LC yellow cutting pad/OR/microfiber?
- Thread starter LazyGhost
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Andr3wilson
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- May 16, 2012
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Well the MF pads really do have a lot of cut to them, they heat up quick. Its kinda hard to say because I have never used both a yellow and an MF on the same paint.
How bad is the car?
icture:
If it is really bad you may want to go over onto a wool pad.
What are you polishing with? PC, Griots, Rotary?
How bad is the car?
icture:If it is really bad you may want to go over onto a wool pad.
What are you polishing with? PC, Griots, Rotary?
- Thread starter
- #4
Gg6. Ive got orange and white flat pads at the moment. Its a buddies ride. Im looking to take advantage of the sale and pick up some things and i want something more aggressive for this project, and whatever comes up in the future.
AutowerxDetailing
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- Apr 10, 2012
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LC yellow is VERY aggressive when coupled with M105 and, no matter what paint system, will likely leave moderate DA haze that will require extensive final polishing.
M105 with MF cutting discs on most paint systems will finish out almost LSP ready while still providing heavy cutting ability. I'm talking like 1-2 passes with M205 ready.
I haven't touched my yellows since I started playing with MF's.
Test spot tells the truth regardless... YMMV, etc.
M105 with MF cutting discs on most paint systems will finish out almost LSP ready while still providing heavy cutting ability. I'm talking like 1-2 passes with M205 ready.
I haven't touched my yellows since I started playing with MF's.
Test spot tells the truth regardless... YMMV, etc.
Andr3wilson
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:iagree: try the MF pads and see where they get you. If anything can't be removed with them, a second pass will clear them up!
cardaddy
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I recently played around on my wife's Denali with 101, D300, orange, yellow and MF pads. The hood has etching from water spots and honestly could use wet sanding. I had just gotten the Megs MF kit so decided I'd play around on the hood.
The D300 and MF pad gave the smoothest, closest to LSP 'look'. The yellow and 101 seemed to give the best overall results, over and above the MF pad and 101. I will admit however that it was late (after midnight) and I slipped a disc earlier which was seriously hurting by then.
Given time, and more MF pads (which I have now) I think 101 and the cutting pad will beat the
yellow pad hands down. That being said, the paint on the Denali is a tinted clear which when I was tired and hurting, for a brief moment, I vaguely thought it might be CC failure.
I'd say try them both... the foam is easy to work and you don't have to keep it *as* clean as MF pads. If there is one thing the MF system needs is a LOT of cleaning, sometimes as often as every section pass, and certainly wouldn't do an entire hood without cleaning. Which reminds me.... I need a bigger compressor! 
vegas911gts
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- Sep 19, 2012
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If none of that works, wool or surbuf as a last resort.
Andr3wilson
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Spectacular system they developed! Works like a dream on a Rupes
If there is one thing the MF system needs is a LOT of cleaning, sometimes as often as every section pass, and certainly wouldn't do an entire hood without cleaning. Which reminds me.... I need a bigger compressor!
Absolutely! Although I would say they are easier to clean than the foam
rmagnus
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- May 28, 2011
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Lots of good advise so far. What polisher and products do you have?
M105 is a very good compound and can ususally handle most anything if used correctly. M101 is more aggressive but finishes down even better IMO.
WRAPT C5Z06
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- Nov 12, 2009
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Microfiber for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!
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- #12
Thanks guys for the help and clarification. I went ahead and ordered the yellow flat pads to finish out my order. I will end up buying the microfiber and some m101 soon enough. I chose the yellow pads at this time because i dont have a compressor yet and am not setup to clean the microfibers. Wanted to tack on the m101 to my order but that stuff is high and im on a budget.
My next order will hopefully be some m101, microfiber pads, and an autogeek professional tool bag to hold all of my pads. I have the smaller autogeek bag for my polisher and chemicals. Cant carry/store it all in one bag and id like for both bags to match so that i can feel and look more professional.
My next order will hopefully be some m101, microfiber pads, and an autogeek professional tool bag to hold all of my pads. I have the smaller autogeek bag for my polisher and chemicals. Cant carry/store it all in one bag and id like for both bags to match so that i can feel and look more professional.
cardaddy
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I still can decide it I want my next machine to be the Rupes or the Flex. Seems like the Flex (since the Rupes was released) has suddenly turned into a bit of a hot potato, IE nobody wants to touch it. :dunno:
That Flex / WG VIP deal is calling out to me something serious!
(Just keep telling myself.... not gonna, not gonna. not gonna......) 
Rsurfer
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WRAPT C5Z06
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I keep giving the Flex 3401 a shot. Today, I used it again, and I put it away after one pass. The think just isn't fun to use. JMO!!!!I still can decide it I want my next machine to be the Rupes or the Flex. Seems like the Flex (since the Rupes was released) has suddenly turned into a bit of a hot potato, IE nobody wants to touch it. :dunno:
That Flex / WG VIP deal is calling out to me something serious!
Flatlander
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- Nov 18, 2012
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So, the MF pads can be used on the Rupes but NOT the Flex? Am I missing something? I've been told that I should stick with foam pads for my Flex. If you have experience with the MF on the Rupes, what suggestions do you have to get a nice finish with the MF on the Flex? Slow it way down or run it hot?
WRAPT C5Z06
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From a mechanical aspect, the forced rotation of the 3401 does not work well with MF pads. The RUPES is still a non-forced rotation DA, hence, why they work well with MF pads.
Andr3wilson
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I still can decide it I want my next machine to be the Rupes or the Flex. Seems like the Flex (since the Rupes was released) has suddenly turned into a bit of a hot potato, IE nobody wants to touch it. :dunno:
That Flex / WG VIP deal is calling out to me something serious!
The Flex is still the better machine IMO. The Rupes is just riding a wave of novelty and hype. Sure it can correct fast and is smoother than a Griots or a PC, but I would argue it is just as flawed if not more than the 3401.
For example the some guys out there have a hard time controlling the Flex and it "walks" all over them. I have never had this issue before.
In all honesty I would argue the Flex can correct faster and because of the forced rotation and a powerful motor, its orbit rate is constant. To me that makes it easier to control, especially if you have to lift it off the paint to go over a curved surface.
This machine is getting a lot of negative criticism when it really does not deserve it
Now the Rupes has some huge flaws (hold your breath guys, here comes a not so stellar, but honest review of the tool).
For one its huge throw makes it pain to use on any tight spaces or curved panels. During a recently polish I used a Rupes 21 and a GG6 with a 3.5 inch pad about 50/50 because the Rupes could not handle the body lines. Sure if you love Rupes and have the compressor to run it, go drop 300+ on their 3 inch air tool to make up for the bigfoot.
Second major flaw with it is the overall craftsmanship and design of the tool. Its cheaply made and really flimsy. All flex tools feel solid and planted. The Rupes feels cheap (even though it isn't) and really it isn't too strong. No I won't deny sometimes I trip over my cables (I usually have a few things going at once during my jobs) and it yanks the machine off the service cart. The 3401 has been dropped half dozen times and the PC more as well from a height of 3 feet. When the Rupes fell off, it broke!!! The plastic hand grip shattered and the body separated in some parts (squeezed back together) but what a dud! $500 machine broke from a height of 3 feet! iPhone is better!
I will give the Rupes credit though where it is due, the machine does an amazing job on correcting (especially one steps) and creating a haze free, swirl free finish. It is the only thing I would use an MF system on because it works so darn good! I do love the Rupes, but people are really going over board on here.
I wouldn't recommend the MF system on any forced rotation machine. The pads on an open spindle heat up really fast (contributes a lot to their correcting speed) and adding a lot concentrated power to the mix will make them burning hot. I don't know for certain but I would say that the heat is one of the contributing factors as to why its not finishing out all the way. Technically you can run MF pads, but the 3401 and rotaries really shine on foam pads. New favourite pad out there is the LC Hybrids! They work so smooth and correct super fast.
cardaddy
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From what I've seen/read and my understanding of the MF system in general, the problem (if you could call it that) with the Flex and MF pads is the forced rotation and how it comes into play with the design of the pads. IOW's, (taking the Meg's system here) the system is designed for a certain OPM speed. With a DA you have a good idea of the OPM based on the RPM. With the Flex it's a different means to an end, as it behaves more like a rotary.
That being said, many guys out there have tried to, very successfully in fact, use MF pads with the Flex. The KEY to using them is not to overload the pad, and to keep is surgically clean. The Flex cuts SO MUCH FASTER that they pads will get full and overheat very quickly. If you don't clean the pad every section pass you're asking for trouble.
OTOH, the DA doesn't cut as fast and doesn't generate the level of heat in the pad (as quickly) as the Flex. It WILL heat the pad up (to the point of failure) if you don't keep on top of it. (For that matter so will a foam pad and I've said often I'll run two pads just for that reason, pulling one off after a panel pass to let it cool and switch to a cool pad) You still have to keep the MF pads clean, even working with a DA. You'll be able to apply much more pressure with the DA, and allow the pad to slow down, as long as it doesn't stop.
Just that this time last year.... heck even last Christmas.... Everyone wanted the Flex. Everybody talked about what a killer machine it is/was and how it runs circle around everything else out there. Then once the Rupes hit our shores the Flex was suddenly the proverbial "red headed step-child". :dunno: It still worked the same but all of a sudden it was too hard to work with, grabbed too much, hard to control, etc.
The newest kid on the block was smooth, sexy, slick, easy on the hands, etc.
For all out correction I still say the Flex would be the tool to go with. (and I don't have one) In fact, I'd say the learning curve is easier with it than any of todays group of DA's. Why? Because it has a set speed, set OPM and that doesn't change, no matter HOW hard you bear down on it. You know the pad is going to turn X amount of times at a given speed setting. You know it's going to bite all the way to the edge of the pad, period. It'll drive larger pads over larger areas and do more work, faster, than a DA. That doesn't mean however that it finishes as well.
The DA otoh in theory, has a given OPM based on RPM.... ONLY if everything remains constant. Change your arm speed and it'll change. Change your downward pressure and it'll change. Change from a flat surface, across a style line, or over a curved surface and it'll change. Crank up the speed and the nice smooth little orbits that are supposed to be perfect circles suddenly look like jagged sharp peaks. The DA simply takes more finesse to master. It'll IMHO, finish better than both the Flex and any orbital. Even though it has less driving power/torque than either of them.
The most important tool you have.... is the one between your ears. Not my saying there, but if it's ever held true... then it SURELY does when talking about how to get the most from a DA.