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Old 08-14-2009, 02:48 PM
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weinerschizel
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Default 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
Old 08-14-2009, 03:11 PM
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lucky131969
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Originally Posted by weinerschizel
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
I've heard of toothpaste and baking soda mixed together as an alternative polish for stainless, metal, etc....but not for use on a clear coat car finish. I have heard of auto detailers using a water-baking soda solution(since the baking soda dissolves in water) to neutralize acid on a cars finish. Any way you slice it, baking soda does have abrasive qualities to it, and it cannot dissolve in toothpaste.....I wouldn't do it...but then again, I won't even take my vette through a car wash......
Old 08-14-2009, 03:46 PM
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hotwheels57
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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...
Old 08-14-2009, 03:51 PM
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AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Old 08-14-2009, 03:55 PM
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lucky131969
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Originally Posted by hotwheels57
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...
True, but I'm sticking with this baby....if it was good enough for commissioner Gordon, then it's good enough for me:

Old 08-14-2009, 04:30 PM
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tramminc
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[QUOTE=hotwheels57;1571139340] We put aluminum foil or pennies in place of fuses.

WTF, so your the one that started that fire
Old 08-14-2009, 04:35 PM
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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?
Old 08-14-2009, 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by capevettes
With all the excellent products available for paint correction why would you want to experiment on your car's paint and risk ruining it?
He's making sense, listen to him!
Old 08-14-2009, 06:18 PM
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rebelheart
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Polishing compounds are so cheap why take a chance?
Old 08-14-2009, 07:05 PM
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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.

Last edited by weinerschizel; 08-14-2009 at 07:07 PM.
Old 08-15-2009, 05:42 PM
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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.
Old 08-15-2009, 07:53 PM
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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.
Old 08-16-2009, 02:46 PM
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An old timer told me what he used-try this--2 parts toothpaste and 4 parts pigeon $hit--mix well--leave on overnight--polish as needed
Old 08-16-2009, 11:52 PM
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Originally Posted by weinerschizel
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.
Tooth paste works good for polishing clear plastic. I polished the dash lens on the old Impala with it. It was so hazy I could hardly see through it and it cleaned up really nicely. I could see tooth paste working well on plastic headlights too.

Peter
Old 08-21-2009, 04:30 AM
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Jesse Asis
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Well at least your vette won't get a cavity...... And it will have that spearmint smell... way to go...

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