The question that most people ask is what does buffing a car do? Car buffing removes light scratches and oxidation caused by exposure to elements leaving a glossy, brighter shine. You may also consider buffing your car if you want to correct paint flaws. In this guide, we will discuss ways to buff a car, car buffing service, is it bad or not, how often should you buff a car, and how it is different from polishing.
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Ways to Buffing a Car
There are three ways you can buff your car. This includes using a manual buffer, high-speed buffer, and orbital buffer.
As the name suggests, a manual buffer is performed by hand. It involves applying a sufficient amount of rubbing compound or polish to a microfiber towel then using it to scrub your car paint. You may prefer orbital buffer in case you have little experience and want better faster results. Orbital buffer can repair scratches and minor swirls.
The other car buffing method is a high-speed buffer which is done by professionals to repair deep scratches and restore the aesthetic beauty of your car. If your car has dull-looking paint, minor scratches, or paint flaws, then it may require buffing out so that it looks shiny and new again.
Before we know How to buff a car, let’s know first about car buffing is good or not?
Is Buffing A Car Bad
It is not bad to buff your car unless you are doing it too often or aggressively. Buffing your car to correct the car paint usually cuts away a clear coat that protects the paint. Because there is a finite amount of coat it is good that you don’t buff your car too often. That means you should buff your car only once per year to maintain the clear coat for a long time.
Can Buffing a Car remove Scratches?
Yes, buffing an area of your car using rubbing compounds helps remove blemishes and scratches. Your vehicle may suffer from scratches due to several factors such as vandalism, car accidents, and poor parking. If you want to remove scratches on your car, the first thing you should do is wash your vehicle and rinse it. Next, apply a buffing compound for removing scratching and swirls to your car. From there use a soft cloth and buff lightly to achieve a high gloss.
How to buff a car with a buffer?
If cleaning and polishing your car’s paint is not restoring its shine, then you should buff your car. Buffing entails removing a small layer of paint from your vehicle’s finish, which helps expose a fresh layer of paint. The good thing about buffing your vehicle is that it makes the vehicle’s exterior look great. When car buffing is done correctly. It helps to improve the shine of the car and remove small scratches, etching, and oxidation from the car’s body. Besides, buffing adds an extra protective layer to it.
Here is how to buff a car with a buffer step by step.
- Wash the entire car thoroughly. Make sure the car is parked in a shady area to prevent soap stains that appear on the vehicle’s surface. Rinse the car to make it clean.
- Use masking tape to mask the taillights, headlights, and vinyl or plastic. Buffing usually produces a lot of heat which is why you should mask every part that should not be buffed.
- Choose the Best buffer. You can choose between a high-speed buffer, orbital buffer, or manual buffing.
- Buff your vehicle paint. Hopefully, it is clear to you now, what does buffing a car do? Buffing your car helps to remove scratches and oxidation which deteriorates the paint of your car.
- Polish the exterior of the car. Once you rub off scuff marks using a buffing compound, the next thing you should do is polish the car surface to make sure it has a smooth, mirror-like finish.
- Finish with waxing. Waxing is important because it helps to remove scuff marks that polishing and buffing did not remove.
- Conduct a final clean up. This will help remove the scraps which are left behind by the buffing compound.
Does Buffing A Car Damage the Paint?
The answer to this question is both Yes and No. Yes because if you are doing it too aggressively or more times than recommended then buffing can damage the paint on your car. However, if buffing is done once per year using the right methods then it cannot damage your car paint.
How often should you Buff your Car?
Car experts recommend that you detail your car every four to six months which is equivalent to 2 to 3 times per year. This is just a rule of thumb and the number of times you want to detail your vehicle will depend on the car you have and of course the owner. In case your car is not as shiny as it once was, or it has scratches and chips then you should consider buffing it out. Bird droppings, sunlight, rain, and dust may take a toll on your vehicle. This is why you should know how often you need to buff your car. To avoid damaging the coating layer of your vehicle, you must buff your car once a year.
How Much Does Buffing A Car Cost?
The cost of buffing a car varies from one detailing shop to another and region to region. What you need to know is that reputable detailers will not give clients an estimate until they see the paint damage on your car. You can physically visit a detailing shop and ask for their rates. Alternatively, you can post photos on the car detailer’s website so that they give you an estimate of buffing your car.
Is Buffing and Polishing the Same Thing?
It is easy to confuse the terms buffing and polishing but they are two entirely different things. Polishing is a finishing process that uses abrasive belts while buffing entails the use of cloth wheels with a buffing compound. Polishing is known to generate a lined or brushed finish while buffing removes the lines and produces a bright luster finish on your car surface. When polishing is done by discs or belts it can level surfaces and remove scratches.
Verdict on Car Buffing
The benefits of buffing a car are well documented. I think now you can buff the vehicle yourself. To start it is recommended to take dual action buffer as given above which is helpful buffing cars for beginners.
