Menz FG400

luv a shine

luv a shine

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View attachment 14424


Used on a 2 two step paint correction on a black chevy silverado .

Washed
Nanoskin meduim grit/GG6
FG400/ flex pe14/ wool
Sf4000/flex 3401/white pad
BFWD/gg6

Pro: finishes well for a compound
Smoother texture
Long work time
Cons: price
Quit dusty
Will not move when shaking

End option: this got alot of hip for having no dust . Its as dusty as m105. It didnt finish LSP READY. I tryed a HD black wool pad ,wool pad and a css yellow pad . I liked the reg wool the best. It got way to much hipe . I will be trying a white and orange pad next with fg 400. We will see is it changes my mind?
 
There's no way ANY compound will finish LSP ready when using a wool pad.
 
i tryed the Css yellow pad and the dust was crazy. I has to switch to wool.
 
This is very interesting. I used it on Flex 3401 with Optimum MF pad and had minor dust. I'll give it a try with LC purple wool pad to see how it does.
 
I noticed when using FG400 for the first time, albeit on a DA, when working at speed 6 it dusted, but as soon as I dropped the speed to 5 the dusting stopped.

Just my 2c
 
luv a shine said:
View attachment 14424


Used on a 2 two step paint correction on a black chevy silverado .

Washed
Nanoskin meduim grit/GG6
FG400/ flex pe14/ wool
Sf4000/flex 3401/white pad
BFWD/gg6

Pro: finishes well for a compound
Smoother texture
Long work time
Cons: price
Quit dusty
Will not move when shaking

End option: this got alot of hip for having no dust . Its as dusty as m105. It didnt finish LSP READY. I tryed a HD black wool pad ,wool pad and a css yellow pad . I liked the reg wool the best. It got way to much hipe . I will be trying a white and orange pad next with fg 400. We will see is it changes my mind?
Click to expand...

So would you buy FG400 over M105 or wouldn't bother?
 
I think there's a difference between dusting and excess product that has built up on the surface of a pad and then comes off if it's not cleaned off by the user.

I just have not noticed the first, that is dusting, I have noticed that if you don't clean your pads often with any compound you will always have excess product building up on the pad.

Super long buffing cycle is another plus for this compound and it does finish down nice.


As for the topic of does any compound finish down LSP ready?

That all comes down to,

  • Paint color
  • Personal opinion

I know perfectionist that when working on a black car would never stop after using only a compound, even if it does finish down really nice.

I know a lot of average folks that think after compounding their daily driver with a light paint color will throw wax on it and then stay stick a fork in it, it's done. The majority of people that own a car don't have the same expectations for quality of finish as the personality types that actually detail cars either full time, part time or as a hobby.


Great topics for discussion though...


We're using FG 400 on the Lincoln, Nebraska Project Car and you and I never know how a product is going to work until we step away from the keyboard and actually go out into the garage and do a Test Spot. My expectations are high for how this compound will work for removing the sanding marks out of a fresh "House of Kolor" paint job but I won't know until I get their, do some sanding and then bring the buffing pad with the compound down onto the paint and make 4-6 passes, wipe-off and inspect.

But from experience so far with this new compound my expectations are high...

You'll all get a chance to see because we'll be broadcasting live from the shop...



:dblthumb2:

:D
 
The dust was the worst with a white ccs pad on my 3401.
 
luv a shine said:
The dust was the worst with a white ccs pad on my 3401.
Click to expand...

CCS pads require a little more time to clean because of the recessed pockets. The recessed pockets will tend to hold in,

  • Spent product
  • Removed paint

See my article here,

Why it's important to clean your pads often...


ANYTIME you're abrading the surface whether you're using an aggressive cutting compound of an ultra fine polish, you have two things building up on the face of your buffing pad...
  • Spent product
  • Removed paint
You need to remove both of these substances from the face of the pad and the panel you're working on before you apply fresh product. If you don't,
  • Adding fresh product to spent product and removed paint adulterates the fresh product, it also dilutes it.
  • Buffing with a dirty pad will be more difficult.
  • The product will cake-up on the face of the pad.
  • The product will become gummy on the paint and hard to wipe off.
How to clean your pads and other options to make buffing clean again...
  • You can scrub the face of the pad with a nylon brush like a pad conditioning brush or even a nylon toothbrush
  • If using a Dual Action Polisher or a Rotary Buffer you can clean your pad on the fly with a terry cloth towel
  • You can wash your pads in a bucket of water
  • You can wash your pads in a sink under running water
  • You can wash your pads in a pad washer
  • You can switch to a clean, dry pad
  • You can switch to a brand new pad
I just buffed out half the hood on an oxidized 1959 Cadillac and used the technique along with a nylon brush and it works adequately enough to allow me to work clean and get back to work quickly.


That's the whole idea behind cleaning your pad on the fly... you can remove a majority of the spent product and removed paint and then get back to running the buffer... buffing out an entire car already takes a l-o-n-g time... stopping to do some kind of pad cleaning procedure that isn't quick and easy keeps you from buffing on the paint.


Fast methods include,
  • Pad Washers
  • Cleaning your pad on the fly with a terry cloth towel
  • Using a nylon pad conditioning brush
  • Using a Spur if you're using a wool pad on a rotary buffer

Slow methods, (they might work well but they take you away from buffing on the car)
  • You can wash your pads in a bucket of water
  • You can wash your pads in a sink under running water

:)
 
Ccs pads and the 3401 like to walk on ya a lot. I am doing a huge black truck Wednesday . What pad would you use,mike???
 
luv a shine said:
Ccs pads and the 3401 like to walk on ya a lot. I am doing a huge black truck Wednesday . What pad would you use,mike???
Click to expand...


Anytime you feel the Flex 3401 trying to "walk" on you that means you're not holding the pad flat to the surface so take a moment to correct your hold on the forward bail handle and the rear grip on the tool body.


Huge black truck huh?

Well if you're doing this for money I would be trying to do a one-step with a cleaner/wax and that would mean a polishing pad.

If you're going to do a two-step I would still try to use a polishing pad for the first step, the correction step and then if you're using a car wax or a synthetic paint sealant, use the black or blue CCS pad to machine apply the LSP.

I wouldn't use FG 400 for the first step until you tested and make sure it's finishing down to your expectations.

Remember, most detailing work is production work, that is the opposite of show car work and if that's the case for this truck then don't promise to remove ALL the swirls and scratches and then you don't have to use a compound for the first correction step, instead use a medium to fine cut polish and then go to wax.

Test Spot
If you're charging to remove a majority of the swirls and scratches then do a TEST SPOT with the FG 400 to determine if you can get away with just it and an wax or sealant, if not then you'll want and need to do a second machine polishing step before application of the LSP


Make sense?


:)
 
lawrenceSA said:
I noticed when using FG400 for the first time, albeit on a DA, when working at speed 6 it dusted, but as soon as I dropped the speed to 5 the dusting stopped.

Just my 2c
Click to expand...

I found the same thing using a 4" orange CCS spot buff pad on a rotary with M105. What I found was that it was drying out much to fast because of excessive heat from the pad spinning too fast along with pressure.

I decided to back off of the speed a little bit, use a tad more product than the pea size drops I was using and all was well. I got more working time and after the oxidation was removed I then applied more product to the area and worked the M105 until it disappeared. The results were great.

I imagine that after you dropped the speed, and the dusting stopped, that heat build-up was the culprit. You might even try working the FG 400 on speed four depending on which dual action polisher you have. My G110v2 has no trouble spinning a pad on speed 4 even with a good amount of pressure. It seems that DA polisher power varies from machine to machine because so many people report diferent findings. My point is, you (anyone reading) won't know until you try experimenting a little with some test spots.

I also cleaned the pad on the fly often. Even then I'd have to go inside and wash the pad out (it's the only pad like it that I have).

I found the op's results a little different than what I'd read elsewhere, but I am still looking forward to trying this product.
 
I absolutely love FG 400! Using it with LC HT Tangerine via rotary. Very little dusting.
 
It did a great job on my daughter's civic.. it was in pretty run down shape. I used a 3401 with orange ccs pad. Finished down virtually swirls free. Topped it off with Menzerna color lock wax. Almost no dusting at all. The car came out really nice overall.

I will say that FG400 works great on cultured marble bathroom counter tops. The thing was scratched up pretty bad so I used my Flex rotary with a 4" wool pad. Came out nice and the shine is unbelievable! I topped it off with Opti-coat. Warning.. the compound made a horrible strong smell that made me put a fan in the window and vent it out.. but I guess it wasn't designed for indoor use in small spaces LOL.
 
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