My spending freeze, what products to use

[Mary S]

My plans for buying a DA have been waylaid due to a spending freeze. My husband is in danger of being laid off in June.

Unfortunately, what I have so far are Ultimate Cut, Swirlx, ScratchX II, and a rotary buffer, which those products aren't designed to work with. And doing my whole car by hand, well I'm not sure I have the strength/endurance.

I have a 1997 White Ford Explorer, which miraculously the paint isn't really "that bad." Just very light scratches and swirls. If I could buy just 2 products to use with the rotary buffer, would that be maybe #84 and #80, rather than maybe 105 and 205 which are more the big guns?

Also, of course I would never do this (at least on the paint of my car ) but what would happen if I used the rotary buffer with SwirlX say with a finishing pad. Would it get much hotter than the products that are made for the rotary?

Thanks!

[HighLine]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

105 and 205 are very forgiving as they are "Diminishing" which means the grit breaks down and becomes less abrasive. My recommendation, if its white your probaly best off with a clay bar first to get all of the grit and little black and brown dots (aka industrial fallout) off the surface of the paint and give it a smooth feel. I would then follow up with maybe nxt 2.0 to protect the surface.

Few questions:
Whats your budget for additional product?
Do you have any experience with the rotary?

[Tuck91]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

105 and 205 are very forgiving as they are "Diminishing" which means the grit breaks down and becomes less abrasive. My recommendation, if its white your probaly best off with a clay bar first to get all of the grit and little black and brown dots (aka industrial fallout) off the surface of the paint and give it a smooth feel. I would then follow up with maybe nxt 2.0 to protect the surface.

Few questions:
Whats your budget for additional product?
Do you have any experience with the rotary?

M105 and M205 do not utilize DAT ( Diminishing Abrasive Technology)

[Mary S]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

Few questions:
Whats your budget for additional product?
Do you have any experience with the rotary?

I have the wash and wax and clay products, and I think I can get away with ordering the sample sizes of 105 and 205 from ADS, or of just a couple of any of their professional products. I don't have an exact budget, it is mainly just keeping peace with the family (who think A-I'm obsessed and B-I have spent a lot already)

I wasn't planning to use the rotary on my car before practicing on something else. I had picked it up at Harbor Freight for a $29 coupon. I didn't have a problem with the idea of getting a junkyard hood, but all that will have to wait now.

So if I want to get practice with the rotary, it will probably be with something other than my car, or just to do the waxing and buffing on my car at lower speeds.

[CieraSL]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

My guess would be M105 and M205. Check out this thread: Dad's 2000 Pearl White Ford Explorer. Note that M95 and M205 were used, however, M105 and M95 have the same cut, and M105 has the super micro abrasives (SMAT technology), which means that you can work it for as long as you need to in order to remove the defects, rather than needing to work it until the abrasives break down. For working by hand, see this thread: 1996 Explorer. Hope this helps!

[Murr1525]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

Dont have to do the whole car by hand at once.... a panel a day is pretty solid.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

I remember a couple years ago, I took 2 weeks to do our sebring. All I did was a section every other day. It was a long process, but very well worth it.

Good luck to you.

[Mary S]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

Thanks for all your input. I think I have a plan of attack. More than anything, "Patience, grasshopper." If my husband isn't laid off in June, the DA will still be there to order.

And I don't have to use toys yet (patience!!) The small areas I have already done by hand using Ultra Compound look great, and there is no reason not to just give it a try to do the car a panel or even a section of a panel at a time (will give me something to do until June).

I will see what kind of deal I can get from an auto parts "recycler" on a hood that is too damaged to be worth repairing, and make arrangements to be able to return it so it won't sit in our basement for eternity (has anyone else tried this?)

And I will order 105 and 205 sample sizes from ADS and maybe 84 and 80 too.

I would try to get my husband obsessed with detailing so in case he does get laid off he could maybe do this part time. Maybe if he sees what can be done with his car...

[agp56]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

Try the panel at a time & see how it goes. If get to where you really need a hand I'm out on the east side of the metro area. Maybe a work day can be arranged - after it warms up a little. Today's forecast high in the Kansas City metro area - 33 degrees F.

[Mary S]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

Try the panel at a time & see how it goes. If get to where you really need a hand I'm out on the east side of the metro area. Maybe a work day can be arranged - after it warms up a little. Today's forecast high in the Kansas City metro area - 33 degrees F.

Thanks for the offer, we are practically neighbors! I live in Lees Summit, and my daughter goes to Blue Springs High School. She's a senior.

I will see how it goes, I may even start with my husband's sedan first, since it is smaller, not as big a project as my Explorer.

Nice to see a neighbor on the site!

[Michael Stoops]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

We don't want to come right out and suggest you try Ultimate Compound with your rotary since, technically, it isn't really approved for use with that tool. Having said that, we have seen many cases where people have gotten excellent results doing so. Perhaps the best news here is that, should you try UC with your rotary, you won't hurt anything by doing so (other than the typical mistakes people make using a rotary, but then the liquid you use with it becomes inconsequential.) Just make sure to use the right pad with it - most likely a yellow polishing pad in your case with this particular vehicle. Keep the speed of the rotary below 1500 rpm and the pad flat on the paint.

Ordering sample sizes of M105/M205 is a great idea though. M84 you might want to reconsider for this application. It's not only quite aggressive but it works much differently than M105 does and will require a follow up with a less aggressive product. It will give great cut, but won't leave anywhere near as nice as a finish as M105. M80, however, is just great stuff. Light cleaning, plenty of polishing oils, and it leaves a very nice finish. Still, it is quite different than M205, but also far less expensive.

For the record, M105/M205 do not break down as you use them. They utilize super micro abrasive technology (SMAT), meaning the abrasive particles are very hard (which gives the cut) but also very small and extremely uniform in size and shape (which provides the high level of clarity to the finish). M205 has the extra bonus of offering a crazy long buffing cycle, meaning it will stay wet on the surface for a very long time as you use it. M84, M80 and most of our other compounds and cleaners utilize diminishing abrasives, meaning the abrasive material actually breaks down and becomes finer and finer as you work it. There are limits to this, of course - M84 won't break down to the fine level that M80 does, for example.

[agp56]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

Wow - my wife teaches art at Chapel Lakes Elementary School in Lee's Summit (Blue Springs School District School - serves the east side of Lakewood & that general area.) I have a Porter Cable 7424 and a bunch of pads. Also a bunch of microfibers and a little green machine.

[Mary S]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

Michael, your post is very, very helpful! Thank you so much for the explanations of the products, especially about using the rotary with UC. I didn't want to do something that was going to catch my hood on fire or something! And it sounds like 105 and 205 are the way to go. I will get the sample sizes ordered. I am still hoping to find a disembodied car hood to practice on to give me a little more confidence with the rotary, plus I like being able to test things out.

Thanks again, and I love your explanations on everything! I have learned a lot by reading your articles on the site, as well as by others.

[Mary S]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

Wow - my wife teaches art at Chapel Lakes Elementary School in Lee's Summit (Blue Springs School District School - serves the east side of Lakewood & that general area.) I have a Porter Cable 7424 and a bunch of pads. Also a bunch of microfibers and a little green machine.

Wow, small world! My daughter went to Chapel Lakes when she was in the 5th grade. Doesn't seem so long ago, and now she's about to go to college.

I'm sure ready for this winter to be over!

[Michael Stoops]

Re: My spending freeze, what products to use

Happy to help, Marcki.

Having a disembodied hood, as you so eloquently put it (beats the heck out of "junk" hood, eh?), to work on is a great idea. When you get it don't just work on the center of the hood. Quite honestly you have to do something beyond silly to cause a problem there. Get a feel for how quickly you can burn paint off the edge of the panel. That's one of the biggest issues when working with a rotary buffer - that and plastic trim, tail light lenses, and other bits and pieces hanging about. With the right pad a bit of inattention you can do serious damage without even realizing it. Being very aware of not just the spot you're focused on correcting, but the space surrounding your buffer on all sides will help you avoid a mishap.

Start off slow, even with the test panel. Slow speed on the tool, light pressure only. Concentrate of smooth, level motions with the pad nice and flat against the paint. Get a feel for how the tool will want to wander if you start to go up on the edge of the pad - and how that wander will change direction as you change what area of the pad is given an increase in pressure. But above all, relax. Too many people put the tool in a death grip! Remember, you are in charge, it most definitely is not!