GS4 With bad swirl marks and scratches
03-14-10, 12:51 PM
#1
GS4 With bad swirl marks and scratches
Hey guys, after several coats of mothers carnuba wax and a few runs with meguirs clay bars, I have come to the conclusion that my car needs more. I've been reading about polishing and how greatly scratches and swirl marks are removed. But im so lost with the amount of pads and different polishers there are. Also some people even say if done incorrectly in can destroy your paint finish. My question is, From start to finish what product(s) Do you recommend to be used on my car with best results, including pads, Polishers...etc. From Wash to finish product? Thanks for the help! My dad was never a car guy so told me just to wash and leave alone 
But I'm Looking for more! Thanks again for the help!!
But I'm Looking for more! Thanks again for the help!!
03-14-10, 01:04 PM
#2
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: FLORIDA
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The most important thing to remember is how to properly wash your ride.
Frequent and proper washing of your vehicle is necessary to preserving that show car shine. Classic Motoring Accessories and Proper Auto Care have been teaching proper cleaner techniques since 1988. Sadly, most swirl marks and light scratches are caused by the wash process, as grit and road grime are scrubbed against the surface. Over time these micro scratches reduce the gloss by diffusing reflected light and will thin the paint.
Products Needed For a Proper Auto Wash.
Wheel Cleaning Supplies
2 Five Gallon Wash Buckets with 2 Grit Guards
High Quality, Wax Friendly Car Soap
High Quality Wash Media such as Natural Sea Sponge, Lamb's Wool Mitt, or High Tech UltiMitt
2 Big Blue Waffle Weave Microfiber Drying Towels
Optional: Quick Detailing Spray an Bug/Tar Remover
Basics
Proper Auto Care recommends washing the wheels, tires, and wheel wheels first. This prevents wheel cleaner from spraying on a clean surface. Properly cleaning the wheels is also time consuming can lead to water spots if the rinse water from washing the car is still on the paint. For proper wheel care please click here.
It is best to wash your vehicle in the shade when the surface is cool to the touch. A hot surface will dry up the water or soap solution, leading to water spots. If you have shade available take advantage of it. If you cannot find shade, try to limit your car washing to first thing in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is close to the horizon and sun's rays are much less direct. After washing and rinsing, the standing water needs to be removed as quickly as possible to avoid leaving mineral deposits that cause water spots, which will actually etch or 'eat into' the paint.
The Two Bucket Method
Most people wouldn't drive to the beach and fill their wash bucket with a shovel full of sand before adding soap and water. Sadly, most of the dirt removed during washing is released into the soap bucket each time the mitt or sponge is reloaded with soap. After washing a couple of sections the soap solution becomes gritty and contaminated, and that grit is scrubbed against the paint. Even rinsing out the wash media after effect section is ineffective. Flowing water may remove some of the grit, but most of it is pushed back into the mitt or sponge. It is much easier, and far more effective, to use a second bucket to rinse the wash media in prior to loading it with more soap solution. Two buckets: The soap bucket and the rinse bucket.
Grit Guards ™ are an ingenious design that uses a grate and vane system to allow released dirt to sink to the bottom and prevents them from remixing into the water or soap solution. Proper Auto Care recommends using one Grit Guard ™ per bucket to give the best possible protection against scratching the paint with contaminated soap solution. When rising the wash media out in the rinse bucket, you should lightly scrub it against the grating of the Grit Guard ™ to help release grit.
Use a High Quality Car Soap Designed for Automotive Finishes.
Automotive soap is designed to remove dirty and road grime safely from the paint, with stripping the existing wax or sealant and will out scratching. Automotive soaps use surfactants to break the surface tension of water, allowing the lubricated solution to penetrate and encapsulate the dirt, reducing the potential for marring. Soap's such as Eimann Fabrik's Auto Spa and Blackfire's Gloss Shampoo are gentle enough to use repeatedly without stripping wax.
Use 5 gallon wash buckets to ensure plenty of soap solution is available to flood the dirt safely off the car. Fill the soap bucket about 4/5th's or 80% full of water before adding the recommended amount of soap to the bucket. Adding soap first results in too many suds and not enough water! Finish filling the water bucket with a stream of water to mix the solution fully. Place a Grit Guard ™ in the bottom of both the soap bucket and the rinse bucket.
Before washing, pre-rinse your vehicle with a steady stream of water to float as much dirt away as possible before getting started. Pre-treat any bugs and tar with a light mist of 1Z einszett Ant Insekt and Pre-Cleaner.
Wash with a Clean High Quality Wash Media.
Classic Motoring Accessories offers several different types of wash media: Natural Sheep Skin Mitts, Natural Sea Spongers, and the ultra soft UltiMitt, as well as various microfiber sponges and boar's hair brushes. Three of the most popular:
Sheep Skin (Lamb's Wool) Mitts are extremely soft and provide a long nap that prevents removed dirt from scouring the paint. Sheep Skin mitts require a more thorough rinse because they are so effective at holding dirt. High quality Sheep Skin mitts last about 6-12 months on average. There ability to clean paint gently and prevent swirl marks has proven through out the years.
Sea Sponges are incredibly durable if washed out after each use. I personally know of several people who have been using the same natural sponge for over 3 years!! Sea Sponges are very soft and will not paint. They also hod a lot of solution, but can be bulky and difficult to get into tight spots.
UltiMitts are a synthetic foam wash mitt, and they are my personal favorite. They release dirty extremely easily and hold a HUGE amount of soap solution, ideal for flooding the paint with soap during the wash. Proper Auto Care's UltiMitt is made out select Lake Country Concours foam, which is the softest available
Wash your vehicle a section at at time, start with the highest areas. Wash in straight lines, from front to back on horizontal surfaces such as the hood, roof, and trunk, and up and down on vertical sections such as the doors, fenders, and rear bumper to minimize the appearance of any accidental marring that may occur. Flood the section with soap water squeezed from the wash media before lightly washing the section in straight lines, rinsing with water after each section. Rinse the wash media in the rinse bucket before reloading it with more soap solution from the soap bucket.
Make it wet to dry it faster!
After washing and rinsing your vehicle a section at a time, remove the nozzle from the hose and do a final rinse with a gentle stream of water. Water has a natural viscosity, and by flooding the paint, it is possible to sheet off a majority of the standing water.
Big Blue III Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towels.
To remove the remaining water after flooding the paint toweling the surface is necessary. While a chamois or synthetic chamois do a great job of removing water, they lack a nap. Any dust or dirt that has settled on the paint will become trapped and rubbed against the surface. Big Blue III drying towels feature a woven microfiber that gives them the absorbency of a chamois while featuring a nap of fiber that hold any dust away from the paint. Although optional, using a detail spray such as Meguiar's M135 Synthetic Detail Spray offers many benefits during the final towel drying of the car. A light mist per panel (while it is still wet) will reintroduce some lubricity to the surface an prevent surface marring. The synthetic polymers will make the water easier to remove and clean any water spots. Wipe gently in the same directions as you washed, to minimize the appearance of any marring that may accidentally occur. Quality quick detailers will also boost the shine of the paint, helping to maintain that just waxed look!
CLIFF NOTES
Always wash when the vehicle is cool to the touch and avoid washing in direct sunlight if possible.
Pre-rinse your vehicle to remove loose soiling.
Pre-treat any bugs or tar with 1Z Anti Insekt and Pre-Cleaner
Wash, using the two bucket method with Grit Guards ™, a quality soap, an a high quality wash media. Wash in straight line motions a section at a time. Thoroughly rinse the section before moving on to the next section. Rinse the wash media in the rinse bucket often to prevent contaminating the soap solution.
After washing each section of the vehicle, do a final rinse with just a steady stream of water. This will cause the majority of the standing water to sheet off.
Dry remaining water with a Big Blue Microfiber and a detail spray such as Meguiar's M135 or Blackfire Deep Gloss Spray Sealant.
Frequent and proper washing of your vehicle is necessary to preserving that show car shine. Classic Motoring Accessories and Proper Auto Care have been teaching proper cleaner techniques since 1988. Sadly, most swirl marks and light scratches are caused by the wash process, as grit and road grime are scrubbed against the surface. Over time these micro scratches reduce the gloss by diffusing reflected light and will thin the paint.
Products Needed For a Proper Auto Wash.
Wheel Cleaning Supplies
2 Five Gallon Wash Buckets with 2 Grit Guards
High Quality, Wax Friendly Car Soap
High Quality Wash Media such as Natural Sea Sponge, Lamb's Wool Mitt, or High Tech UltiMitt
2 Big Blue Waffle Weave Microfiber Drying Towels
Optional: Quick Detailing Spray an Bug/Tar Remover
Basics
Proper Auto Care recommends washing the wheels, tires, and wheel wheels first. This prevents wheel cleaner from spraying on a clean surface. Properly cleaning the wheels is also time consuming can lead to water spots if the rinse water from washing the car is still on the paint. For proper wheel care please click here.
It is best to wash your vehicle in the shade when the surface is cool to the touch. A hot surface will dry up the water or soap solution, leading to water spots. If you have shade available take advantage of it. If you cannot find shade, try to limit your car washing to first thing in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is close to the horizon and sun's rays are much less direct. After washing and rinsing, the standing water needs to be removed as quickly as possible to avoid leaving mineral deposits that cause water spots, which will actually etch or 'eat into' the paint.
The Two Bucket Method
Most people wouldn't drive to the beach and fill their wash bucket with a shovel full of sand before adding soap and water. Sadly, most of the dirt removed during washing is released into the soap bucket each time the mitt or sponge is reloaded with soap. After washing a couple of sections the soap solution becomes gritty and contaminated, and that grit is scrubbed against the paint. Even rinsing out the wash media after effect section is ineffective. Flowing water may remove some of the grit, but most of it is pushed back into the mitt or sponge. It is much easier, and far more effective, to use a second bucket to rinse the wash media in prior to loading it with more soap solution. Two buckets: The soap bucket and the rinse bucket.
Grit Guards ™ are an ingenious design that uses a grate and vane system to allow released dirt to sink to the bottom and prevents them from remixing into the water or soap solution. Proper Auto Care recommends using one Grit Guard ™ per bucket to give the best possible protection against scratching the paint with contaminated soap solution. When rising the wash media out in the rinse bucket, you should lightly scrub it against the grating of the Grit Guard ™ to help release grit.
Use a High Quality Car Soap Designed for Automotive Finishes.
Automotive soap is designed to remove dirty and road grime safely from the paint, with stripping the existing wax or sealant and will out scratching. Automotive soaps use surfactants to break the surface tension of water, allowing the lubricated solution to penetrate and encapsulate the dirt, reducing the potential for marring. Soap's such as Eimann Fabrik's Auto Spa and Blackfire's Gloss Shampoo are gentle enough to use repeatedly without stripping wax.
Use 5 gallon wash buckets to ensure plenty of soap solution is available to flood the dirt safely off the car. Fill the soap bucket about 4/5th's or 80% full of water before adding the recommended amount of soap to the bucket. Adding soap first results in too many suds and not enough water! Finish filling the water bucket with a stream of water to mix the solution fully. Place a Grit Guard ™ in the bottom of both the soap bucket and the rinse bucket.
Before washing, pre-rinse your vehicle with a steady stream of water to float as much dirt away as possible before getting started. Pre-treat any bugs and tar with a light mist of 1Z einszett Ant Insekt and Pre-Cleaner.
Wash with a Clean High Quality Wash Media.
Classic Motoring Accessories offers several different types of wash media: Natural Sheep Skin Mitts, Natural Sea Spongers, and the ultra soft UltiMitt, as well as various microfiber sponges and boar's hair brushes. Three of the most popular:
Sheep Skin (Lamb's Wool) Mitts are extremely soft and provide a long nap that prevents removed dirt from scouring the paint. Sheep Skin mitts require a more thorough rinse because they are so effective at holding dirt. High quality Sheep Skin mitts last about 6-12 months on average. There ability to clean paint gently and prevent swirl marks has proven through out the years.
Sea Sponges are incredibly durable if washed out after each use. I personally know of several people who have been using the same natural sponge for over 3 years!! Sea Sponges are very soft and will not paint. They also hod a lot of solution, but can be bulky and difficult to get into tight spots.
UltiMitts are a synthetic foam wash mitt, and they are my personal favorite. They release dirty extremely easily and hold a HUGE amount of soap solution, ideal for flooding the paint with soap during the wash. Proper Auto Care's UltiMitt is made out select Lake Country Concours foam, which is the softest available
Wash your vehicle a section at at time, start with the highest areas. Wash in straight lines, from front to back on horizontal surfaces such as the hood, roof, and trunk, and up and down on vertical sections such as the doors, fenders, and rear bumper to minimize the appearance of any accidental marring that may occur. Flood the section with soap water squeezed from the wash media before lightly washing the section in straight lines, rinsing with water after each section. Rinse the wash media in the rinse bucket before reloading it with more soap solution from the soap bucket.
Make it wet to dry it faster!
After washing and rinsing your vehicle a section at a time, remove the nozzle from the hose and do a final rinse with a gentle stream of water. Water has a natural viscosity, and by flooding the paint, it is possible to sheet off a majority of the standing water.
Big Blue III Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towels.
To remove the remaining water after flooding the paint toweling the surface is necessary. While a chamois or synthetic chamois do a great job of removing water, they lack a nap. Any dust or dirt that has settled on the paint will become trapped and rubbed against the surface. Big Blue III drying towels feature a woven microfiber that gives them the absorbency of a chamois while featuring a nap of fiber that hold any dust away from the paint. Although optional, using a detail spray such as Meguiar's M135 Synthetic Detail Spray offers many benefits during the final towel drying of the car. A light mist per panel (while it is still wet) will reintroduce some lubricity to the surface an prevent surface marring. The synthetic polymers will make the water easier to remove and clean any water spots. Wipe gently in the same directions as you washed, to minimize the appearance of any marring that may accidentally occur. Quality quick detailers will also boost the shine of the paint, helping to maintain that just waxed look!
CLIFF NOTES
Always wash when the vehicle is cool to the touch and avoid washing in direct sunlight if possible.
Pre-rinse your vehicle to remove loose soiling.
Pre-treat any bugs or tar with 1Z Anti Insekt and Pre-Cleaner
Wash, using the two bucket method with Grit Guards ™, a quality soap, an a high quality wash media. Wash in straight line motions a section at a time. Thoroughly rinse the section before moving on to the next section. Rinse the wash media in the rinse bucket often to prevent contaminating the soap solution.
After washing each section of the vehicle, do a final rinse with just a steady stream of water. This will cause the majority of the standing water to sheet off.
Dry remaining water with a Big Blue Microfiber and a detail spray such as Meguiar's M135 or Blackfire Deep Gloss Spray Sealant.
03-14-10, 01:07 PM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: FLORIDA
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A machine polisher is the advantage of being able to do paint correction, or remove swirl marks and light scratches in the clear coat, and really make the paint pop!
Blackfire has two great, Menzerna based polishes, SRC Compound and SRC Finishing Polish. You would use the SRC Compound with an Orange Foam Pad to remove moderate to heavy swirl marks and damage, then finish with SRC Finishing Polish and a White Foam pad to really bring out the gloss.
Both the Flex and the Porter Cable are great polishers for begineers and offer great advantages over hand application.
The Porter Cable 7424XP and Meguiar's G110 V2 are very safe, does good work, and accepts 4 inch -7.5 inch pads.
The Flex is more powerful, works faster, and is pretty safe. It doesn't accept 4 inch pads and is more expensive.
Is the Flex worth the extra money? It really depends on the amount of cars you are doing and how hard the paint is. In most cases the Porter Cable 7424XP or Meguiar's G110 V2will get the job done, it will just take longer.
Alterantively, if you choose the Porter Cable, you might consider picking up some of Meguiar's latest polishes, M105 and M205. IME, they will outperform the Blackfire Polishes (for correction, still use the Blackfire sealant to protect the paint when you are done) with a Porter Cable. Our kits, designed with the help of Kevin Brown, really allow the Porter Cable to do great work.
As always I always recommend that one should tape off all trim and rubber trim pieces before doing any polishing/compounding on your or someone else's vehicle.
Blackfire has two great, Menzerna based polishes, SRC Compound and SRC Finishing Polish. You would use the SRC Compound with an Orange Foam Pad to remove moderate to heavy swirl marks and damage, then finish with SRC Finishing Polish and a White Foam pad to really bring out the gloss.
Both the Flex and the Porter Cable are great polishers for begineers and offer great advantages over hand application.
The Porter Cable 7424XP and Meguiar's G110 V2 are very safe, does good work, and accepts 4 inch -7.5 inch pads.
The Flex is more powerful, works faster, and is pretty safe. It doesn't accept 4 inch pads and is more expensive.
Is the Flex worth the extra money? It really depends on the amount of cars you are doing and how hard the paint is. In most cases the Porter Cable 7424XP or Meguiar's G110 V2will get the job done, it will just take longer.
Alterantively, if you choose the Porter Cable, you might consider picking up some of Meguiar's latest polishes, M105 and M205. IME, they will outperform the Blackfire Polishes (for correction, still use the Blackfire sealant to protect the paint when you are done) with a Porter Cable. Our kits, designed with the help of Kevin Brown, really allow the Porter Cable to do great work.
As always I always recommend that one should tape off all trim and rubber trim pieces before doing any polishing/compounding on your or someone else's vehicle.
03-14-10, 01:44 PM
#4
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: FLORIDA
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When it comes to using polishes such as Meguiar’s M105 Ultra Cut Compound and Meguiar’s M205 Ultra Finishing Polish, regardless of the machine you choose to use, ProperAutoCare.com recommends starting with the least aggressive method possible. This would be Meguiar's M205 with either a Lake Country Flat 6.5 inch Black Finessing Pad or Meguiar's Soft Buff 2.0 Black Finishing Pad. Meguiar's M205
If this combination does not provide the results necessary, increase the aggressiveness of the technique (longer working time, more pressure, more power) or increase the cut of the product and switch to a medium polishing pad. The next step up would be Meguiar’s M205 Ultra Finishing Polish used with a Lake Country Flat 6.5 inch White Polishing Pad or Meguiar's Soft Buff 2.0 Yellow Polishing Pad.
If this combination does not provide the desired results, increase the aggressiveness of the technique or product selection. The next step would be Meguiar's M105Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound on a Lake Country Flat 6.5 inch White Polishing Pad or Meguiar's Soft Buff 2.0 Yellow Polishing Pad. Note that polishing with M105 will often require a second, follow-up polishing step with M205 to achieve the highest gloss and clearest, swirl free finish. Never mix polishes on the same pad. Switch to a clean, fresh pad included in the kit. If this combination is still not garnering the results you are looking for, increase the aggressiveness of the technique or the product.
Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound used with a Lake Country Flat 6.5 inch Orange Power Pad or Meguiar's Soft Buff 2.0 Burgundy Cutting Pad is an aggressive combination and is capable of “leveling out” most paint defects in one or two applications. If using Meguiar’s M105 Ultra Cut Compound is necessary, follow up with Meguiar’s M205 Ultra Finishing Polish to remove any light polishing haze and restore full clarity and a swirl free finish to the paint. Always test your combination on a test spot, and inspect in good lighting before proceeding to copy that combination over the entire vehicle.Lake Country 6.5 inch Black Finishing Pad
Least to most aggressive:
M205 used with a “Finishing Pad”: Will remove very light defects and result in a high gloss, swirl free finish.
Lake Country 6.5 inch White Polishing PadM205 used with a “Polishing Pad”: Will remove moderate to light defects and compounding marks, and results in a high gloss, swirl free finish on most paints.
M105 used with a “Polishing Pad”: Will remove moderate to heavy defects and will often require follow up polishing with M205.Lake Country 6.5 inch Orange Power Pad
M105 used with a “Power” or ”Cutting Pad”: Will remove moderate to heavy defects on most paints and will often require follow up polishing with M205.
Pad Priming: The new micro non-diminishing abrasives from Meguiar's require that the pores of the pad are evenly primed with product for fastest cutting and highest gloss. It is recommended to "prime" a fresh, dry pad one of three ways:
1.
The Kevin Brown Method (KBM): Apply a liberal amount of polish on the surface of the pad and massage the product into the pores with your fingers until the surface is covered in a fine film of polish. Remove excess polish from the pad, so that it feels slightly damp, by lightly pressing a cotton terry or microfiber cloth against the pad while it spins. Meguiar's M34 Final Inspection
2.
Meguiar's M34: Meguiar's recommends misting the dry pad with M34 Final Inspection, then drawing two lines of product, in an X fashion, across the diameter of the pad. M34 will help the polish spread across the pad during the initial polishing application.
3.
Hybrid: ProperAutoCare.com recommends using a hybrid pad priming system to save on material costs and increase ease of use. Mist the dry pad with M34 Final Inspection then draw an X across the pad. Quickly massage the polishing with your fingers into the pad and cover as much surface as possible.
Regardless of the priming method you choose, once the pad has been primed, apply a small amount of polish to the pad between sections. Three “dime sized” amounts, applied to the outer 1/3 of the pad are sufficient.
Polish one small section at a time, two feet by two feet, per application. Start by placing the pad on the paint and spreading the polish out, then turn the polisher on. Using firm pressure and overlapping left to right, right to left strokes cover the area to be polished.
Polish first going left to right.
Make a second pass over the working area using overlapping “up to down, down to up” strokes. M105 and M205 do not require a typical “buffing cycle” to break down the abrasives. Repeat this cross hatch pattern until the defects are removed or the polish begins to dry. Then reduce pressure and make a few more passes over the area to ensure a high gloss finish.
Create cross-hatch pattern going up & down.
Machine speed has much to do with your confidence level as you learn to use these polishes. We recommend using speed 5 on the PC 7424 or Meguiar’s G-110 and a speed of 3.5-4 on the Flex XC3401VRG Dual-Action Polisher. Overlap your strokes, using a “slow arm speed” while applying firm pressure. We have found success moving the polisher one to three inches per second allows the polish to correct most blemishes.
The amount of “work” or “cut” accomplished with a non-diminishing abrasive is dependent on the pressure applied to the polisher. For maximum cutting action with the Flex XC3401VRG Dual-Action Polisher, apply 15-20 pounds of pressure on the face of the machine. When using the Porter Cable 7424 or Meguiar’s G110 random orbital polishers, use enough pressure to slow, but not stall the rotation of the pad. On your final passes over the work area, reduce the pressure and lightly move the machine over the surface to allow the abrasives to jewel away any micro marring left from your polishing.
After polishing a section, remove residue immediately with a high quality microfiber cloth such as our Dragon Fiber Perfect Shine Buffing Cloth.
Because Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound and Meguiar's M205 Ultra Finishing Polishes' abrasives do not breakdown in the traditional sense, the polishes can be sensitive to contamination. During the polishing process, a trace amount of paint is removed, this can cause the non-diminishing abrasives to “clump” together with the spent paint particles. This can increase the polishing haze left on the paint from heavy polishing, effecting the finish left behind.
ProperAutoCare.com recommends cleaning your pads often by pressing a cotton terry or microfiber cloth against the pad while it spins on the machine. To completely wash the pads use Snappy Clean Pad Cleaning Powder.
If this combination does not provide the results necessary, increase the aggressiveness of the technique (longer working time, more pressure, more power) or increase the cut of the product and switch to a medium polishing pad. The next step up would be Meguiar’s M205 Ultra Finishing Polish used with a Lake Country Flat 6.5 inch White Polishing Pad or Meguiar's Soft Buff 2.0 Yellow Polishing Pad.
If this combination does not provide the desired results, increase the aggressiveness of the technique or product selection. The next step would be Meguiar's M105Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound on a Lake Country Flat 6.5 inch White Polishing Pad or Meguiar's Soft Buff 2.0 Yellow Polishing Pad. Note that polishing with M105 will often require a second, follow-up polishing step with M205 to achieve the highest gloss and clearest, swirl free finish. Never mix polishes on the same pad. Switch to a clean, fresh pad included in the kit. If this combination is still not garnering the results you are looking for, increase the aggressiveness of the technique or the product.
Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound used with a Lake Country Flat 6.5 inch Orange Power Pad or Meguiar's Soft Buff 2.0 Burgundy Cutting Pad is an aggressive combination and is capable of “leveling out” most paint defects in one or two applications. If using Meguiar’s M105 Ultra Cut Compound is necessary, follow up with Meguiar’s M205 Ultra Finishing Polish to remove any light polishing haze and restore full clarity and a swirl free finish to the paint. Always test your combination on a test spot, and inspect in good lighting before proceeding to copy that combination over the entire vehicle.Lake Country 6.5 inch Black Finishing Pad
Least to most aggressive:
M205 used with a “Finishing Pad”: Will remove very light defects and result in a high gloss, swirl free finish.
Lake Country 6.5 inch White Polishing PadM205 used with a “Polishing Pad”: Will remove moderate to light defects and compounding marks, and results in a high gloss, swirl free finish on most paints.
M105 used with a “Polishing Pad”: Will remove moderate to heavy defects and will often require follow up polishing with M205.Lake Country 6.5 inch Orange Power Pad
M105 used with a “Power” or ”Cutting Pad”: Will remove moderate to heavy defects on most paints and will often require follow up polishing with M205.
Pad Priming: The new micro non-diminishing abrasives from Meguiar's require that the pores of the pad are evenly primed with product for fastest cutting and highest gloss. It is recommended to "prime" a fresh, dry pad one of three ways:
1.
The Kevin Brown Method (KBM): Apply a liberal amount of polish on the surface of the pad and massage the product into the pores with your fingers until the surface is covered in a fine film of polish. Remove excess polish from the pad, so that it feels slightly damp, by lightly pressing a cotton terry or microfiber cloth against the pad while it spins. Meguiar's M34 Final Inspection
2.
Meguiar's M34: Meguiar's recommends misting the dry pad with M34 Final Inspection, then drawing two lines of product, in an X fashion, across the diameter of the pad. M34 will help the polish spread across the pad during the initial polishing application.
3.
Hybrid: ProperAutoCare.com recommends using a hybrid pad priming system to save on material costs and increase ease of use. Mist the dry pad with M34 Final Inspection then draw an X across the pad. Quickly massage the polishing with your fingers into the pad and cover as much surface as possible.
Regardless of the priming method you choose, once the pad has been primed, apply a small amount of polish to the pad between sections. Three “dime sized” amounts, applied to the outer 1/3 of the pad are sufficient.
Polish one small section at a time, two feet by two feet, per application. Start by placing the pad on the paint and spreading the polish out, then turn the polisher on. Using firm pressure and overlapping left to right, right to left strokes cover the area to be polished.
Polish first going left to right.
Make a second pass over the working area using overlapping “up to down, down to up” strokes. M105 and M205 do not require a typical “buffing cycle” to break down the abrasives. Repeat this cross hatch pattern until the defects are removed or the polish begins to dry. Then reduce pressure and make a few more passes over the area to ensure a high gloss finish.
Create cross-hatch pattern going up & down.
Machine speed has much to do with your confidence level as you learn to use these polishes. We recommend using speed 5 on the PC 7424 or Meguiar’s G-110 and a speed of 3.5-4 on the Flex XC3401VRG Dual-Action Polisher. Overlap your strokes, using a “slow arm speed” while applying firm pressure. We have found success moving the polisher one to three inches per second allows the polish to correct most blemishes.
The amount of “work” or “cut” accomplished with a non-diminishing abrasive is dependent on the pressure applied to the polisher. For maximum cutting action with the Flex XC3401VRG Dual-Action Polisher, apply 15-20 pounds of pressure on the face of the machine. When using the Porter Cable 7424 or Meguiar’s G110 random orbital polishers, use enough pressure to slow, but not stall the rotation of the pad. On your final passes over the work area, reduce the pressure and lightly move the machine over the surface to allow the abrasives to jewel away any micro marring left from your polishing.
After polishing a section, remove residue immediately with a high quality microfiber cloth such as our Dragon Fiber Perfect Shine Buffing Cloth.
Because Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound and Meguiar's M205 Ultra Finishing Polishes' abrasives do not breakdown in the traditional sense, the polishes can be sensitive to contamination. During the polishing process, a trace amount of paint is removed, this can cause the non-diminishing abrasives to “clump” together with the spent paint particles. This can increase the polishing haze left on the paint from heavy polishing, effecting the finish left behind.
ProperAutoCare.com recommends cleaning your pads often by pressing a cotton terry or microfiber cloth against the pad while it spins on the machine. To completely wash the pads use Snappy Clean Pad Cleaning Powder.
03-14-10, 02:51 PM
#5
Thanks For the help!!!!
This is the process i think im going with. Feel free to provide any suggestions.
1. Wash(process as stated ^)
2. PC 7424xp, with orange lake country pad and, meguires M105
3. Then meguires M205 with white lake country finishing pad
4. Would i need another coat of a finishing product??
5. Meguires ultimate compound
6. Meguires Nxt generation carnuba wax
This is the process i think im going with. Feel free to provide any suggestions.
1. Wash(process as stated ^)
2. PC 7424xp, with orange lake country pad and, meguires M105
3. Then meguires M205 with white lake country finishing pad
4. Would i need another coat of a finishing product??
5. Meguires ultimate compound
6. Meguires Nxt generation carnuba wax
Last edited by TLcoats; 03-14-10 at 02:58 PM.
03-14-10, 04:21 PM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: FLORIDA
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Thanks For the help!!!!
This is the process i think im going with. Feel free to provide any suggestions.
1. Wash(process as stated ^)
2. PC 7424xp, with orange lake country pad and, meguires M105
3. Then meguires M205 with white lake country finishing pad
4. Would i need another coat of a finishing product??
5. Meguires ultimate compound
6. Meguires Nxt generation carnuba wax
This is the process i think im going with. Feel free to provide any suggestions.
1. Wash(process as stated ^)
2. PC 7424xp, with orange lake country pad and, meguires M105
3. Then meguires M205 with white lake country finishing pad
4. Would i need another coat of a finishing product??
5. Meguires ultimate compound
6. Meguires Nxt generation carnuba wax
1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Tape
4. Use the 7424XP with M105 and LC Orange Pad
5. Use M205 with LC White Pad
6 Use M205 with LC Black Pad to finish up and go slow.
7 Light wash to remove dust.
8. Meguairs NXT Wax.
9. Enjoy your ride..............
This should work and make your ride shine and be protected.
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03-14-10, 08:39 PM
#11
Wow! This is awesome, I went from being a total Noob about car care and polishing. To knowing exactly what i need to do! Thanks Angelo for the help and write ups!
Anyone whose a Noob about this stuff, Angelos write ups have the answers!
Also. What do you guys think about this kit????
http://www.autogeek.net/pitwpocaspof.html
Anyone whose a Noob about this stuff, Angelos write ups have the answers!
Also. What do you guys think about this kit????
http://www.autogeek.net/pitwpocaspof.html
Last edited by TLcoats; 03-14-10 at 09:39 PM.
03-15-10, 12:22 PM
#13
Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: CA
Posts: 73
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wow, that's a solid write up. sorry for the n00b question.. but where can I get grit guards (in the LA area)? and I'd prefer not to have to order online. I heard home depot would be my best bet but they don't seem to carry them.
thanks in advance!
thanks in advance!
Last edited by ucla_is25o; 03-15-10 at 01:13 PM.
03-15-10, 02:12 PM
#14
Lexus Fanatic
Wow! This is awesome, I went from being a total Noob about car care and polishing. To knowing exactly what i need to do! Thanks Angelo for the help and write ups!
Anyone whose a Noob about this stuff, Angelos write ups have the answers!
Also. What do you guys think about this kit????
http://www.autogeek.net/pitwpocaspof.html
Anyone whose a Noob about this stuff, Angelos write ups have the answers!
Also. What do you guys think about this kit????
http://www.autogeek.net/pitwpocaspof.html
I would try to get a combo or just order seperately along the lines of the -PC7424XP
-3.5inch backing plate
-5inch backing
- 4-6 4" orange pads(you will needs extra orange pads when correcting swirls)
-A few white and blue finishing pads in either 4" or larger size.
-Menzerna IP or some kind of correcting polish.
-Menzerna Final Polish II or some finishing polish.(you want a finishing polish to remove haze after you correct which will be noticeable on darker cars)
