Using D151

[skipper1]

I love the way D151 makes a car look. I've noticed after using D151 on say a chalky looking car, it adds a wet look.
Being a novice, I just want to make sure I'm doing things correctly and am able to get the most from my product.

My question is how do I properly use D151. I use a G110v2 with 7" pads. Do I apply pressure and if so, how much pressure should I apply? Should I work the product in with several passes? And, do I do the entire car and let the product dry then wipe the car.

I plan on going over the car twice with D151 then applying NXT 2.0.

I know these are dumb questions but I love buffing cars, it's my weekend therapy from my regular job and I want to learn how to do everything the correct way.

[greg0303]

Re: Using D151

You can control the aggressiveness of D-151. If you use it with cutting pad and rotary buffer it's gonna cut fast, with DA and polishing pad it will behave like cleaner/ polish and then with finishing pad more like polish/ wax (and you treat it like wax - let it dry before wipe off).
I'm a big fan of D-151 as well.

[Driven Auto Detail]

Re: Using D151

I love the way D151 makes a car look. I've noticed after using D151 on say a chalky looking car, it adds a wet look.
Being a novice, I just want to make sure I'm doing things correctly and am able to get the most from my product.

My question is how do I properly use D151. I use a G110v2 with 7" pads. Do I apply pressure and if so, how much pressure should I apply? Should I work the product in with several passes? And, do I do the entire car and let the product dry then wipe the car.

I plan on going over the car twice with D151 then applying NXT 2.0.

I know these are dumb questions but I love buffing cars, it's my weekend therapy from my regular job and I want to learn how to do everything the correct way.

Another fan of D151 here. See my comments in the link below. While this won't really answer your primary question, it does relate to your use of 7" pads on the DA.

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showpost.php?p=438308&postcount=6

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Using D151

Exactly how D151, or any other product, is used is somewhat up to the paint - how bad the defects are, what you're trying to accomplish with it, etc. That will determine how much pressure you need, how many passes you need, machine speed, pad selection, etc. From the sounds of it you're getting very good results out of the product, which tells us that you've been using it correctly for the cases where you've utilized it.

Since it does offer protection you can let it dry before wiping off, but you can also wipe it off right away if you prefer - like in a case where you plan on finishing off with another wax or sealant.

[namboyz]

Re: Using D151

d151 is awesome!! i clayed my car with the megs blue clay and it left minor scratches here and there and the 151 buffed em out no problem with the yellow polishing pad. made my car look super wet. i also added a layer of nxt gen wax!!

[greg0303]

Re: Using D151

d151 is awesome!! i clayed my car with the megs blue clay and it left minor scratches here and there and the 151 buffed em out no problem with the yellow polishing pad. made my car look super wet. i also added a layer of nxt gen wax!!

Way to go, namboyz.
Welcome to the club.

[skipper1]

Re: Using D151

Thanks for all the responses. Looks like I have been doing things almost sort of right. I usually do a small section at a time and wipe it off immediately with great results. I think on the car coming up this weekend, I'll use my D151 on the entire car, let it dry, wipe then apply my NXT.

[skipper1]

Re: Using D151

I learned something using D151 this weekend. Don't let it dry. That stuff is almost impossible to rub off once it dries. Best advice is do your section and then wipe.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Using D151

I learned something using D151 this weekend. Don't let it dry. That stuff is almost impossible to rub off once it dries. Best advice is do your section and then wipe.

How heavy are you applying and leaving it? That alone can cause problems with virtually any product - compound, cleaner, or wax.

D151 should pose no wipe off problems at all if a properly thin coat is left behind. It's essentially a very potent cleaner wax that can be used with a wide variety of tools and pads, but you should be able to do sections on a panel (like the hood, for example) and then wipe the panel off in one go. That said, it is also acceptable to wipe off each section as you go, but wipe off should never be a problem with this product.

[skipper1]

Re: Using D151

How heavy are you applying and leaving it? That alone can cause problems with virtually any product - compound, cleaner, or wax.

D151 should pose no wipe off problems at all if a properly thin coat is left behind. It's essentially a very potent cleaner wax that can be used with a wide variety of tools and pads, but you should be able to do sections on a panel (like the hood, for example) and then wipe the panel off in one go. That said, it is also acceptable to wipe off each section as you go, but wipe off should never be a problem with this product.

First, I prime my pad. I saw a picture, can't remember who was demonstrating how it should look. I would love to see a video on how to properly prime a pad especially using D151. It's so thick, like a malt and difficult to squeeze from a bottle.
Second, I normally take a hood, tape off in quarters, make a circle with D151 around my pad and work a section, wipe and repeat for each section. I usually use 2 pads for a car because the pads get so saturated.
I think I'm using way too much product. Should D151 be applied like NXT 2.0, a very thin application? One problem I had this weekend was storms and very high humidity, that could have been part of the problem.
Maybe this is what I should be doing. Once the pad is primed, maybe 3 nickle size drops on the pad for a section and spread it thin?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Using D151

I think I'm using way too much product. Should D151 be applied like NXT 2.0, a very thin application?

It's very common for people to overuse products when detailing - if some is good, more is better, right? That works when you're talking about cash in your pocket, but not with detailing. But D151 is a paint cleaner, after all, so you don't just want to spread a thin coat like you do with a wax. You need more product than that, and you need to work it with some level of passion in order to correct the defects. But ultimately, if you're going to leave it to dry, a thin coat is all that should be left behind after you've worked it. D151 will dry pretty quickly though, so if you're more comfortable buffing out a panel in sections and then wiping off the whole panel, go for it.

Once the pad is primed, maybe 3 nickle size drops on the pad for a section and spread it thin?

That's probably just about spot on, depending on how large an area you're working. For a proper 2' x 2' area that amount should be correct once the pad is primed.

It's also important to keep the pad clean so as to avoid build up. Build up happens a couple of ways - excess product starting to dry along the outer perimeter of the pad and creating dust, and excess product simply loading up or saturating the pad. The first case will happen with almost any product, even if used in small amounts, and is easily remedied with regular brushing of the pad. The second situation can happen pretty quickly if you're over using any product (we've even seen it with wax!) and is easily avoided just by using the correct amount of product. Inevitably, however, some product will accumulate in the pad so cleaning on the fly by pressing the pad against a terry towel and switching the D/A on will force that excess product out. Even then it's a good idea to swap to a fresh pad at least a couple of times during a full correction process. A loaded pad is not as efficient as a fresh pad, and a heavily loaded pad will sap the power of the tool just to spin the heavy pad.

[skipper1]

Re: Using D151

Thank you Mr Stoops, you've helped me tremendously.
I never could figure out why one would clean on the fly with a hand towel and use a brush, now I understand with the product drying on the outer edges and dusting. I've had dusting but couldn't figure out why.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. I would still like to see a Meguiar's video for D151.