Bonnets = Bad??

[HatesWebbing]

Are bonnets evil? I got a rotary polisher from Craftsman, and it came with some terry and wool bonnets. I haven’t used the wool yet (I hear they are too aggressive for beginners) but I have had great results with the terry bonnets and Clear Coat Body Scrub for removing acid rain pitting on the hood of my maroon Suburban, as well as terry bonnets and #2 fine-cut for removing scratching from the doors that I have done so far. (As a side note, DO NOT let an amateur - i.e. your father-in-law - use a gas powered pressure washer on a car!) I like using bonnets because they are relatively inexpensive, and super easy to change when switching from one product to another.
However, I recently purchased a (used) PC to ease the follow up process and use on my wife’s dark red Honda. I tried the terry bonnets on the PC with DC #1, and managed to put swirl marks all over the car, despite the “gentle orbital action” of the PC. If the sun ever comes out in my city again, I will post pictures, but suffice to say that the results, while not overly noticeable, are quite embarrassing. I should note (and yes, I realize this was probably foolish) that the PC is the model that has a hard foam backing pad for use with sandpaper.
Is there any one thing (bonnets, bad used equipment, etc…) that can be blamed for my situation, or is this a case of inexperience with the equipment?

[Mike Phillips]

Hi HatesWebbing,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!


I'm interested in your bonnets? the PC uses a typically smaller foam pad than a traditional orbital buffer. Most orbital buffers had a 9", 10", or 11" buffing pad and a bonnet large enough to go over the pad.

So I'm wondering, if you were borrowing these bonnets from the larger orbital buffer, how you were affixing them to the smaller PC pads?

Also, what kind of pad do you have on the PC?

Usually, we use foam pads specifically made for the PC to apply products and use bonnets for removing bonnets.

Here's a pictures of a person applying #83 DACP with a PC and Meguiar's yellow, W-8006 foam polishing pad,



Here's a picture of a person removing NXT Tech Wax from the hood of a Porsche using the PC with a microfiber bonnet over a clean, dry foam pad.



But you say you're applying product with a bonnet on a PC?

Do you have any foam pads, such as the W-8006 foam polishing pad and a backing plate for your PC?

Mike