What do you guys think of this....

finishstrong09

finishstrong09

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Tools:
3 Zaino borderfree MF towels
Lake Country CCS Green, White, and Blue 6.5"
Flex XC 3401
2 buckets
2 grit guards
Several Meguiars MF towels
Meguiars Wash Mitt

Products: (listed in order of intended use)
Dawn Liquid Dish Soap
Blackfire Clay bar kit
Mequiars Quick Detailer (clay bar lube) (Meguiars MF)
Duragloss #561 (Green pad)
Duragloss #501 (Green pad)
Blackfire Total Polish and Seal (White pad)
Blackfire Wet Diamond Polymer Spray (wipe off BTPS) (Zaino BFMF)
Blackfire Crystal Seal (Zaino BFMF)
Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection (Zaino BFMF)
Collinite #845 (Blue pad)

Goal:
Achieve mild paint correction and ultimate protection from the Florida summer sun and bugs to 2011 Honda Accord (CBP), 2003 Honda Civic (NHBP), 2008 Ford Edge (Creme Brulee), and 2009 Lincoln MKS (Sangria Red Clearcoat Metallic). No oxidation present on any of the vehicles. Just webbing and light to moderate swirls. Hoping this process will last about 4-6 months on the vehicles.

For maintenance washing:
Blackfire Wet Diamond Conditioning Shampoo or Duragloss #901
Blackfire Wet Diamond Polymer Spray or Duragloss #951 (Zaino BFMF)

Good plan? Tips? Over kill/too much? Perfect? A few adjustments?...let me know. FYI I'm a noob at this stuff. But I've been reading a hell of a lot of threads and posts. So I hope I'm close on selecting good products for the goals I'm trying to achieve.
 
Perhaps few orange pads or even mf da kit? I have never use any compounds and polishes from blackfire/ duragloss.
 
Get onr for cheap clay lube and 5.5 pads, the Meg's mf system would be easy as well and from your description will fully correct
 
SON1C said:
Get onr for cheap clay lube and 5.5 pads, the Meg's mf system would be easy as well and from your description will fully correct
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I actually have ONR on my list. But I have 2 bottles of Megs QD that I need to use up first. Don't want it to go to waste :).

What is the Megs MF system? Is that this...
Meguiars DA Microfiber Correction System 6 Inch Starter Kit, dual action polishing kit, paint correction kit

5.5" pads for the small areas I assume, right?

Great, I'll need to get a new backing plate. Any suggestions on a good one? My Flex has a 5.5" backing plate on it so I assume I will need a 4.5" plate?

I was thinking something like this..
FLEX XC3401 Changeable Backing Plate System
 
Megs mf pads don't do so well on the Flex

Optimum's mf pads may work a bit better. If you don't have an air compressor to blow them out after each panel, then you will need to clean/swap them out frequently to prevent heat buildup.

Back to the list. Are you buying all that stuff to have on hand or to actually use in that order for every detail. IMO, some of that stuff is redundant i.e. DG 501 is an AIO and so is BF total polish and seal so no need to use them one after another.

Similarly, Crystal Seal is a spray sealant and BFWD is a traditional sealant. Traditionalists generally put sealants on clean paint for maximum bonding and durability, but you are planning on using an AIO which leaves it's own sealant behind, then top it with the polymer spray (which is more of a maintenance-type spray sealant), before putting on the sealant (BFWD), then topping it with another sealant-wax hybrid (845). You can probably get away with it if you stick with BF since everything is compatible but I still think it's a bit much.

See where I'm going here?

With so many cars to do, I guarantee you will be pooped going through that process after the first car. I'd simplify things if I were you.

I'm not saying that you don't need all those products mind you, just that you don't need to use everything in your closet and under the bed for every detail... :)

I haven't used DG561 but assume it is a swirl remover of some sort. The abrasive action will also clean the paint. You can still use either the BF or DG AIO's next as your finishing polish since they both have fine abrasives but if you use the DG 501, I'd top it with 845 and call it a day. If you use the BF AIO, then top it with BFWD and be done.

The next day, after the sealants have cured, you can add a layer of crystal seal if you want. Save the polymer spray for a refresher after washing...
 
embolism said:
Megs mf pads don't do so well on the Flex

Optimum's mf pads may work a bit better. If you don't have an air compressor to blow them out after each panel, then you will need to clean/swap them out frequently to prevent heat buildup.

I assume Optimum MF pads are for buffing off? So how many would you say I would need for 1 car per day.

Back to the list. Are you buying all that stuff to have on hand or to actually use in that order for every detail. IMO, some of that stuff is redundant i.e. DG 501 is an AIO and so is BF total polish and seal so no need to use them one after another.

I mostly have Megs stuff on hand. But my love affair with Megs has died recently as I have found that there are better products that last much longer in the Florida sun than Megs stuff. I tried Zaino stuff for a few months but the quality vs cost and ordering and all of that made me shy away from those products as well. Most of my tool list I have on hand except for the Lake Country CCS pads. I'll need to order those still.

Similarly, Crystal Seal is a spray sealant and BFWD is a traditional sealant. Traditionalists generally put sealants on clean paint for maximum bonding and durability, but you are planning on using an AIO which leaves it's own sealant behind, then top it with the polymer spray (which is more of a maintenance-type spray sealant), before putting on the sealant (BFWD), then topping it with another sealant-wax hybrid (845). You can probably get away with it if you stick with BF since everything is compatible but I still think it's a bit much.

See where I'm going here?

Yes, I see what you mean. Hmmm. I really want to use as much BF products more so than Duragloss stuff. Not sure why. Just been reading really good things about BF to make me lean towards that more. So what if I do this...
Products: (listed in order of intended use)
Dawn Liquid Dish Soap
Blackfire Clay bar kit
Mequiars Quick
Detailer (clay bar lube) (Meguiars MF)
Duragloss #561 (Green pad)
Blackfire Total Polish and Seal (White pad)
Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection (Zaino BFMF)
Collinite #845 (Blue pad)
Blackfire Crystal Seal (Zaino BFMF) the next day.
With so many cars to do, I guarantee you will be pooped going through that process after the first car. I'd simplify things if I were you.

I am only doing one per weekend. These are all family vehicles.

I'm not saying that you don't need all those products mind you, just that you don't need to use everything in your closet and under the bed for every detail... :)

I haven't used DG561 but assume it is a swirl remover of some sort. The abrasive action will also clean the paint. You can still use either the BF or DG AIO's next as your finishing polish since they both have fine abrasives but if you use the DG 501, I'd top it with 845 and call it a day. If you use the BF AIO, then top it with BFWD and be done.

The next day, after the sealants have cured, you can add a layer of crystal seal if you want. Save the polymer spray for a refresher after washing...
Click to expand...

I see what your saying even though a lot of these products are not cheap I still don't to overspend on stuff I really don't need to achieve the results I'm looking for.

Thanks for the advice.
 
Your last revised list looks a little better less redundant products. If you want to use all BF products I would also skip the DG 561 swirl remover and use BF polishes or compounds. Simply best to stick with one line for compatibility. I am a DG fan but use BFWD on dark colors only.
One thing though, IMO you need to let the BFWD set up overnight before topping with 845. I generally on my own cars do the sealant one weekend and top the next weekend.
 
the reason you're reading a lot of good stuff about BF is b/c there are new formulae out and people are always into something new. DG has been around a long time and you can get great results using their products as well.

by Optimum mf pads, I'm referring to these:

Optimum Microfiber Cutting Pad, compounding pad, microfiber disc

not sure what size will fit the original backing plate for the flex. I'd get at least 2 so you can clean (use a bug sponge if you don't have an air compressor), then swap them back and forth after every few panels.

If you go with these pads then maybe instead of 561, you should look at the optimum lineup.

Optimum Compound is an aggressive compound that finishes like a mild abrasive polish! Remove swirls and scratches with your polisher with Optimum

you could also just get some ultimate compound OTC. You should really go with SMAT polishes to get the full benefit of the cutting mf discs. Once you do your test spots, you may find you only need a couple passes to get the results you want then you can stop.

You may even find that on the harder paints (Ford and Lincoln) you don't need to follow up with a finishing polish (in your case, the AIO)and can go right to your sealant/wax.

I also don't know about the 845 between the BFWD and CS. I'd leave either the 845 or the CS out of your above process. Like bobble says, you'll need to wait at least 8 hours for the BFWD to cure before topping.
 
bobble said:
Your last revised list looks a little better less redundant products. If you want to use all BF products I would also skip the DG 561 swirl remover and use BF polishes or compounds. Simply best to stick with one line for compatibility. I am a DG fan but use BFWD on dark colors only.
One thing though, IMO you need to let the BFWD set up overnight before topping with 845. I generally on my own cars do the sealant one weekend and top the next weekend.
Click to expand...

embolism said:
the reason you're reading a lot of good stuff about BF is b/c there are new formulae out and people are always into something new. DG has been around a long time and you can get great results using their products as well.

by Optimum mf pads, I'm referring to these:

Optimum Microfiber Cutting Pad, compounding pad, microfiber disc

not sure what size will fit the original backing plate for the flex. I'd get at least 2 so you can clean (use a bug sponge if you don't have an air compressor), then swap them back and forth after every few panels.

If you go with these pads then maybe instead of 561, you should look at the optimum lineup.

Optimum Compound is an aggressive compound that finishes like a mild abrasive polish! Remove swirls and scratches with your polisher with Optimum

you could also just get some ultimate compound OTC. You should really go with SMAT polishes to get the full benefit of the cutting mf discs. Once you do your test spots, you may find you only need a couple passes to get the results you want then you can stop.

You may even find that on the harder paints (Ford and Lincoln) you don't need to follow up with a finishing polish (in your case, the AIO)and can go right to your sealant/wax.

I also don't know about the 845 between the BFWD and CS. I'd leave either the 845 or the CS out of your above process. Like bobble says, you'll need to wait at least 8 hours for the BFWD to cure before topping.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip on the BFWD guys. I'll apply that last and let it cure overnight in the garage and then apply some Collinite 845 to finish it off in the morning.

So no Lake Country CCS Green pad for swirl remover compounds? I've read for soft Honda paint a green pad is all you need. For the harder paints (Ford and Lincoln) maybe use the optimum mf pads?

Products: (listed in order of intended use)
Dawn Liquid Dish Soap
Blackfire Clay bar kit (What about a Nanoskin Autoscrub 6 inch pad?)
Mequiars Quick Detailer or ONR (clay bar lube) (Meguiars mf for wipe off)
Blackfire Scratch Resistant Clear Compound (LC CCS Green pad) (mf bonnet for buff off)
Blackfire Scratch Resistant Clear Finishing Polish (LC CCS White pad) (mf bonnet for buff off)
Blackfire Crystal Seal (mf applicator)
Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection (mf applicator) (cure overnight)
Collinite #845 (LC CCS Blue pad) (mf bonnet buff off) (top off)

Better? :)

Question: If I wanted to go all Duragloss would I do this...??

Products: (listed in order of intended use)
Dawn Liquid Dish Soap
Blackfire Clay bar kitMequiars Quick Detailer or ONR (clay bar lube) (Meguiars mf for wipe off)
Duragloss 561 (LC CCS Green pad) (mf bonnet buff off)
Duragloss 501 (LC CCS White pad) (mf bonnet buff off)
Duragloss Polish Bonding Agent 601 (LC CCS Black pad)
Duragloss Clear Coat Polish 111 (LC CCS Blue pad) (Zaino bfmf towel buff off) (cure overnight)
Collinite #845 (LC CCS Blue pad) (mf bonnet buff off) (top off)
Duragloss Aquawax 951 (Zaino bfmf towel apply)
 
For cleaning the Optimum MF cutting pads...you mentioned using a bug sponge...could you explain that further...do I need to wet the sponge? do I need to wet the sponge with water or with a diluted car wash shampoo? or just a bug sponge that is dry and rub it on the cutting pad?
 
For an alternative to cleaning the MF pads, a can of compressed air and a stiff brush work as well, compressor if you have is cheapest in the long run.

The nanoskin or clay towels or whatever people are calling them are good solutions for production detailers. The pros I know cover @35 to 40 cars with one. Downside to the hobbyist/part time guy, IE me, cost cost cost. I use OTC clay kits, medium grade if I can find them fine otherwise. A clay bar is good for @4 mid sized cars if you are careful not to drop it and keep smashing it up to get a clean surface. A decent tip is too warm the clay up in a microwave first making it softer and more pliable and less likely to mar as much. Another reason for the clay towel/pad alternatives is hand cramping but again that's for porduction guys doing 2 or more cars a day every week. To me just use some clay and get it at the auto parts store OTC for once a year claying.

On the DG stuff I always do on light colors 601/501 premixed then follow directly with 601/105 premixed. 105 is a newer version of 111 I believe. I do the exact thing on my Tblazer which sits outside 24/7 601/501, 601/105 following week 845. Truck gets dipped in water, fresh and salt all the time, trees and birds crap all over just comes right off no issues. I do this once a year but do use 951 every other wash, get swashed weekly if not raining. Great for DD's.
 
dont use ccs pads, i still dont understand the point of these being made, they offer less correctional ability compared to the flats due to less surface area, and they should not be used with diminishing abrasives as the abrasives will not break down at the same time so will take longer to get the results you are after...and keep it simple, your reading WAY too far into this and making things complicated for yourself. dont go after flavor of the month, go after tried and true products that have proven their worth. meguiars m105/205 works awesome for most paints coupled with some foam pads and your good...optimum polishes/compounds are great as well. i do not like diminishing abrasive products because of the time it takes, and id rather stop when i want to stop polishing and not wait on a product to break down...
 
finishstrong09 said:
Products: (listed in order of intended use)
Dawn Liquid Dish Soap
Blackfire Clay bar kit (What about a Nanoskin Autoscrub 6 inch pad?)
Mequiars Quick Detailer or ONR (clay bar lube) (Meguiars mf for wipe off)
Blackfire Scratch Resistant Clear Compound (LC CCS Green pad) (mf bonnet for buff off)
Blackfire Scratch Resistant Clear Finishing Polish (LC CCS White pad) (mf bonnet for buff off)
Blackfire Crystal Seal (mf applicator)
Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection (mf applicator) (cure overnight)
Collinite #845 (LC CCS Blue pad) (mf bonnet buff off) (top off)

Better? :)

Question: If I wanted to go all Duragloss would I do this...??

Products: (listed in order of intended use)
Dawn Liquid Dish Soap
Blackfire Clay bar kitMequiars Quick Detailer or ONR (clay bar lube) (Meguiars mf for wipe off)
Duragloss 561 (LC CCS Green pad) (mf bonnet buff off)
Duragloss 501 (LC CCS White pad) (mf bonnet buff off)
Duragloss Polish Bonding Agent 601 (LC CCS Black pad)
Duragloss Clear Coat Polish 111 (LC CCS Blue pad) (Zaino bfmf towel buff off) (cure overnight)
Collinite #845 (LC CCS Blue pad) (mf bonnet buff off) (top off)
Duragloss Aquawax 951 (Zaino bfmf towel apply)
Click to expand...

With BF you should use Crystal Seal after Wet Diamond and not the other way around. And to proceed with the same line of products, maybe Midnight Sun instead of Collinite 845 (I know the price range is not the same...).
With Duragloss you must be carefull: DG 561 is for gelcoat and fiberglass - have you read anything that says that it is clearcoat safe?
You should try the mix DG 501/601 (4:1) followed by DG 105/601 (4:1) and top it with Collinite 845 and use DG AW 951 every other wash. This is a serious combo for durability.
 
IMHO your using too many sealants/waxes/LSP intended product s on top of each other. I would simplify things a bit and just use clay, compound (if needed), polish, sealant, and wax. If it was me, I would skip one of the LSPs / AIO / waxes / or sealants and use the money you save for Iron X or ONR (which can also be used as a clay lube and to help clean panels between steps).
 
opie_7afe said:
dont use ccs pads, i still dont understand the point of these being made, they offer less correctional ability compared to the flats due to less surface area, and they should not be used with diminishing abrasives as the abrasives will not break down at the same time so will take longer to get the results you are after...and keep it simple, your reading WAY too far into this and making things complicated for yourself. dont go after flavor of the month, go after tried and true products that have proven their worth. meguiars m105/205 works awesome for most paints coupled with some foam pads and your good...optimum polishes/compounds are great as well. i do not like diminishing abrasive products because of the time it takes, and id rather stop when i want to stop polishing and not wait on a product to break down...
Click to expand...

Thanks. Good points. I have read that with Honda/Toyota soft paints M105/205 is a great combination without any marring. Collinite 845 is pretty tried and true I thought. As well as Duragloss stuff.

I'm not very familar with optimum products and or what pads to use with them.
 
RMM said:
With BF you should use Crystal Seal after Wet Diamond and not the other way around. And to proceed with the same line of products, maybe Midnight Sun instead of Collinite 845 (I know the price range is not the same...).
With Duragloss you must be carefull: DG 561 is for gelcoat and fiberglass - have you read anything that says that it is clearcoat safe?
You should try the mix DG 501/601 (4:1) followed by DG 105/601 (4:1) and top it with Collinite 845 and use DG AW 951 every other wash. This is a serious combo for durability.
Click to expand...

But will the DG501/601 combo correct webbing and light to moderate swirls?

I have read that DG561 is good for Honda paint compound correction. And Honda paint is one the softer paints so I would assume that it would be ok. Maybe I should stick to a paint correction compound that is proven tried and true to correct properly without micromarring too much or risk damaging the clear coat.
 
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