So. For a full detail the first step is to wash the car, then clay it. Then wash it again and get out your rotary tool to start the buffing. Which is followed by a polish and then application of wax or sealer.

My question is this. I have never buffed or polished a car. But when you do buff to get swirl and light scratches out is it supposed to leave a glazed look to the finish? Is that what the polish is supposed to fix, bring back the shiny look after the buff?

 

If you have a glazed look then you either did something out of line, or you did not WORK IN the polish long enough. I learned this last year. Liquid polishes are not a simple rub on rub off product, you need to work them in with several slow passes of the buffer so the chemicals break down and do their job properly. When the product is translucent and rubs right off with little effort you know it is broken down. So, for a COMLETE DETAIL:

*Wash
*Clay
*Wash
*Compoud w/orbital and mild cut padif removing severe swirls and scratches. If not....
*Polish w/orbital and polish pad
*Glaze w/orbital and finsh pad
*Hand apply a good wax

 

OK but when you are done buffing, BEFORE you polish, the surface is supposed to have a glazed appearance? Yes?

The dealer body shop filled in some scratches the dingleberries got in my roof when they put a windshield in. The surface around the area they filled in has a glazed appearance and is not shiny any more.