FG400 Dusting alot for me.

dcjredline

dcjredline

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Hey everyone, thanks for taking time to read this.

Hope someone here is experienced with FG400 and can help me. Here is my list of items involved

Flex 3401 speed setting 5
Meguiar's 6.5" maroon cutting pad
FG400
XMT Pad conditioner
2004 Honda Civic Black metallic paint


Usually I would do this car with HD speed cause the swirls and scratches arent that bad but this is a friends son's first car. So I decided I would use some FG400 which is known to finish out well. It is finishing out very well as I suspected it would but I seem to get ALOT of dusting. Much much more than ever with HD Speed. Is dusting just a characteristic of compounds?

I thought I was using too much (2 spritz's of the XMT conditioner, and 3-4 drops almost pea sized but smaller) so I went down to 3 half a pea sized and it still dusts pretty badly. For the smaller areas I am using my GG6 with 4" orange LC flat pad and 3 tiny drops and STILL getting dusting.
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The temps have been reasonable here usually in the 45-50 range when I get home to polish, Im sure the humidity is fairly high but not sure on the number. The product wipes off normal when done. Im just at a loss.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol It's livable but just want to see if there are any suggestions and its a pain to see my work when it is done, I dont want to have to keep wiping the BLACK paint and cause myself more work possibly.
 
How often are you changing your pad. My experience with FG400 has been excellent, no dusting. But the pads load up and gum up quickly. I use about twice as many vs HD Polish when using FG400. Can't really compare Speed being an AIO. Different work ability.
 
I haven't used fg400 with the maroon pad, but I've had good experience with B&S yellow and orange pads as well as the hydrofoam cutting pads (on my Flex 3401 and Torq).

The only time I've had dusting is right before I change out a pad and even then, it's not that much. Fg400 seems to spread so well that I only give it one spray of pad conditioner for a couple of section passes. Doesn't need as much priming as M101 or 105 in my experience.
Don't give up on it.
 
On a fresh pad, use 4-5 drops of product then only 2-3 for each following section. Also make sure you're cleaning your pad on the fly after every section. This will keep your pad from clogging and will keep dusting at bay. I also change pads about every 2 panels fwiw.
 
I use FG400 a lot, live in a hot and humid environment and never suffer with dusting issues.

Some things you could look into are:

-changing pads more often - I suspect this is the root cause of your issues
-slow down your machine speed (believe it or not, FG400 cuts really well at speed 3 on the flex - try reducing your speed to 4 and see if the dusting improves)
-check the number of passes you are making - typically around 8 passes works really well
-perhaps with the pad conditioner it is exacerbating the tendency of Menz polishes, which are somewhat oily, to gum up the pads. Try taking a clean/dry pad, applying 4 pea sized drops, working your first section, then cleaning on the fly, and subsequently adding 3 pea sized drops for the following sections.
 
Cut that speed back! You are running FG400 too fast. If you read the label, it says to be in the 900-1200 rpm range for rotary usage. Set the 3401 to speed 3-4.

This is the opposite of what other compounds want. Such as M105 wanting 1500-2000 rpm.

When you get to the finishing step and if you decide to use SF4000 you can run speed 5-6. SF4000 likes 1500-2000 rpm.

Im sure you have read over my technique.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...rning-3401-menzerna-products-hybrid-pads.html
 
THANK YOU ALLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!

I do about 4 section passes, after 2 sections I was brushing the pad to clean. I did the hood then changed the pad, roof (It has a sun roof) and changed. I was getting dusting after about the 3rd section pass on the first panel.

I will most certainly change my speed on the 3401 to 4 or even 3. I didnt think about that. I will have to read the bottle I suppose!!! Thanks.

Mike: I will read your post about it right now thanks.

It looks like my main problems are the speed of the machine and I am using too little product.
 
fly07sti said:
On a fresh pad, use 4-5 drops of product then only 2-3 for each following section. Also make sure you're cleaning your pad on the fly after every section. This will keep your pad from clogging and will keep dusting at bay. I also change pads about every 2 panels fwiw.
Click to expand...

This is what I do.

The last time I ran it on the Flex 3401 on speed 5 (Cyan Hydrotech pad) I'd did get dusting. FG400 likes the lower speeds. Even on the PC 7424xp, I was using it on speed 4.5-5 again with the Cyan pad.
 
Agree slow it down. You said the scratches and swirls aren't bad...was that the least aggressive pad/compound combination that would remove them? The Hondas I've worked on, especially black, the paint has been pretty soft...
 
I'm using it with my rotary and hybrid pads. I don't get much dusting at all and quite honestly is why i don't use M105 much anymore. I religiously stick to slower speeds with it like Mike suggested...600-1000. I also clean my pad with a brush and a microfiber towel squeeze of the pad after EVERY SECTION once completed. And even with that i change out to a clean, fresh pad after about 3 sections. The stuff is amazing.
 
There are alot of swirls and scratches but they arent deep. I am using the orange and fg400 cause it gave me better results than with white. I wanted to get "deeper down" for him. I want this car to make them fall over. This will be the last time it ever gets polished Im sure.
 
what are you guys doing to reduce the dust when blowing at your MF pads? do you step outside to blow the pads out?
 
I use the burgundy maroon cutting pad from meguiars a lot.

And these pads cause more dusting then lake country flat pads. Or the boss pads.

IMO the pad is less pores and that's what causes the dusting.

Especially if the pad rises off a panel, or you hit masked off moulding, if will dust more.

Temperature has a big part to do with this combo.

On some clear coats when I use fg400 with the megs maroon, it buffs splotchy and uneven.

When I use the lake country flat pads, it works wet and smooth with a nice buffer trail path behind it.

Seems like that paint don't like the megs pad with fg400.

Some paints, this combo works great.

To help with the dusting use a brush after each pass on the face of the pad
 
This is what my pads looked liked after loading up with FG400. This was after cleaning on the fly numerous times and using a pad conditioner. You can see how it begins to gum up.

They came totally clean in my washing machine using XMT pad cleaner and hot wash cycle.

 
custmsprty said:
This is what my pads looked liked after loading up with FG400. This was after cleaning on the fly numerous times and using a pad conditioner. You can see how it begins to gum up.

They came totally clean in my washing machine using XMT pad cleaner and hot wash cycle.

Click to expand...

Using pad conditioner or water will rapidly increase the product Guming up. But sometimes you need it.

It's a + - situation
 
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