I've researched and read etc. I've went with the LC CCS pads. I've been experimenting with the Menzerna Power Gloss, SIP & Super Finish. Also, Megs #105 & #205. Per the recommendation of AG I usually try the orange pads with everything other than the finish products. I use white or gray with the finishing products.
What I find is I have to spend a ton of time with the orange pad. Also with the Meg's 105 it's a challenge to prevent the machine from jumping and to keep the polish from caking. I can do it but it's not much of an issue using the wool.
Plus most everything I've done, the stuff isn't coming out in one session no matter how long. I even use the Power Gloss and not much difference.
Also on two occasions now I've experimented with wet sanding, 2000 Unitgrit followed by 3000 and the orange with #105 or Power Gloss or #106 really doesn't seem to do anything. Tonight I went over a section 5 times and still could see the uneveness caused by sanding. Switching to the wool, 2 sessions and it was perfect.
With that said, I always find myself going back to a 6.5" Purple LC wool pad that came with some Flex machines I purchased and usually #105 or Power Gloss.
I keep reading wool is extremely agressive and only use it as a last resort.
I usually follow it up with a #205 or the SF and that gets me what I'm looking for.
With that said, I have some questions. If I'm using my Flex 3401 I'll use 5 or 6 setting. If I'm using my Flex 3403 when it's working, I don't go over 2. Also I really never put that much pressure on the machine because I don't want a big "uh oh".
However, I'll look in the show and shine and see persons claiming to use SIP and White pad (not always sure what brand) to correct things that are worse than what I'm working on.
I know pix don't show everything. However, I did an experiment with a red mustang fender & a black mercedes door and a brillo pad. I used the pad with no pressure just dragging it to make marks. I tried several combinations with the Orange pad and had to go to the wool and run two sessions with the wool and compounds to get them out.
This is getting long so I'll try to cut to the question. Should I be putting more pressure using the foam pads? Or should I be running the rotary a lot faster than 1500 RPM? I try to keep each as low and move the machine slower to try and allow it to work as well as keeping the heat down.
Or is it ok to if you use wool? I keep reading starting out with the least agressive combination and work up. However in thinking about it you can take down as little or as much with a compound like Powergloss as you can with SIP correct? So why not start with a 105 or Power Gloss if you are going to need more than one stage and use the test spot for determine how long you need to run your agressive combination.
I equate it to loading a truck with dirt. I can load it with a spoon if I wanted but I'm going to opt to do it with some kind of loader or excavator to get it done.
In the end it boils down to how much you have to shave. So say you are dealing with a vehicle that needs to shave down 1 micron of clear to correct the paint. So why would it not be better or equally as feasible to use a combination such as wool & Power Gloss for 30 seconds or whatever versus using say SIP & an orange and having to go 2 minutes and probably not get the same results in one session. (Again if you are planning to do follow up with a finish either way.)
I know there's a very fine line between trying to get something down as efficiently as possible but also not getting in a rush.
I keep ending back up at the same place to get the results I'm looking for but just trying to figure how others are getting results with combinations I'm not.
Don't get me wrong, with an orange pad and SIP I can remove some swirls and make pix look nice and a huge difference but to the eye, there is still a lot of stuff left I want out. Plus it takes a long time versus me taking PG or #105 and wool and figuring out how many passes I need to make.
Here is a pix of the trunk & hood of my C300. In the pix it looks shiny but in person fairly bad swirls left. It looks like this after SIP & Orange followed up with Super Finish & Menzerna. But up close the swirls are still pretty bad.
Trunk shot 1:
Trunk Shot 2 (Again, the white spots aren't imperfections. However you can actually see some of the swirls just above the flash.)
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/uploads/24452/TrunkShine2.jpg
Hood Shot (The white spots are not imperfections, they are fibers or something in the air.)
So I'm looking for other suggestions on pads other than the CCS's. Or I need to change something I'm doing with the machine.
I figure it's either pads, the speed setting on the machine, how much pressure I'm putting on it or how fast I'm making my passes. (I usually try to do the 1" per second with the DA and 3" per second with the Rotary.)
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
What I find is I have to spend a ton of time with the orange pad. Also with the Meg's 105 it's a challenge to prevent the machine from jumping and to keep the polish from caking. I can do it but it's not much of an issue using the wool.
Plus most everything I've done, the stuff isn't coming out in one session no matter how long. I even use the Power Gloss and not much difference.
Also on two occasions now I've experimented with wet sanding, 2000 Unitgrit followed by 3000 and the orange with #105 or Power Gloss or #106 really doesn't seem to do anything. Tonight I went over a section 5 times and still could see the uneveness caused by sanding. Switching to the wool, 2 sessions and it was perfect.
With that said, I always find myself going back to a 6.5" Purple LC wool pad that came with some Flex machines I purchased and usually #105 or Power Gloss.
I keep reading wool is extremely agressive and only use it as a last resort.
I usually follow it up with a #205 or the SF and that gets me what I'm looking for.
With that said, I have some questions. If I'm using my Flex 3401 I'll use 5 or 6 setting. If I'm using my Flex 3403 when it's working, I don't go over 2. Also I really never put that much pressure on the machine because I don't want a big "uh oh".
However, I'll look in the show and shine and see persons claiming to use SIP and White pad (not always sure what brand) to correct things that are worse than what I'm working on.
I know pix don't show everything. However, I did an experiment with a red mustang fender & a black mercedes door and a brillo pad. I used the pad with no pressure just dragging it to make marks. I tried several combinations with the Orange pad and had to go to the wool and run two sessions with the wool and compounds to get them out.
This is getting long so I'll try to cut to the question. Should I be putting more pressure using the foam pads? Or should I be running the rotary a lot faster than 1500 RPM? I try to keep each as low and move the machine slower to try and allow it to work as well as keeping the heat down.
Or is it ok to if you use wool? I keep reading starting out with the least agressive combination and work up. However in thinking about it you can take down as little or as much with a compound like Powergloss as you can with SIP correct? So why not start with a 105 or Power Gloss if you are going to need more than one stage and use the test spot for determine how long you need to run your agressive combination.
I equate it to loading a truck with dirt. I can load it with a spoon if I wanted but I'm going to opt to do it with some kind of loader or excavator to get it done.
In the end it boils down to how much you have to shave. So say you are dealing with a vehicle that needs to shave down 1 micron of clear to correct the paint. So why would it not be better or equally as feasible to use a combination such as wool & Power Gloss for 30 seconds or whatever versus using say SIP & an orange and having to go 2 minutes and probably not get the same results in one session. (Again if you are planning to do follow up with a finish either way.)
I know there's a very fine line between trying to get something down as efficiently as possible but also not getting in a rush.
I keep ending back up at the same place to get the results I'm looking for but just trying to figure how others are getting results with combinations I'm not.
Don't get me wrong, with an orange pad and SIP I can remove some swirls and make pix look nice and a huge difference but to the eye, there is still a lot of stuff left I want out. Plus it takes a long time versus me taking PG or #105 and wool and figuring out how many passes I need to make.
Here is a pix of the trunk & hood of my C300. In the pix it looks shiny but in person fairly bad swirls left. It looks like this after SIP & Orange followed up with Super Finish & Menzerna. But up close the swirls are still pretty bad.
Trunk shot 1:
Trunk Shot 2 (Again, the white spots aren't imperfections. However you can actually see some of the swirls just above the flash.)
Hood Shot (The white spots are not imperfections, they are fibers or something in the air.)
So I'm looking for other suggestions on pads other than the CCS's. Or I need to change something I'm doing with the machine.
I figure it's either pads, the speed setting on the machine, how much pressure I'm putting on it or how fast I'm making my passes. (I usually try to do the 1" per second with the DA and 3" per second with the Rotary.)
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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