Mop / machine polisher

[Silk]

What’s the difference if there is any and how can I do it. 

My bonnet has been resprayed but seems flat. I’ve been told to mop it. What is that and how do I do it. 

[HEADPHONES]

Basically you are being told to use a machine to polish the paint using abrasive pads and polishes.

You can check out www.detailingworld.com and spend the next few years reading up on all the different machines, pads and polishes.

It truly is a science and an art.

Get it wrong as a DIY job and you're looking at another respray as you burn or strike through your paint.

Get it right and marvel at the mirror finish you have achieved.

Personally I'd either get a pro to do it or spend alot of time practicing on a scrap panel first.

You could always use a safer less aggressive approach for now and use a heavy filler type polish by hand or dual action machine machine (with a very soft pad) to mask the defect temporarily, sealing the gloss enhancing fillers in under a coat of wax.

This would last a good few months and be much less risky as a first DIY job than using a more powerful machine with more abrasive pads and polishes to mechanically remove the imperfections in the surface thus thinning the clear top coat down.

........and after all that you'll be needing to read up on the various "safe" ways to wash, dry and wax your car to maintain the glossy finish and not dull it with washing induced fine scratches.

Sounds a bit OTT but it's a bit of a MATRIX BLUE PILL RED PILL moment.

Part of you will wish you remained uneducated in the science of car detailing and could blissfully continue to just wash your car with a bucket and sponge or go to the local car wash.

Then on the other hand you'll discover a whole new "scene" of detailing being able to see the true levels of gloss that can be achieved in your paint

[HEADPHONES]

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=392589&highlight=Porsche&page=2

 

Shows what kind of damage poor washing can do  and what transformationed can be achieved with machine polishing or "mopping" 

[HEADPHONES]

As for using a filler type product.

I've had good results with Soft99 Scratch Clear Wax on a very badly swirled Range Rover and my zeds rear where my fingers have induced light swirls on popping the boot open over the years.

Click the below to see video of my results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2018 by HEADPHONES

[HEADPHONES]

The right hand side of the black Range Rover was done by hand with the Scratch Clear Wax and the left untouched showing the damage created when he drove along shrubs and bushes.

 

On my orange zed I used a cheap random orbital polished I had  along with an Orange Menzerna polishing pad which feels quite firm.

Next time I'll see how it goes using a really soft pad from this set on my cordless drill and minimal pressure.

This pad set was under £7 from Amazon! I mainly use it to apply my SRP/Amigo or polish my headlights.

It'll tell me whether it's the fillers doit most of the job or whether it's the physical abrasion from the pad and polish 

[ilogikal1]

Firstly, MOP & machine polishing are the same thing - MOP stands for Machine Operated Polish and tends to still be the term still used by bodyshops rather than detailers these days. Lots and lots of good information here on rotary & dual action polishing (including the differences between the two).

 

Secondly, looking at your pictures fillers won't help you here. You're looking at removing orange peel from a large panel which means heavy cutting to fix - you might even be looking at wet sanding to remove fully, which is not for the faint hearted.

To be honest, I wouldn't even contemplate tackling that until you know the paint depth across the panel and by time you've bought a thickness gauge (let along a machine polisher, pads, compounds & ancillaries) getting it done for you professionally would become the cheaper option.

Take it to a professional, if it comes to less than ~£1000 (well, as a quick calculation I make it about £970 for what you'll need) then you're saving money, it'll be done quicker and, depending on who does it, it'll be done properly.

 

Finally, don't ever go back to the place that painted that in the first place! That is an appalling finish!!