Flex 3401 with Megs MF cutting pad

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totoro

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First time using MF on my Flex. First try, i prime the pad and use three pea size of D300. Cleaned it with brush for each panel. After 4 or 5 panel it got "cake". I thought i was using too much product. I put moderate to light pressure, speed 4.

The second time i use, i try with 2 pea sized and i still got the cake effect. I'm using speed 3.5. What did i do wrong?

FYI, i don't have these problems when using their finishing MF pad which is more thicker in foam and MF and with D301. Anybody can advise the proper way to use MF pad with 3401?
 
Still too much product.

I prefer to use a traditional PC style DA with the MF cutting pads but I've had success many times using them with the 3401. Regardless of the tool, if you're getting caking of the product on the paint you're using too much product. The advantage of using a PC style DA with MF pads over the 3401 is that the PC style DA will cut faster and finish nicer with good technique.

The 3401 is a different type of tool is all and as such has it's own style of technique that works best with MF pads. I suggest priming the face of the pad and leave out the pea sized drops all together. Use less and less product until you're not caking the product anymore. Just make sure the entire face of the pad gets a very thin layer of product.

Try this then report your findings in this thread and go from there.
 
dave,
thanks for the great advise!! may i know what speed you use for cutting and final polishing?
 
I had fantastic results with the 3401 and a mf pad using FG400. The stuff is amazing. I cleaned the pad after every section and never had a problem with caking.
 
totoro said:
dave,
thanks for the great advise!! may i know what speed you use for cutting and final polishing?
Click to expand...

You're welcome. Speed 6 in general for cutting. There will be some tricky areas or smaller sections that need to be hit where I'll use my judgement and turn the speed down to prevent over cutting those areas, but in general I keep it cranked up all the way.

Same goes for finish polishing, unless I'm working on super soft paint that's not responding well to higher speeds. Every job is unique and a test section and "testing on the fly" should be practiced. If you pay attention to what's going on with the paint, the paint will tell you what speeds to run at in which areas.
 
Good news, as advised by Dave, i brave myself and crank the speed up to 4.5, i had the impression that speed 4 is the max for Meg's MF cause it generate a lot of heat and it can easily delaminated when using speed 5 and 6. I read few reviews on Amazon that Meg's MF pads made in Thailand have this issue, current newer batch around April if not mistaken are made in USA won't have this issue.

I got mine last week. As advised by Dave, i put as little D300 as possible and put it on speed 4.5, boy oh boy it didn't cake at all and MF stay fluffy all the time. Second panel i tried to put more D300, 5 pea size and i crank it up to speed 6, no cake and i got a nice cut!! I guess amount of D300 and speed do play a role. I settle down with speed 5 with 2 or 3(depend on how many product left on pad) pea size of D300, it was so much fun to cut and polish, frustration zero now :) Reason for not using speed 6 was i still a bit worried Meg's pad will delaminated, being a close foam stiff MF pad, it does get hot easily.

Thanks guys for the great advise. :)
 
tuscarora dave said:
You're welcome. Speed 6 in general for cutting. There will be some tricky areas or smaller sections that need to be hit where I'll use my judgement and turn the speed down to prevent over cutting those areas, but in general I keep it cranked up all the way.

Same goes for finish polishing, unless I'm working on super soft paint that's not responding well to higher speeds. Every job is unique and a test section and "testing on the fly" should be practiced. If you pay attention to what's going on with the paint, the paint will tell you what speeds to run at in which areas.
Click to expand...

Amen to that brother!
 
Success said:
MF pads and the flex don't work well together.
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Really? they work fine with the Flex. The machine behind the pad really doesn't matter. Your technique is what matters.
I did this BMW with my Flex to remove sanding marks, it works fine with the Flex.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/67632-71-bmw-2002-repaint-wet-sanded-polished.html

Back to the OP's question.
You can't use a MF pad a lot you have to clean them often. Not with a brush but soap and water cleaning. This is the reason you need more then one pad.
I go through at least 4 pads. I use one pad clean it set it in the sun and get a fresh pad.

The one thing Micro Fiber do is hold on to stuff so as you use them they will get loaded up no matter how much you brush them.
This is why Meguiar's recommends blowing them out with an air compressor.
Not many of use have an air compressor with us so the alternative is to use more then one pad.

Another tip (from Jason Rose of Meg's) is to make sure the MFP is covered in product in order for the MFP to work properly.
 
Let me clarify. They do work with the flex but technique is much more important compared to using it with a GG6.
 
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