My technique concerning the 3401, Menzerna products, and Hybrid pads

For those of us who own nothing more than a GG 6" DA, would there be similar effectiveness using the hybrid pads and your technique? Or would one have better luck with say the hydro-tech pads (keeping the polishes mentioned here the same FG400/SF4000). I own the LC flat pads and have recently been wondering if I might achieve better results trying out the hydro-tech system or even the hybrid pads mentioned here.
 
For those of us who own nothing more than a GG 6" DA, would there be similar effectiveness using the hybrid pads and your technique? Or would one have better luck with say the hydro-tech pads (keeping the polishes mentioned here the same FG400/SF4000). I own the LC flat pads and have recently been wondering if I might achieve better results trying out the hydro-tech system or even the hybrid pads mentioned here.

You would surely have better results with thinner style pads such Hydro techs on a traditional DA such as the GG6. The larger thicker pads won't rotate as well on the GG machine.

The technique will stay the same with the variables being the machine and pads.

BTW, my favorite pads on the traditional DA are the Hydro techs. The Hydro tech pads are of closed cell construction and are related to the Hybrids in that they both feature this closed cell face. The regular flat pads are open cell construction.
 
Yep, priming the pad! I only experienced it on the Rupes, not the Flex. I did get some light dusting with the Flex, but this was also with 2500 and not 400. I also noticed that if it was caking up and I dropped the speed, it went away? Weird.

I've been using 2500 as a one step as well starting with first couple of passes on 5-6 with heavy pressure and then a couple passes 3-4 with light to moderate pressure.
What speed are you using on your passes and amount of pressure?
 
I've been using 2500 as a one step as well starting with first couple of passes on 5-6 with heavy pressure and then a couple passes 3-4 with light to moderate pressure.
What speed are you using on your passes and amount of pressure?

I also use a shot of detail spray with addition of compound.
 
I've been using 2500 as a one step as well starting with first couple of passes on 5-6 with heavy pressure and then a couple passes 3-4 with light to moderate pressure.
What speed are you using on your passes and amount of pressure?

When doing any kind of correction or polishing work ideally you would want to have 5-6 pads each to get you through a car. Say 5-6 cutting and 5-6 polishing pads if you dont have a pad washer. At this point switch to a clean pad after every second panel. Do the fender and door, then switch to a fresh pad. Also brush the pad off no later than the second pass to remove built up residue.

Let me know if you have further questions. :xyxthumbs:

I clean the pad after each section pass. Your saying that it's best to clean pad after every couple of passes???
 
Taken from my OP.

My technique concerning the 3401, Menzerna products, and Hybrid pads


After the section was compounded or polished my method to cleaning the pad “on the fly” is to brush the face of the pad with a pad brush or mf towel while the pad is at rest. I don’t hold the brush and spin the pad against it as I feel this accelerates the wear of the pad.

When I am ready for the next section to be polished I will simply add the dimed sized drops of product without the pad conditioner as the pad has been in use and is seasoned.

Doing it this way will get me through half of a hood, a fender, a door, or trunk lid depending on panel size. After I have completed polishing half of the hood or the fender with multiple section passes I will then clean my pad in a pad washer and spin them dry on my rotary and set it aside face down on a mf towel to dry and will grab a fresh dry pad and condition it for use for the next panel.

I rotate 2-3 pads this way of the same color per compounding or polishing step to allow the others to dry while each pad is in use. This way after each panel I always have a fresh clean pad to use.

Alas, questions, comments, critiques welcomed.

:)





I clean the pad after each section pass. Your saying that it's best to clean pad after every couple of passes???


I clean the pad "on the fly after each section pass. When I am finished with a fender the pad is run through my pad washer.


When you quoted me above, I was merely giving the limits of when to clean a pad.
 
Hi Mike,

Just had a question about Menzerna products. I am getting a brand new car (Audi A8) and wanted to know which polishing product should be used along with which pads. I am thinking about using SF 4500 with 6.5inch yellow and black hybrid pad. Do you think I should buy the white hybrid pad as well? The car is new so most likely there should not be many imperfections. I am going for a mirror finish. I will follow the SF 4500 with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0
 
Hi Mike,

Just had a question about Menzerna products. I am getting a brand new car (Audi A8) and wanted to know which polishing product should be used along with which pads. I am thinking about using SF 4500 with 6.5inch yellow and black hybrid pad. Do you think I should buy the white hybrid pad as well? The car is new so most likely there should not be many imperfections. I am going for a mirror finish. I will follow the SF 4500 with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0

Hi,

If it were me picking up a brand new black vehicle, I would polish it with SF4000 on white as a minimum to ensure that everything is removed from the surface. But then again, it also depends on what level of defects are in the paint. Please remember to mention to the dealer not to prep the paint and give it to you dirty. This way ensures you get the paint as unmolested as possible.

If they do prep the vehicle for you anyway, you may need to step up your aggressiveness to remove whatever the dealer hacks put in it.

But to answer your question, SF4000 on white assuming no one touches the paint but you. And to really bring out the gloss of the black paint they are so well known to produce, SF4500 on a black Hybrid pad before your LSP. This will undoubtedly give you that incredible finish you are after.

I would also apply two coats of WDGPS 3.0 with 24 hours cure time in between. Then top it with Fuzion to seal the deal and maintain with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Instant Detail Spritz and Deep Gloss spray Sealant respectively.

Happy polishing,
Mike
 
Hi,

If it were me picking up a brand new black vehicle, I would polish it with SF4000 on white as a minimum to ensure that everything is removed from the surface. But then again, it also depends on what level of defects are in the paint. Please remember to mention to the dealer not to prep the paint and give it to you dirty. This way ensures you get the paint as unmolested as possible.

If they do prep the vehicle for you anyway, you may need to step up your aggressiveness to remove whatever the dealer hacks put in it.

But to answer your question, SF4000 on white assuming no one touches the paint but you. And to really bring out the gloss of the black paint they are so well known to produce, SF4500 on a black Hybrid pad before your LSP. This will undoubtedly give you that incredible finish you are after.

I would also apply two coats of WDGPS 3.0 with 24 hours cure time in between. Then top it with Fuzion to seal the deal and maintain with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Instant Detail Spritz and Deep Gloss spray Sealant respectively.

Happy polishing,
Mike

Hey Mike, thanks for your detailed response. I was wondering if you could critique my method:

1) Wash car thoroughly
2) Use Nanoskin with lubricant instead of claying
3) 1 run with SF4000 with white hybrid pad
4) 1 run with SF4500 with black hybrid pad
5) 1 coat of WDGPS 3.0
6) Fuzion (1 hour after WDGPS 3.0 ?)

Sorry for slight off topic but now that I have gotten a hold of you, I want to make the most of it :xyxthumbs:
 
Hey Mike, thanks for your detailed response. I was wondering if you could critique my method:

1) Wash car thoroughly
2) Use Nanoskin with lubricant instead of claying
3) 1 run with SF4000 with white hybrid pad
4) 1 run with SF4500 with black hybrid pad
5) 1 coat of WDGPS 3.0
6) Fuzion (1 hour after WDGPS 3.0 ?)

Sorry for slight off topic but now that I have gotten a hold of you, I want to make the most of it :xyxthumbs:

List looks good.

After wipe off of WDGPS 3.0, wait 12 hours minimum before a coat of Fuzion.
 
In those 12 hours cure time, wont the car get dirty? Do I have to wash it again or can I just straight up apply wax?
My process is applying the wax or sealant at night then do a coat of wax again in the morning. Shouldn't get dirty sitting there usually. Especially in a garage.
 
I worked today with fg 400 on bmw 5 series 2001. It was my firs job with good compound and some wool pads and i found that the paint was very hard to correct.

Unkonown rotary mashine don't know if this can be a big problem.

Tried menzerna wool pad it dusted a lot I get nervous because i heard that menzerna doesnt dust.

Could not work with menzerna hard pad it was really hard to work with that very hard pad.

Finished the job with menzerna medium pad and got let say 70% correction on very swirled and scrached paint.

When I finished the job tried one more time will wool and wanted 95% correction I got that 95% correction but again dusting.

Someone used menzerna pads how they compare to others. I liked a lot the medium pad .

Every section I did i checked the pain for heat, It was not very heat or just a litle heat can I go up a litle with the speed because the mashine is uqnknown I dont know how much speed I can use it's like 10, 13, 16, until 28. I work with 16 when I went to 19 it dusted a litle even with medium pad.

I worked the polish enough but didn't notice that from milky to transparent finish. I stopped the polishing cycle sometimes when th polish was hazzed sometimes when I worked longer i got that finished polish on paint when i even didnt need a microfiber.

Thanks a lot for reading and helping.
 
I worked today with fg 400 on bmw 5 series 2001. It was my firs job with good compound and some wool pads and i found that the paint was very hard to correct.

Unkonown rotary mashine don't know if this can be a big problem.

Tried menzerna wool pad it dusted a lot I get nervous because i heard that menzerna doesnt dust.

Could not work with menzerna hard pad it was really hard to work with that very hard pad.

Finished the job with menzerna medium pad and got let say 70% correction on very swirled and scrached paint.

When I finished the job tried one more time will wool and wanted 95% correction I got that 95% correction but again dusting.

Someone used menzerna pads how they compare to others. I liked a lot the medium pad .

Every section I did i checked the pain for heat, It was not very heat or just a litle heat can I go up a litle with the speed because the mashine is uqnknown I dont know how much speed I can use it's like 10, 13, 16, until 28. I work with 16 when I went to 19 it dusted a litle even with medium pad.

I worked the polish enough but didn't notice that from milky to transparent finish. I stopped the polishing cycle sometimes when th polish was hazzed sometimes when I worked longer i got that finished polish on paint when i even didnt need a microfiber.

Thanks a lot for reading and helping.

What machine are you working with? Rotary?

Could you list what machine, pads, and how you are working them?

Either style machine equipped with a wool pad and FG400 will not have any problems cutting through hard paint provided my technique is followed.

For the most part Menzerna will not dust or dusts in very small quantities. Usually the result of using a brand new never used pad or over saturating the pad with product. Once you get in the sweet spot so to speak, dusting should be non existent.

If you are working the polish so long that there is nothing left to wipe off you have gone completely through the working cycle and possibly instilled holograms.

Would it be possible to get some Hybrid pads?

Also where are you located?
 
Unkonown rotary mashine don't know if this can be a big problem.

Not knowing the speed capabilities of the machine is a problem. FG400 absolutley does not like to be run above 1200 rpm. This is the source of your dusting.

Tried menzerna wool pad it dusted a lot I get nervous because i heard that menzerna doesnt dust.

When I finished the job tried one more time will wool and wanted 95% correction I got that 95% correction but again dusting.

Every section I did i checked the pain for heat, It was not very heat or just a litle heat can I go up a litle with the speed because the mashine is uqnknown I dont know how much speed I can use it's like 10, 13, 16, until 28. I work with 16 when I went to 19 it dusted a litle even with medium pad.

I have not used any Menzerna pads. Again, do not exceed 1200 rpm.

Thanks a lot for reading and helping.

I am here to help. Don't hesitate to ask further questions.

Best Regards,
Mike
 
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