We cover polishers, pads, compounds, test spots, and why there’s rarely one “right” combination for every vehicle.

Watch the video, then check out the full article below for a deeper dive.

Paint Correction: Polishers, Pads & Compounds with Justin Krauss

I’m Justin Krauss, better known in the detailing industry as Justin the Supply Guy. I’ve spent years detailing vehicles, running a detail shop, selling and testing detailing products, and working with professional detail shops and dealerships.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned about paint correction is pretty simple:

There is no magic polisher, pad or compound. Ask the paint.

I don’t approach paint correction by grabbing my favorite pad and compound and assuming it’s going to work. The vehicle doesn’t care what brand I sell, what polisher I like or what worked on the last car.

The paint tells you what it needs.

Start With the Paint, Not the Product

Before I start correcting paint, I want to know what I’m working with.

That starts with inspecting the vehicle and measuring paint thickness. A paint depth gauge can help identify unusually thin areas, previously repaired panels and differences from panel to panel before you start removing material.

Then comes the test spot.

The goal isn’t simply to find something that removes scratches. I’m looking for the least aggressive combination that produces the result the customer is paying for in a reasonable amount of time.

That last part matters.

Professional paint correction isn’t about chasing perfection on every vehicle. It’s about safely and efficiently producing the result you promised the customer.

The Paint Correction Test Spot

I may try several combinations before committing to a process for the entire vehicle.

Changing the pad, abrasive, machine or technique can dramatically change both the amount of correction and the quality of the finish.

I would rather spend a little extra time figuring that out at the beginning than guess my way around an entire vehicle.

Once I find the combination that gives me the correction and finish I want, I have a repeatable process for the rest of the car.

A good test spot can save hours.

Ask the paint. Get your test spot. Then build the process around what you learned.

Choosing a Polisher

I use and recommend multiple polishing machines because different tools solve different problems.

Long-throw dual-action polishers are great for efficiently correcting larger panels. Smaller machines make sense around pillars, bumpers and tight areas. Rotary polishers absolutely still have a place when used by someone who understands them.

The name printed on the machine matters less to me than understanding what that machine is doing.

Throw, pad rotation, pressure, pad size, machine speed and your own technique all affect the result.

In the video above, I go through some of the polishers I currently use and recommend and why I might choose one over another.

Choosing a Paint Correction Pad

Pads matter more than a lot of people realize.

Foam density, fiber, pad construction and how a pad behaves under load all affect cut and finish.

Sometimes simply changing the pad gives me the additional correction I need without changing anything else.

I regularly use Buff and Shine pads, including Agent Orange, Blueberry, Maroon and wool depending on what I’m trying to accomplish.

But I don’t believe a detailer needs to blindly follow one manufacturer’s complete system.

Learn what your pads do.

Learn what your compound or polish does.

Then learn how they interact with the paint in front of you.

Compounds and Polishes

The same philosophy applies to compounds and polishes.

Products like P&S Rehab Correction Creme can give me an excellent balance between defect removal and finish and can be a great option for one-step paint correction.

But I don’t choose an abrasive simply because I like the brand or sell the product.

If the combination isn’t producing the result I need, I change something.

Maybe that means changing the pad before changing the liquid. Maybe I change machines. Sometimes the paint tells me that a one-step simply isn’t going to produce the result I’m after and it needs a true two-step correction.

The important part is understanding why you’re making the change.

A Repeatable Paint Correction Technique

Once I establish my combination, I want my technique to be repeatable.

I typically work a controlled section rather than randomly moving across a panel. A section roughly shoulder-width and a couple of pad widths tall gives me an area I can work consistently.

I use overlapping passes and a deliberate cross-hatch pattern while watching the paint, pad and product.

Working time isn’t simply polishing until the compound disappears. I’m paying attention to how the abrasive is behaving and whether continuing to work that section is actually accomplishing anything.

Consistency matters.

If your test spot required a certain machine speed, pressure, arm speed and number of passes, then changing all those variables when you move to the next panel defeats the purpose of doing the test spot in the first place.

Paint Correction Should Be a Process

This is probably the biggest difference between how I approach paint correction today and how I approached it years ago.

I don’t want paint correction to be an art project where every vehicle turns into a new experiment.

I want a system:

Inspect → Measure → Test → Evaluate → Establish the Process → Repeat

Products change. Machines change. Pads change. Abrasive technology changes.

Understanding the process means you can adapt without starting over every time.

That’s also why I’m not particularly interested in being loyal to one brand or convincing someone that there is one perfect paint correction system.

Find products you like. Find educators you trust. Find a process that works. Then run with it.

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Paint Correction FAQ

What is the best pad for a one-step paint correction?

You would have to ask the paint. How would I know? 🙂

What I do know is that if I’m doing a quick paint enhancement, I like Buff and Shine Agent Orange or yellow wool pads most of the time.

But if my goal is true correction and not simply enhancement, what I like doesn’t matter.

Ask the paint. Do a test spot.

The paint will tell you which combination of pad, compound, machine and technique gives you the correction and finish you’re looking for.

Do I need to measure the paint before paint correction?

Yes.

Experienced shop owners measure paint on every correction job because they’re the ones footing the bill if someone burns through the paint.

Even if you’re an employee rather than the shop owner, measuring paint is an essential habit to develop. As a bonus, it shows your employer that you understand the risk and care about protecting the vehicle and the business.

A paint depth gauge doesn’t tell you everything, but it gives you information you shouldn’t ignore before you start removing material.

What makes the detailing brands you sell better?

The process. Not the brand.

There are a lot of great detailing brands out there and a lot of great educators.

I take any classes I can, including classes from manufacturers whose products I don’t sell.

Find products you like. Find educators you trust. Find a process that works. Run with it.

Being a brand fanboy gains you nothing.

The goal isn’t proving your bottle, pad or polisher is better than somebody else’s. The goal is understanding the process well enough to consistently produce the result you promised your customer.

Why bother with a DA polisher? Isn’t a rotary faster?

I suppose that’s the tortoise-and-the-hare race.

If you look at a rotary strictly from a cutting perspective, it absolutely can be faster.

But I’m looking at the entire process.

On automotive paint, I often find a dual-action polisher more efficient from start to finish. I’m generally removing less paint, which benefits the customer over the life of the vehicle. There’s less risk, and I find finishing with a DA faster.

More importantly, I’m not automatically tied to a two- or three-step process.

If I can cut and finish automotive paint with a DA and achieve the result the customer is paying for, my total start-to-finish time can be faster even though the rotary could have removed the initial defects faster.

And I keep saying automotive paint for a reason.

Marine and RV are a different beast.

The process and tool choices that make sense on automotive clear coat don’t necessarily transfer directly to gelcoat and other surfaces.

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About Justin Krauss — Justin the Supply Guy

I’m Justin Krauss, also known as Justin the Supply Guy, a Colorado-based detailing industry professional and IDA Certified Detailer (CD) and Skills Validated (SV) detailer.

My background includes operating a professional detailing business, paint correction and ceramic coating work, detailing product distribution, product education, and working directly with detail shops and dealerships.

Today, a big part of what I do is helping professionals understand why a process works, eliminate unnecessary steps and build systems their employees can actually repeat.

Paint correction is a perfect example.

You don’t need the most expensive machine or a shelf containing every compound available.

Understand the paint. Understand your tools. Get your test spot. Build your process.