Author Archives: Mike Phillips

How to Polish Aluminum Diamond Plate
29
Oct
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Guides & Tips, How To

How to Polish Aluminum Diamond Plate

Posted on by Mike Phillips

Aluminum diamond plate (also called tread plate or checker plate) is used on a variety of surfaces where durability, slip resistance, and corrosion resistance are needed such as stairs, walkways, or in this case, the top of the trailer hitch portion of an AeroVault car hauling trailer. Like regular aluminum, aluminum diamond plate is typically […]

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Close-up of hand polishing aluminum diamond plate with pad, illustrating how to polish aluminum by hand with “hand polishing aluminum” header text
28
Oct
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Guides & Tips

How to Polish Aluminum by Hand

Posted on by Mike Phillips

Aluminum is found on a variety of different vehicles and vessels from trucks and cars to trailers and boats. When aluminum is properly polished, it shines like chrome: Over time, however, the surface of aluminum will oxidize and turn dull. Accumulating oxidation, contamination and scratches erase the brilliant shine and leave behind a dirty haze: […]

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How to Change Backing Plate on Bauer DA
13
Mar
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Garage & Equipment, Guides & Tips, How To, Paint Correction, Videos & Media

How to Change Backing Plate on Bauer 8MM Short-Throw Random Orbital DA

Posted on by Mike Phillips

Sometimes when you’re using a buffer to polish paint on a car it helps to have a smaller pad for smaller sections like A-pillars. But what if you only have one polisher that can only fit big pads? Here’s something you may not know — you can adjust the size of a Bauer 6” DA […]

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Black Corvette with a mirror finish
05
Nov
Behind the Detail, Ceramic Coatings, Exterior Detailing, Guides & Tips, How To, Paint Correction, Videos & Media

How to Get a Mirror Finish on Your Car

Posted on by Mike Phillips

When we talk about how to create a mirror finish for your car’s paint, we’re talking about the things you can do to maximize gloss and clarity while creating that wet look that makes your car look like it just received a high-end custom paint job. Not only does clean, shiny paint make your car […]

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What's the Difference Between Compound and Polish?
02
Apr
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Guides & Tips, Paint Correction

What’s the Difference Between Compound & Polish?

Posted on by Mike Phillips

When it comes to paint correction on cars, people use the terms “compound” and “polish” interchangeably despite the fact that they refer to two completely different things. That’s a big problem. When it comes to doing any type of paint correction, you need to know the difference between a polish and a compound. If you […]

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Dr. Beasley's Mercedes-Benz Matte Finish Care Video
22
Nov
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, How To, Matte Car Care, Matte Car Detailing Basics, Matte Car Washing, Matte Ceramic Coating

How to Maintain Mercedes-Benz OEM Matte Finish Paint

Posted on by Mike Phillips

Download Matte Care Checklist In this video, we’re going to talk about the Mercedes-Benz Mango paint. And what? It’s Magno, not Mango. Oh, sorry. I’ll save this for lunch. In this video, we’re going to be talking about the Mercedes-Benz Magno clear coat matte paint and what makes it unique and also some tips and […]

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How to Wash Black Cars
09
Aug
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Guides & Tips, How To

How to Wash Black Cars: The Ultimate Method for Avoiding Swirls

Posted on by Mike Phillips

The color black is an incredibly popular color for all makes and models of cars, including modern cars, trucks, and SUVs. It’s also a super popular color when restoring classic cars, muscle cars as well as supercars and exotics. Everybody always says the same thing about a black car, and that is, when the paint […]

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Side-by-side comparison of swirls and holograms in car paint.
07
Oct
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Paint Correction, Professional Detailing

The Difference Between Swirls & Holograms

Posted on by Mike Phillips

Some people think the words swirls and holograms refer to the same type of scratch pattern you see in car paint under bright sunlight or with the use of a bright swirl finder light. This is a common misconception. Swirls and holograms are actually two distinct types of scratch pattern.  This is important to define! […]

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How to Restore Headlights by Machine Sanding
21
Feb
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Guides & Tips, How To, Videos & Media

How to Restore Headlights by Machine Sanding

Posted on by Mike Phillips

As I showed in my previous article and video, working by hand to sand off years of oxidation, yellowing and cloudiness from headlights works perfectly fine. I also shared how to remove the sanding marks by hand in that video and article for those that simply have no other alternative.   But for those of you […]

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21
Mar
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Featured, How To, Paint Correction, Professional Detailing, Tips

The Ultimate Guide to Wet Sanding Car Paint

Posted on by Mike Phillips

“Wet sanding” is a term you may come across in the world of automotive paint polishing. You may have heard it’s an incredibly effective way to remove scratches and defects from a car’s paint. You may even be wondering if wet sanding is something you should do to your own car’s paint.  The fact is, […]

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