Shine TW
Your da is moving really smooth. So what is causing mine to hop around while trying to polish or compound? My pad is pretty wet with product
Does the compound and polish get erased when it gets from the rain? or do I have to re-apply it often? this is the first time that i got a car, and i wanted to bring it back to its shine since it is already a used car.
So with an Aluminum painted trailer .040 ... Would you recommend Compound or Polish? I need to smooth out some scratches.
Goos video bro . Why you don’t use Koch chemie ..?
I have the C4 and P4. They are water based so that’s why the flashing out happens. I usually only do 2 passes of each and they turn out similar to the turtle wax for me. I either use the griots boss pads or the Hexlogic pads from CG
Doesn’t happen with sonax, and it is water based as well. Cg compounds are not good.
Cg compounds work fine but you follow the directions like their videos tell you. You gotta have the pad conditioner spray with cg for it to work good then the pad won't dry out super fast or the product
@@otavioteixeira3207 I havent try c4 and p4 but totally agree with you on Sonax and I have to put Griots fast correcting as well
Have u tried any of CarGlo compounds & polishes ?
I have a 22 WRX. It spends it’s time off in the garage. I had the dealer paint stuff put on. Not that happy with it. I plan on stripping it and starting from square one. Am I doing any harm by compounding and polishing? It’s not my first paint correction. But it is on a new car. Thanks!!
Last week someone entering the parking spot, scuffed my car's bumper in the rear quarter. Multiple scratch spots where I can feel the scratch, other spots are scuff marks as if someone just rubbed the clear coat and it became dull/matte. No experience and no tools. If I try rubbing compound do you think it might help take off some clear coat and level the scratch? After that I can use polish compound and touch up paint.
The Chemical Guys C4 and P4 is meant to be applied with the Hex Pads. They dissipate heat very well and can assist in the problem you were facing. That is why they also strongly advise the pad prepper i forget the name.
Was just about to say the same thing !! They strongly advise conditioning the pad also.
@@bekladner6811can i conditioning the pad by spraying mist of water towards the pad ??
@@renogunzddragon1900 you could … if the pad is dry what I’d do is whatever polish ur gonna use I’d do circles on the pad with it and then lightly rub it in with ur finger so it doesn’t splatter everywhere .. after that should be good to go
Would love to see a video with paint gauge if possible
Do i have to add wax once finished ?
Would love to see a video with paint depth gauge. I think it important because I have a feeling people are over correcting and removing too much paint since more people are machine polishing because of YT videos.
Because polishing/buffing ...etc is quite different then just sanding aka moving from coarse to fine grain sandpaper. Because its not like there is an easy way to measure chemical solutions abrasiveness you got to trust the bottle or try it out on something first before using it on your main object. Where as sandpaper is pretty standard in terms of abrasive numbers 220 ,...etc. Anyway good video and yes i do see that compounding and polishing makes a difference if you got bigger problems in your clearcoat or paint then just polishing only.
Not a big fan of Chemical Guys. A bit overrated. Maguire’s seems to always get the job done. Great video
Best video ever 🏆
Newbie DIY-er here who needs help. So I just finished repainting a portion of my car's bumper, also done wet sanding it. It looks nice but it's not glossy in contrast to the other panels. Do I achieve that glossy reflection by doing these steps or is there a different step I should do?
HEEEEY. You should try Menzerna. Its pricey but boy would it make a great review video for someone like you. I actually like the stuff. Highly recommend you try it out.
Can you do the Groits pads video?
Idk how late I am to this party but what would you guys recommend for super stubborn hard water spots? Please help! Thank you.
Can you make a best compound & best polish shootout like apex detail did on his channel?
What do u use for a black truck that was keyed?
Hey Josh cant find link to the pad your using?
Hey it’s Jo. I’m new and just wondering if you’re available to use a paint gauge. That would be nice whenever you are able and available to do it for your fans😊
I would love to hear your opinion on the new turtle wax clay n wax in one product. I saw it at walmart today, and thought it was interesting. Was under the impression you're supposed to polish after claying.
Yea ideally you should… if it’s really fine clay you could probably get away with it… I’ll check that product out thanks
I personally love the P4 and C4 but I am very surprised to see the hazing like that. I don't recall having that issue ever. I use a white pad (from CG) for the C4 and a blue or green (from CG) for the P4 and I always have perfect results.
I just did some correction on black Audi, and I didn’t have that problem either.
Did he shake the products well or were they past their "shelf life"? Would like to know
yeah it seems like the pads matter , just use the pads chemical guys recommends seems like they don't have these issues he had
from CG own video , they use an orange pad with C4 and white pad with P4 kzhead.info/sun/ZNqMmMemnXOcrJE/bejne.html , I followed that on my C63 and got hazing was not happy
I have found that the location has a lot to do with how different products work. For example ; A car by the cost and a car in the mountains and a car on the desert will require different products to be efficient. Sorry ! One size does not fit all in this industry. It depends on where you're standing. The good news is that they will all work if used in the right place & environment. Thanks Josh ! Your video will help people make that important choice .
With chemical guys, did you try putting a few drops of water on the pad?
What is the name of that tool used to see the swirl marks and defects on a car’s surface?
What would you do to get rid of the haze after polishing? I thought you use polish to get rid of hazes. Thanks.
Is Meguires a diminishing compound?
How often do I need to clean the compound pad? Like maybe do a whole hood then rinse it out?
What is that DDE bottle on top of the cabinet?
I was wondering, what can you do when you leave a polish sitting for some time and when you’re going to use it it all watery and you can shake all you want but no change.
I just polished my Black Infiniti qx 56 with the turtle wax hybrid…that shit is the truth!!!and I did the whole truck by hand no buffer 👍🏾👍🏾
3D ONE doesn't nor contain diminishing abrasives. It cuts with an aggressive pad, and polishes with a polishing pad. 3D Speed contains an abrasive load (10% cut, 20% polish, 70% acrylic and montan wax protection). I used those Turtle Wax abrasives in 2008 and they were actually very nice! Nice cut from the compound and finishing from the polish. I remember them being very easy to work with, from application to wipe off. I'm mostly using 3D abrasives, but I still really enjoy the Meguiar's M110, M205, M210, Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish. Probably because I have so much experience with them.
what would you consider Meguirs Ultimate? I am trying to find something that wont cut that hard..
@RZA77 You might be the perfect candidate for Jescar Medium Polish. I do a lot of one step services with it. It cuts better than 3D ONE and finishes same or better most times. Ultimate Compound can cut hard or soft by changing pads and technique. With Ultimate Compound you can stop buffing at any point in the application cycle without any detriment to product performance. Meguiar's M205 as another that's has a surprising amount of cut potential but it's a finishing polish. Finally Ultimate Polish is another product I've used extensively for one stepping. It can deliver some cut and has always left me a great finish.
@@danlc95 Perfect man , I appreciate the help. I am going to pick up a paint gauge tester to see how many millimeters I have in my paint. It’s a 2004 bmw 530i , black. I had some cloudyness in the paint and got it out , tried to maintain it with 3d epoxy but that only lasted several months and it’s returning again. I definitely don’t want to do a paint correction again because I’m worried about going through the clear. If I buy this tester and I get 80-100 microns in areas , I should definitely not use a cutting compound right ?
You make great videos. I don't know if you have made one and I missed it, but do you have any that explain the difference in "protection" between a paste wax, liquid wax, spray wax, ceramic, graphene.... I'm just a guy that wants to try and prevent fading paint on cars that stay outside.
He had one a few weeks/months ago going over all the differences.
What speed for compounding and which one for polishing?
Hey @imjoshv I got a question 🙋🏻♂️ What windshield washer fluid do you use or recommend?
Varies by where you live. He doesn't live where freezing temperatures are an issue
It's funny that you mention the Chemical Guys stuff because I'm in almost the exact same boat. I don't shit on many Chemical Guys products because even if they're duplicates of duplicates in a huge bloated product line, they're usually at least some what able to do what they say. The big exception to that though has been the C4 compound, I had such a miserable time with it I didn't even try the P4 polish. It's the strangest behaving compound I've ever used. No matter how much I used or how little, or what pad I used and how much it was or wasn't primed, I couldn't get it to stop spraying everywhere anytime I got above a speed of 3 or so. I know it's incredibly odd and could have just been a bad batch or something like that but it was the most mind boggling thing to see something continually revert to such a liquidy consistency
And when it’s on the paint it’s so hard to wipe off
@@billyschannel997 yeah I definitely wouldn't be comfortable using it on certain paints even if it performed great. Now that I think about it that's part of why it was so odd, it was super liquidy and somehow still a pain to remove
Hi from the UK HELP !!!! My daughter just got her self a pink Fiat 500 it’s had a butterfly sticker removed from the boot. This sticker left a silhouette/ghosting in the paint work the car is 13 years old Barbie, pink and I am out of my depth on how to remove this without having to spray paint this little Fiat and advise please
Can i use polishing pad for the scratches?
I wash and blow dry car in between each 4 step phase adds time but I notice a difference in white and black over other colors when not washing and drying