I had an epiphany! DACP thread

[Michael Stoops]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

This post has been a huge help to me Brian, thanks so much. I was really struggling with #83, although I love #80, but after reading this thread and having the chance to try these techniques on a black Saab convertible I can now say I love #83 too!!

Thanks again.

[jmakado]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

Thomas.
1. Some dusting is normal for #83 from my experience. Practice will tell you how long to work the product. Giving an exact measure of time it tough since humidity, pressure, and other factors can change the work time. I tend to work #83 until it just looks like it's starting to dry. It will go from a solid color, to slightly hazy, to almost clear. Once it's almost clear (or even appears clear depending on the color of the paint) is a good indicator that the product is broken down.

2. You can do more passes with #83 if you would like. If it takes more than 3 then you are probably at the limit of what you can do with a DA and a rotary would be a quicker/better solution. But no need to step down to #82 or #80 after just one pass with #83. I sometimes will need 2-3 passes with a rotary and #83 to remove certain defects.

3. Some people like the "X" pattern on their pad and some like a circle on the outside of the pad. I prefer to start with a full circle of product on the outside of the pad and move to a semi-circle once the pad is primed with product.
Once you have product on the pad you want to make quick low pressure passes in the area you are going to work to spread the polish. Then go to your normal slow arm speed higher pressure passes to work the product. With a DA it's always a good idea to have the pad on the paint before you turn it on or you will end up with a lot of messy product sling and your pad will want to move out of place.

When you feel like you have the paint to the condition you want you will probably want to move to #80 as it will really add a nice shine to the paint and remove any micro-marring the #83 may leave. Most of the time you can go right to waxing after using #80. You could also experiment with following #80 with #82 and see if you like the look more. I prefer going to #7 after #80 if I have the time. Otherwise I will go right to 2 coats of wax. I generally save #82 for the rotary if #80 leaves swirls that are more than I think I can get out with the DA.

[hammer55]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

I am impressed with the difference between the two photos great job, now could someone explain the difference between the machines they are talking about, rotary??
pc 100 I understand

[Hemin8r]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

This was informative, thanks guys. I will be using 80 & 83 this Friday & will be the first time I try it. I've been using other products & have been satisfied but from what I hear & have seen 80, 82 & 83 have to be in my arsenal. I can't wait. I think I'm even having dreams about it. Man that's scary.

[imacarnut]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

So my point of this post is this; make sure you work 83 into the paint until all the diminishing abrasives have broken down and all that is left is a real thin layer of polish left on the surface.

that is the key! a friend of mine had some pretty deep tree scrub scratches on the side of his honda element (thought i wasn't going to be able to get them out ) and with a few passes of #83 (worked it in with very firm pressure and very slowpasses) they came out and both he and i were thrilled. now he owes me lunch once a week for a month (note: i didn't force him to do it)! bwahahaha...

[Michael Stoops]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

I am impressed with the difference between the two photos great job, now could someone explain the difference between the machines they are talking about, rotary??
pc 100 I understand

As you know the PC 7424/G-100 is a dual action buffer - the pad rotates around a randomly moving axis. This prevents it from literally spinning in a true circular motion around a stationary centerpoint, like an old record album on a record player (yeah, I'm showing my age, so what??? ). This also prevents it from generating a lot of heat, which can be harmful to the paint if not managed properly. It also limits the amount of defect removal you can accomplish. Still, it gives you the ability to remove a lot of defects, and to do so in an almost completely foolproof manner.

The rotary is just that - a machine that spins the pad around a stationary center axis. It also does this at potentially much higher speeds than the PC does, and it can generate a lot of heat - enough to burn the paint in a very short period of time. A rotary in untrained hands can do a lot of damage, from really bad holograms to literally taking the paint off of sharp body creases or just plain burning through on a flat surface. But because of the heat it generates it allows you to correct worse defects than the PC can, and it does it faster. The trade off is the much higher learning curve and potential for disaster if you lack the skill to use it. Even a skilled operator will often follow the rotary with a PC since the rotary can and often will trade the nasty paint defects for lesser marring that it imparts. The PC is then used to remove these marks.

I saw a terrific demonstration of this process last night as Mike Phillips brought an old black Saab back from the dead. It's a cool process to watch, and quite a learning experience too!

[Ticman]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]First of all thanks Bullet1 for this thread. It really helped me with my water spots on the hood and top of my new F-150. I tried #80 with an 8006 pad and made two real slow hard passes and nothing. I tried #83 on a 8006 and still wasn

[Ticman]

Not sure what happened (Trying again)

First of all I wnat to thanks bullet1 for this thread. It really helped me with the water spots on my hood and top of my new F-150. I tried #80 with an 8006 pad and made two slow hard passes and nothing. I then tried #83 and 8006 pad and still wasn't getting it done. Then I did something that Meguiar's does not recommend. I took a light cutting pad and 83 and after 2 passes the spots were gone. The top and hood turned out great.

I did find out that the cutting pads load up very quickly. I had two cutting pads so I put that one in a bucket of water and micro fiber detergent. When the next one loaded up I washed out the one in the bucket, spun it dry and went back to work. I also found having a little water in the pad helped with the dusting up that 83 does sometimes. The 83 broke down easily and I had no problems wiping off. This is a slow and PITA way to work but it did work for me. Note: Meguiar's does not recommend cleaning pads.

I think I might be over the limit for so I'll post the rest on the next reply.

[Ticman]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

The cutting pad does cause some hazing so be prepared to go back over everything with an 8006 and some #80. When I went back over it with the 80 it really made the difference.

The thing that helped me most was: Keeping the pads clean. Working 83 with good pressure and long enough to break it down. (thanks bullet1) Also making a quick pass to re-wet the area. (thanks luquidblack)

**Note: Meguiar's does NOT recommend using a cutting pad with a G100.**

Short version. #83 in the bad places, the #80 entire truck followed by #7 and topped with 2 coats of NXT, It turned out great. Sorry don't have a digital camera.

Big THANKS to Meguiar's and Mike for such a great place to get information and share our Car Crazy experiences.

[hondaguy07]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

What would happen if you were to use M83 with the 7006 cutting pad? I was curious if I could use this on some of my deeper swirls/scratches? I just got my G100 and pads. Had a chance to use it on the hood of my Trailblazer. The M83 worked well, removing most of the swirls & scratches however, there are still some remaining. I a rookie with the G100 & polishers in general so any help would be appreciated.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: I had an epiphany! DACP thread

What would happen if you were to use M83 with the 7006 cutting pad?

You would do a pretty quick job of removing the swirls you wanted to remove. But, and this is a pretty big but, you would also be trading those swirls for some fairly seriously hazed paint. So.......you'd have to go back to the M80 on a polishing pad, or even M83 on a polishing pad if you hazed the paint bad enough.

This is a classic example of why Meguiar's always stresses to use the least aggressive method to remove the defects. Not only does it waste time, but it can waste paint as well. Plus, some people just dive in with the overly aggressive approach without thinking about it, then look at the less than desirable results and blame the product for doing a lousy job. Well, a hammer is great for driving nails into a 2 x 4, and it will drive a screw into a 2 x 4, but it isn't the best approach.