can't get all swirls off with cyclo/orange pad/menzerna SIP..help

N

newbiebimmer

New member
Hi guys. I just finished polishing my titanium silver bmw and white audi (just hood so far on audi). And using my cyclo with an orange CCS pad and menzerna SIP, then menzerna Nano green pad, 50/50 isopropyl, then ultima PPP white pad, and ultima PGP I still had some very small micro scratches/swirls left.



I know the audi paint is like hard candy, but even on the bmw I couldn't get perfect paint. Now mind you it was a huge improvement getting most of the swirls marks out but even after 3 passes with the cyclo I just couldn't get it all.



With the orange pad and SIP, it seems to break down fairly fast, (less than a min) or am I not working it long enough? As I look at the paint as I polish with the SIP, the SIP almost disappears after a while which I'm assuming I'm done??

I've tried light pressure, and some pressure leaving it on a spot for 5-10 seconds (how long can I hold a cyclo on one spot?



With the green pad and nano, it seems like it never breaks down, it stays kind of hazy. again am I not working it long enough?



Anyway, am I not using the right pads? Should I go yellow? or even wool?



If so, cyclo pads, CCS, or edge?



Thanks!
 
newbiebimmer- I can't be as helpful as I'd like as I'm not familiar with either your BMW's paint or most Menzerna polishes. Well...unless your BMW is the same vintage as my '97 M3, which has paint that's as hard as an Audi.



I do know from Cyclos and Audis so I'll make some general suggestions:



The Cyclo isn't as aggressive as many might think. Even with orange pads and fairly aggressive products, it's no rotary (or Flex 3401, or even a PC with 4" pads).

I haven't used SIP but I've used a lot of products that're at least that aggressive, and via Cyclo it can be a tough job do remove/reduce significant marring.



IME the wool pads offered for the Cyclo (they're Edge pads in yellow and blue) simply don't work out very well. If you can find 4" (BUT NOT 3.5") LC PFW pads that might be different but I've never tried them via Cyclo.



In the absence of 4" LC LPW pads I'd use yellow cutting pads for the aggressive work but note that IME they tend to wear and loose a bit of cut. But I just don't get as much correction out of the Cyclo as I think you need.



Leaning on the Cyclo and leaving it in one place won't do nearly as much as you're probably worried it will.



Three passes with the Cyclo/orange/SIP doesn't sound like all that much to me. I did a *LOT* more than that on an old Audi with too-thin clear, a car I couldn't do much with. My numerous passes with Cyclo/orange/1Z Pasta Intensiv just got out the light marring but did little more than round over all the RIDS. But when I experimented with a PC/3.5" PFW/1Z Pasta Intensiv it was so much more aggressive I had to be a little careful; that combo *would* take out flaws.



I wonder how M105 would work via Cyclo :confused: I think you'd need something like that to do what you're after in a timely manner. Much as I love my Cyclos (my favorite polishers to use), they just don't get out significant marring on hard clear very well for me.



The Edge (foam) pads for a Cyclo are supposedly the same as the Cyclo brand pads (haven't tried mine yet so I can't say from first-hand experience but they appear to be the same). I'd stick with yellow or orange until the marring is corrected and then do a pass with the green (or somebody else's white) to take care of any micromarring. I would *not* switch to mild products/pads until the original marring is corrected to your satisfaction.



Note that the green Cyclo pads are a bit more aggressive than most "polishing" pads. They might work well with your SIP for that post-aggressive-work follow up. They might be a bit aggressive for final polishing with the Nano but on hard clear it probably won't matter.



I usually see a slight improvement with a final burnishing pass using finishing pads, and I can't help but wonder if your Menzerna nano is so mild that it oughta be reserved for that.
 
Being an Audi owner myself I know what you are feeling. I would suggest either a Flex or better yet, rotary polisher. I picked up my rotary from Harbor Freight on sale for about $20 and started out with a soft pad and light polishes until I got the hang of things (still nowhere near what these guys on here can do, but I can at least cut the swirls in Audi CC). My PC is simply there for removing holograms and finishing up nice.
 
bpfoley said:
Being an Audi owner myself I know what you are feeling. I would suggest either a Flex or better yet, rotary polisher. I picked up my rotary from Harbor Freight on sale for about $20 and started out with a soft pad and light polishes until I got the hang of things (still nowhere near what these guys on here can do, but I can at least cut the swirls in Audi CC). My PC is simply there for removing holograms and finishing up nice.
Click to expand...



sorry for going off topic but specifically which rotary did you end up buying from harbor freight? they offer a couple different ones and i've been tempted to pick one up to give it a try.
 
bpfoley said:
Being an Audi owner myself I know what you are feeling. I would suggest either a Flex or better yet, rotary polisher. I picked up my rotary from Harbor Freight on sale for about $20 and started out with a soft pad and light polishes until I got the hang of things (still nowhere near what these guys on here can do, but I can at least cut the swirls in Audi CC). My PC is simply there for removing holograms and finishing up nice.
Click to expand...



Thanks but the investment has already been made on the cyclo.. and I like the no vibration feel of it. Although the flex defnitely seems interesting.



I've only used the cyclo 5 or so times.I wonder how much I can get for it..
 
bpfoley said:
Being an Audi owner myself I know what you are feeling. I would suggest either a Flex or better yet, rotary polisher. I picked up my rotary from Harbor Freight on sale for about $20 and started out with a soft pad and light polishes until I got the hang of things (still nowhere near what these guys on here can do, but I can at least cut the swirls in Audi CC). My PC is simply there for removing holograms and finishing up nice.
Click to expand...



i too would like to know what rotary you got at HF for $20 (typo?)... TIA



im a current PC user myself, i have been looking at flex and makita rotary so i can practice and be ready by spring...
 
newbiebimmer said:
Thanks but the investment has already been made on the cyclo.. and I like the no vibration feel of it. Although the flex defnitely seems interesting.



I've only used the cyclo 5 or so times.I wonder how much I can get for it..
Click to expand...



The Flex isn't as smooth as the Cyclo, it has a bit of...uhm..recoil due to the longer throw. While I'm simply blown away by the Flex 3401's abilities, I sure like using the Cyclo better and I'm pretty sure you would too.



So if you get the Flex 3401, keep the Cyclo.



I *still* can't help but wonder how the Cyclo would do with M105, especially the new, more DA-friendly version :think:



You oughta try *something* more aggressive than that SIP.



But then *really* I think you oughta settle for what correction you can do without going to extremes of time/effort/expense. Yeah, that's more of my Autopian Heresy, but it's not like you have to get a vehicle marring-free for it to look OK, especially white and silver.



I've posted before about how it's really easy to keep those colors looking ~75-80%, and I bet yours look better than that after the polishing you've already done. I'd try some more aggressive initial-correction combos with the Cyclo and then follow up with something milder like what you already have.



And then I'd live with how they look, which oughta be very, very nice. Spend enough time around here and you start thinking that only 100% perfect finishes are good enough. And that's not necessarily so ;)
 
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