Polishing your car, if you've never done it before, might sound daunting. But with Stipt Polish Point Shop's step-by-step plan, you can make your car look factory new again.
If your car has a scratch, you'll naturally want to remove it. By polishing your car, you can easily remove the scratch yourself.
What do you need to polish your car?
When you're going to polish your car, it's important to have your materials in order. We recommend the following products:
Polishing machine
When polishing, a special polishing machine for your car is essential. We distinguish between a rotary polishing machine (Stipt Rotary Polisher) and a dual-action polishing machine (Stipt Dual Action Polisher).
Polishing pads
The backing plate, or polishing pad, is attached to the polishing machine. You then add two to three dots of polish to it. These are available in different hardnesses, such as Hard, Medium, and Soft.
The Stipt Polish Paste Ultimate is suitable for heavy-duty polishing and removing deep scratches and imperfections. The paste softens slightly as it heats up, allowing it to adapt. This also makes it suitable for removing light to moderate scratches.
And the Stipt Polish Paste Soft is suitable for polishing the paintwork of your car (and thus making it hologram-free). But also for removing very light scratches.
Make sure you use the correct size pad. In our assortment, you will find pads of 125mm and 75mm.
Polish
When you start polishing your car, polishing paste is indispensable. Currently, we have a special Polish Paste Ultimate and Polish Paste Soft variant in our assortment. Just like the pads, there are gradations in the effectiveness of the paste. The Stipt Polish Paste Ultimate is for deep and light to moderate scratches. The Stipt Polish Paste Soft is perfect for finishing and removing holograms.
Paint thickness gauge
With the Stipt Paint Thickness Gauge, you can measure the micron of the paint. This tells you if the paint is suitable for polishing the car.
Paint sealant
With Stipt's paint sealant, you ensure a deeper shine and better protection for your paint. At Stipt, we offer three different options for applying paint sealant to your car. You can find these in the step-by-step plan below.
Bottle with water
Make sure you have a spray bottle with water that you can use during the polishing process if the paint gets too hot in certain areas.
Step-by-step plan for safe car polishing
Follow the step-by-step plan below to safely polish your car yourself.
Step 1. Measure the car's paint
First, you will measure whether the car's paint is suitable for polishing. You measure this with the Stipt Paint Thickness Gauge. When you measure above 80 Ω (micron), you can start working.
Step 2: Clean and dry your car
Before you continue, it is necessary to wash your car using Stipt Perfect Shampoo. Once you have done this, dry the car thoroughly with a professional drying towel, preferably the Stipt King Dry Towel.
Step 3: Start with the rotary machine
Depending on the depth of the scratches, you can choose between two polishing machines: The Stipt Rotary Polisher (rotary machine) and the Stipt Dual Action Polisher (dual-action machine).
The Stipt Rotary Polisher is intended for removing deep scratches. (Note: For professionals). When using the Stipt Rotary Polisher, it is always necessary to finish polishing with the Stipt Dual Action Polisher.
The Stipt Dual Action Polisher is suitable for removing light scratches and for finishing.
Use a rotary polishing machine in combination with Stipt Polish Paste Ultimate and the Stipt Polish Pad Hard. Add three dots of polishing paste to the pad (if it's the first time you're using it, add an extra dot so it doesn't tear). Done? Then polish the paint with Stipt Ceramic Wax in combination with the Stipt Wax Towel.
Now we will start polishing the top layer of the paint. This will create holograms in the paint, note that this is normal. We will remove these in later steps.
In the meantime, you can regularly cool the paint with the bottle filled with water by spraying water over it. Once you have completely polished the desired surface, you can proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Time for the medium pad
Now that the paint is smooth, we will work with Stipt Polish Paste Ultimate and the Stipt Polish Pad Medium. Here too, we use three dots of polishing paste. Polish the desired surface again. Done? Then polish the paint with Stipt Ceramic Wax in combination with the Stipt Wax Towel.
Step 5: Finishing with the dual-action machine
If you have polished with a rotary machine, it is important to finish with a dual-action polishing machine. With the dual-action polishing machine, you can safely polish any car. That's why we use this machine for finishing. Use three dots of Stipt Polish Paste Soft and the Polish Pad Soft.
With the dual-action machine, you treat the previously polished surface to remove holograms.
Step 6: Applying the paint sealant
When you are done polishing, polish the paint again with Stipt Ceramic Wax and the Stipt Wax Towel. Then it's time to apply the paint sealant. At Stipt, we offer three different ways to seal the paint:
Option 1: Stipt Glass Coating
Drip four to five drops onto the microfiber side of the sponge and then apply it per surface area of 40x40cm at a time. Do this in a crisscross pattern. Then wait two to three minutes and remove the remaining product with the included microfiber cloth or with the Stipt Wax Towel.
Repeat the above steps on the rest of your vehicle, but now drip one to two drops per 40x40cm section onto the microfiber side of the sponge each time.
Option 2: Stipt Wax Shield
Apply thin layers to the entire car using the accompanying applicator pad. Once you have covered the entire car, polish the Stipt Wax Shield with the Stipt Wax Towel.
Option 3: Stipt Ultra Paint Protect and Stipt Ceramic Wax
On a dry car, apply a thin layer of Stipt Ultra Paint Protect and spread it with the Stipt Applicator Set or the Stipt Wash Sponge. Let it dry for five to ten minutes, then mist the paint with Stipt Ceramic Wax and polish it with the Stipt Wax Towel.
Optional: Headlight polishing
Now that you're making your car factory new, we recommend that you also polish your headlights. This step-by-step plan is perfect if you suffer from dull headlights.
Frequently asked questions about car polishing
How often should you polish your car?
This depends entirely on the condition of the paint, which is why it is recommended to measure the paint before polishing using the Stipt Paint Thickness Gauge. From 80 Ω (micron), you can start polishing the car. All values below 80 mean that the paint can only be polished eccentrically using Stipt Polish Paste Medium and Stipt Polish Paste Soft. The value of the paint can be measured with a paint thickness gauge, also known as a layer thickness gauge.
Can you leave permanent damage to the paint?
If you don't handle car polishing properly, you can indeed leave permanent damage to your car's paint. But for that, you have to go to great lengths. We have made a video showing this:
From what value is it possible to polish?
From 80 Ω (micron), you can start polishing the car. All values below 80 mean that the paint can only be polished eccentrically using Stipt Polish Paste Ultimate and Stipt Polish Paste Soft. The only other option is to have your car repainted.
