Some Questions... HELP

[Don]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

Good idea can't believe I didn't think of that. Need some sleep haha. Thanks for the response and what do ya know another question popped up in my head lol. If a set of lights has some swirls I'd like to remove and I'm doing a paint correction anyways is it fine for me to go over the lights and the paint at the same time with polish and a polishing pad or will it contaminate the pad? Should I use separate pads so that the plastic particles I'm polishing off don't put fine scratches on the paint when I'm done going over the light?

I've never had a problem polishing the headlights/taillights at the same time & with the same pad as the paint.

[ThePolisher]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

Hey guys it seems you've answered all my questions except for 2. I dorm have a pad cleaner and I don't always have access to compressed air, so how many times should I change my pads during the same stage when doing a mid size sedan. I'm not sure if I made that clear enough but say you're in the compounding stage, how many pads should I go through in that single stage? Can I do the whole car with just 1? Should I use 1 for half the car and switch to another pad for the second half (the same type of pad)? Also, if I do a car with single stage paint or I burn through the clear and get some base coat residue on my pad, and it's still SLIGHTLY stained after a thorough cleaning. An I use it again? Lastly, this is a question I didn't post before: I'm gonna do a car soon, and I want to do an extra step after polishing. I want to jewel the paint for that extra 1% gloss lol. I'm gonna use M07 Show Car Glaze on a black chemical guys guys finishing pad which has no cut. I know that this product is full of polish oils. How should I tweak my technique for this? I'm sure arm speed is an important variable. Thanks.

[ThePolisher]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

And since that product is full of oils can I just buff it off and seal it or do I have to chemically strip it because it's too oily? Would that defeat the purpose?

[Top Gear]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

I love the DAMF Xtra Cut or Cutting Discs with either D300 or UC. I just use a pad brush for a quick spin to lift/spray out the dust. It helps that the pads come in pairs, but I just use one for a given process for the whole car, and maybe the other one for a different liquid combo. The pads will be stained with hidden dirt, residue, etc. I just wash them all when I'm done as recommended.

Incidentally, in my experience, UC is noticeably more aggressive than D300 on the MF discs, but doesn't finish quite as nicely as D300. Depends on what I need for a defect and what steps will follow. If your paint isn't hard, the UC may be too aggressive on MF. Both compounds dust about the same amount, which is minimal, unless I let the pad go too long without brushing. The dust is harmless and brushes away easily with the same towel I'm using to wipe off compound after each pass/load. I do not want to use QD or anything at all between compound, polish, and wax.

When I correct again, I intend to try M101 (not M105) in place of UC for those times when I need a stronger cut than D300. Sometimes, I just sand with 1500/3000 paper instead (again, very hard paint).

I'm not sure you'll need to "jewel" the paint further after a pass or two or more with the first polish. But if you want to you can do anything you like and see how it works. D302 is non-abrasive and designed to work very well within the DAMF system if you're using D300 and D301 wax.

Anyway, I'm impressed with your excitement about correction, but you might be a tad ambitious. It will likely take a lot more time than you want it to, and it's best to be finished waxing by nightfall so you can have a beer and marvel at your results

[The Guz]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

Compound and polishing dust won't harm the paint but it's wise to keep the surface clean of any dust. Some tend to wash the car after a compound or polishing stage to remove all dust. It will also remove polishing oils. It's optional to do a wash.

Google cleaning a pad on the fly. Mike Phillips has a great article on that. At least invest in a pad conditioning brush. While you are at it google Mike Phillips article on single stage paint.

Also Larry of Ammo NYC has some great videos with Kevin Brown discussing residue management and how to properly prime a pad.

I would not bother with jeweling on clear coat paints. On single stage? Maybe.


I have lots of pads and I use more than one for sure. I may use 3-4 pads. More it on a larger vehicle. This goes back to Kevin Brown discussing residue management.

[Don]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

Hey guys it seems you've answered all my questions except for 2. I dorm have a pad cleaner and I don't always have access to compressed air, so how many times should I change my pads during the same stage when doing a mid size sedan. I'm not sure if I made that clear enough but say you're in the compounding stage, how many pads should I go through in that single stage? Can I do the whole car with just 1? Should I use 1 for half the car and switch to another pad for the second half (the same type of pad)? Also, if I do a car with single stage paint or I burn through the clear and get some base coat residue on my pad, and it's still SLIGHTLY stained after a thorough cleaning. An I use it again? Lastly, this is a question I didn't post before: I'm gonna do a car soon, and I want to do an extra step after polishing. I want to jewel the paint for that extra 1% gloss lol. I'm gonna use M07 Show Car Glaze on a black chemical guys guys finishing pad which has no cut. I know that this product is full of polish oils. How should I tweak my technique for this? I'm sure arm speed is an important variable. Thanks.

For a compounding stage on a neglected, single-stage paint, 6 is a nice round number of pads to have when compounding the paint. I ordered my Meguiar's thin pads from another site and got 6 cutting and 6 polishing - the finishing pads don't work well for me so I didn't get any. On SS paint, your pads will be loading up with a lot of dead paint AND product, so they will need to be cleaned/replaced more often than when compounding a BC/CC paint system since BC/CC doesn't oxidize or turn to chalk nearly as fast or as severely as SS paint does.

Staining of the pad from paint pulled off during the compounding process is a non-issue, just because a little color is left behind after cleaning, doesn't make the pad unusable.

[Don]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

And since that product is full of oils can I just buff it off and seal it or do I have to chemically strip it because it's too oily? Would that defeat the purpose?

I wouldn't worry about removing the oils unless your LSP dictates that the surface of the paint MUST be squeaky clean before application. I have found that especially when using a carnauba-based wax that the wax will remove the excess M7 quite nicely, with no fuss or muss. Too, I believe that most if not all of the Meguiar's Reps on the board will tell you that all of their products are designed to work together, so the polishing oils left by the #7 won't hurt anything.

[ThePolisher]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

Yeah in watching videos from ammo nyc and Kevin brown, I learned a lot about how senstitive clear coats can be to scratches. It's all about residue management which is why it bothers me I don't have more pads or a pad conditioner brush. I've been cleaning my pads on the fly but I will try to get a brush and more pads when the budget allows. I'm actually using UC. On a little project now. Wow this thing creates very little dust lol. Again thanks for all the replies guys I really appreciate it. I'm a little confused on one thing though. To my knowledge they listened to many requests to have a polish added to the DAMF system because somebody may have up sold their customer on a certain sealant so they added the polish in between the correction fluid and the finishing wax to refine the paint a little more (hence the name polish) before they sealed it. That makes me think it is an abrasive but obviously not nearly as aggressive as a heavy cut compound. Is this correct? As far as I know D302 is SOMEWHAT similar to m205 in that it is a light abrasive.

[The Guz]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

D302 has no abrasives. The work being done is by the pad. M205 is more abrasive than D302. D302 was brought to the market so that one can stay completely within the DAMF system. Many still follow up with foam and M205 after using the DAMF cutting pads.

[ThePolisher]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

Oh ok thanks.

[Top Gear]

Re: Some Questions... HELP

Well, according to Meg's in older threads, D302 Polish has some minor abrasives, but they are super fine and light compared to other polishes, so the effect is that it can often be essentially non-abrasive. It was designed to help remove potential D300 haze, be a true polish step, and also work with the more aggressive MF pads, but so does the D301 Finishing Wax.

I've used D302 with Cutting and Finishing MF Discs for some very effective polishing on hard paint, and it wasn't just spreading oils. I've also tested D302 alongside UP (based on M205) on the same pads and saw little real difference in "cut", but D302 seems to have a, well...a less oily?...collection of polishing oils than UP, somehow. It's just a lighter, finer polish, if you will. In fact, all three D30x liquids seem lighter and finer, and maybe that's why they are so easy to use. They are meant to work together, but also allow for branching off to other approaches.

D301 is a cleaner-wax with both synthetic and carnauba finishing results. Really an amazing wax, and such a payoff after a long correction, but I'll admit it's not as durable even as Gold Class. So, a sealant like UW/NXT/M21 could follow D301, if I were to use one, but I don't care for "topping", and would not inject a sealant between D302 and D301, or between UP and Gold Class for that matter. Now, though, I've discovered the life-changing UWWA/D115, and that works a bit like a spray sealant, but also with carnauba. So, what happens now is I finish a correction or quick re-waxing with D301, and then depending on weather, start up with UWWA and GCQW right away during my day-to-day cleaning.

As for the pads getting dirty, I gave up on foam because, among other reasons, foam gets soppy with too much product, the foam can get chewed up, you can't really clean them on-the-fly, etc. Maybe the thin foams are different (but it's still foam, right?). The MF pads are tough, and as I said, easy to keep clean with a simple brush during my correction work, which then uses less product and saves me time and effort, all else equal. Thin foam may be trendy and slightly newer, but DAMF is not to be minimized. After all, it's a professional and complete pads and liquids system Meg's has worked out for us, and takes a lot of guesswork out of the equation. IMO, there's nothing better for a DA.

Beyond all that, I think you have to get out there, do some tests, see what you like, etc. Don't over-think products