homemade rubbing compound
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Stillwater Minnesota
homemade rubbing compound
I was browsing google yesterday when I discovered a simple recipe for a decent polishing compound...
3 parts tooth paste to 1 part baking soda. I tried it and it worked pretty well. This made me curious though has anybody else tried a homemade rubbing compound? If so what was it and what kind of results did you see?
I'm curious what I can do besides bake with all this stuff in my cupboards
3 parts tooth paste to 1 part baking soda. I tried it and it worked pretty well. This made me curious though has anybody else tried a homemade rubbing compound? If so what was it and what kind of results did you see?
I'm curious what I can do besides bake with all this stuff in my cupboards
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,292
Likes: 1,109
From: Dyer, IN
I was browsing google yesterday when I discovered a simple recipe for a decent polishing compound...
3 parts tooth paste to 1 part baking soda. I tried it and it worked pretty well. This made me curious though has anybody else tried a homemade rubbing compound? If so what was it and what kind of results did you see?
I'm curious what I can do besides bake with all this stuff in my cupboards
3 parts tooth paste to 1 part baking soda. I tried it and it worked pretty well. This made me curious though has anybody else tried a homemade rubbing compound? If so what was it and what kind of results did you see?
I'm curious what I can do besides bake with all this stuff in my cupboards
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
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From: Not on either liberal coast.
Forty plus years ago we put moth ***** in gasoline. We polished brass with toothpaste. We poured ATF or water down carburetors. We put aluminum foil or pennies in place of fuses.
Fast forward forty years...there's better products available that produce better (and safer) results...
Fast forward forty years...there's better products available that produce better (and safer) results...
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,292
Likes: 1,109
From: Dyer, IN
Forty plus years ago we put moth ***** in gasoline. We polished brass with toothpaste. We poured ATF or water down carburetors. We put aluminum foil or pennies in place of fuses.
Fast forward forty years...there's better products available that produce better (and safer) results...
Fast forward forty years...there's better products available that produce better (and safer) results...
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From: Cape Cod, Mass.
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With all the excellent products available for paint correction why would you want to experiment on your car's paint and risk ruining it?
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Stillwater Minnesota
Yeah guys I'd NEVER touch my vette with the homemade stuff... but then again there's other stuff to polish
I was looking for a quick, Immediate fix to foggy headlights. Already used rubbing compound but then stumbled upon this guys home made concoction it was the backing soda tooth paste deal.
Tried it and it seemed to work equally well. Yet saved me a trip to the store and a few bucks. Just made me curious if there were any other recipes out there...
Plus I'm sure a few of the compounds you see in the stores today were dreamed up exactly like were doing here. So creating a rubbing compound from a few household items doesn't seem that far off to me Although testing them on my vette does but then again that's why I drive a POS daily driver.
I was looking for a quick, Immediate fix to foggy headlights. Already used rubbing compound but then stumbled upon this guys home made concoction it was the backing soda tooth paste deal.
Tried it and it seemed to work equally well. Yet saved me a trip to the store and a few bucks. Just made me curious if there were any other recipes out there...
Plus I'm sure a few of the compounds you see in the stores today were dreamed up exactly like were doing here. So creating a rubbing compound from a few household items doesn't seem that far off to me
Although testing them on my vette does but then again that's why I drive a POS daily driver.
Last edited by weinerschizel; Aug 14, 2009 at 07:07 PM.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: chandler az
The compound isn't the expensive part anyway, it's all the different buffing pads that add up to make it expensive.
I bought the Meguires Solo One system. The compound was $37 and each pad was about $20 (you need about three or four different ones, coarse wool, fine wool, coarse pad and fine pad). I've been happy with the results and ease of use. It's the same compound for the whole process, you just change pads.
I bought the Meguires Solo One system. The compound was $37 and each pad was about $20 (you need about three or four different ones, coarse wool, fine wool, coarse pad and fine pad). I've been happy with the results and ease of use. It's the same compound for the whole process, you just change pads.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
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From: Not on either liberal coast.
You should not be using (coarse) rubbing compound on your base coat/clear coat finish. Our paint jobs are not the old single stage enamel or lacquer of years past.
While it might be "hard", it's a relatively thin clear coat. In the hands of an inexperienced/non professional, the clear coat is easy to breach, into the thin base coat. Then you'll need a clear coat re-paint.
Varying grades of fine polish are typically used on clear coats. Swirl remover to take out blemishes, and polish to bring depth, clarity and shine. Pads do make the difference here.
Products from ZAINO, ADAM'S, and other high end products can result in a professional looking finish. A DIY'er is safe with a random orbital (that's me) while a professional detailer can safely use a high speed buffer.
While it might be "hard", it's a relatively thin clear coat. In the hands of an inexperienced/non professional, the clear coat is easy to breach, into the thin base coat. Then you'll need a clear coat re-paint.
Varying grades of fine polish are typically used on clear coats. Swirl remover to take out blemishes, and polish to bring depth, clarity and shine. Pads do make the difference here.
Products from ZAINO, ADAM'S, and other high end products can result in a professional looking finish. A DIY'er is safe with a random orbital (that's me) while a professional detailer can safely use a high speed buffer.
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From: South Western Ontario
Peter
