Luv my new flex 3401

B

BOBBYBOB

New member
1st post, bear with me.I have a

black 94 Miata and the paint is an

8 out of 10, although very swirly.

It has never been clayed so after

Dawn and clay what next? Also, can

you please explain SG, AIO, and

PPCL. I come from a generation that only had Turtle Wax to use

so thanks for your help.
 
Hi Bobbybob,

Welcome to Autopia. You've found the right place if you want info on car care.

The next step for you is a tough one to determine. It's based on what condition your paint is in and what results you expect vs. what level of work you're willing to put forth. There are a wide variety of polishes and cleaners that can be used, all providing a different result.

As you're a newbie here I suggest a few things before attacking your Miata:

(1) Spend some time reading the posts here, especially in the archives. There is a treasure trove of info that will answer many of your questions and expose you to new techniques and products.

(2) Buy the e-book, Autopia Guide to Detailing. For $20 it's a great reference source of info on products, tips, tricks, and techniques. I bought the book and found it to be very helpful, and I've been detailing cars for 20+ years. Here's the link: e-book

(3) Check out the forum acronyms section to decipher what terms like PPCL and AIO mean. The link is to the left of the "Autopia Carport" marquee.

Hope this helps. Welcome to the club.:)
 
Once you dawn and clay you need to determine what kind of sealant (if any) you want to use. You have a lot of digging to do in these forums to decide if you want to go with Klasse, Zaino, Blackfire, or something else.



Usually after you put a on a sealant you'll want to put on a coat of wax. There are a lot of choices to consider there too. Like I said, lots of digging. :xyxthumbs Feel free to ask any questions about what products to use when you've found what your options are. :)
 
Bobby, after claying your car, you will probably want to remove a lot of the swirls that are in your car which will require the use of some sort of an abrasive. Do a search under 'swirls' and a few other related keywords and decide on a plan of attack for your swirls. Of course, this might very well make you MORE confused, but at least you'll have more specific questions for us! :)

As for AIO, SG & PPCL, the following links might help:

Klasse AIO
Klasse SG
Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion (PPCL)
 
... Use a polish/swirl remover. I like the 3M SMR but many here use the Meguiar's.



Then:



1. A-I-O / Zaino

2. SG (at least one coat)

3. Carnauba of choice (I like Griot's paste -- long lasting and very shiny -- but any one will work)

4. Weekly washing with washer/wax to renew the just-detailed look.



Enjoy.



E



PS: The top left corner has a link to the ACRONYMS to translate the abbreviations.
 
Hey welcome to atopia. here is my process of a full exterior detail maybe this will help maybe not.

1-wash the car
2-touch the wash up with a product like speed shine or show off or whatever you prefer to do a quick detail with.
3-polish or paint cleanser. (I use P21S Paint cleanser)
4- feel the car and after using polish If contaminants are still on the paint then clay those parts.
5-Then follow up with wax.

Or if you are claying your whole car You speed shine or whatever you do for a quick detail then clay it then polish then wax.

Some recommendations for products........

1. p21s paint cleanser
2. P21s Wax
3. Griots Garage Speed Shine (great lubricant for clay)
4. Clay bar from any where (I use Griots Garage)
5. Or I know that One Grand has a full line of competitive products .


Just look for p21s products at www.autosupermart.com
look for one grand at www.onegrand.com or www.autosupermart.com
and look for griots products at www.griotsgarage.com

p.s. griots has a great free catalog to order
I hope i helped in some way
 
Ive only used the flex3401 DA a few times now but I love the power it has and the rotary feel to it. Its also the perfect tool for someone whos afraid to upgrade to a rotary because it has such a rotary feel to it but the safety of a DA

Plus I love that it handles 6" pads , whitch I much prefer to the 5.5 where I can use them .

I also like that it even hanles 7 inch pads for minor polishing/LSP without bogging down like the the megsG110.

Anyway one day I noticed my hand was really hurting afterwards . Then the next day my other hand was hurting in the same place . Im not sure its the Flex but I think it is.

Is anyone taking the bail handle off and holding it that way , maybe that would help me?

Anyone else have this problem?

Also why are some of you guys selling off your flexes?Im curious!!
 
Great to hear getting the hang of it DC. It's a great polisher most love to use when polishing. The hand part you might want to see a Dr to see your didn't do any damaged to it in any way. I use it a few times and remove the handle too and found it better in handling ( IMO ), but I always go back to my rotary.
 
Thanks Angelo!

My hands are fine now and only hurt for a couple of days. I will try taking the handle off and see how that goes.

The only thing I dont like about the Flex verses a rotary is I miss the weight. Honestly my very first impression of it was it fely like a toy it was so light LOL .

IMO the extra weight really helps you and of course makes you use different muscles but in the long run you end up having to work the machine more anyway.

But I like the safety of it , Especially on older cars!
 
Hey DC !
Hope you are feeling better now.

Being a rotary guy from another planet, I bought a 3401VRG from Angelo, years ago, when they first came out and immediately put a side handle on it, like I have on my rotary.

Never liked bail handles, would rather use my hand on the head of the machine instead of a bail handle any day.

The machine does rotate counter-clockwise, so your hands had to adjust to that, and maybe they were a little upset that the constant pressure was now hitting them a different place then the normal PC or Rotary rotation..

I hardly ever use this 3401VRG for anything except some selective finishing so there is less hard work for me or the machine, and for sometimes applying a glaze or polish or something with the finest L/C Hydro-Shred Pad out there today.

I actually like the 3401VRG better with the smaller 5.5" pad/backing plate combo; it seems to be easier to handle, and I guess it would be able to do the work including rotation faster, since there is less mass to move around.

Glad you have one, its a great, versatile machine, and can do a lot of good.. It will heat up pads faster than you think it would, (at the higher speeds) so keep that in mind..

Take care,
Dan F
 
detailchick said:
Thanks Angelo!

My hands are fine now and only hurt for a couple of days. I will try taking the handle off and see how that goes.

The only thing I dont like about the Flex verses a rotary is I miss the weight. Honestly my very first impression of it was it fely like a toy it was so light LOL .

IMO the extra weight really helps you and of course makes you use different muscles but in the long run you end up having to work the machine more anyway.

But I like the safety of it , Especially on older cars!
Click to expand...

Hello DC -

Here's my take on this - you are WORKING THE FLEX TOO HARD - it's NOT a PC - you don't need nearly as much pressure (down force) with the Flex. Let the machine do the work - it was designed that way!

The 3401 is one of the easiest hand tools I've used - powerfull, easy to control, well balanced. The key to using it is to get the "feel" for pad and motion. It's a lot like using a miniature floor buffer - learn the travel when you move the pad from flat-dead-center running out toward an edge. After a while you will be able to control the Flex on a horizontal surface with one hand and only the weight of the machine for pressure and it will still do a great job.

I purchased the Flex because I have arthritis in my hands and one hour use with a PC will trash my hands for a week or two. I have never had problems with my fingers after using the Flex for hours on end.

Regards,
GEWB
 
detailchick said:
Also why are some of you guys selling off your flexes?Im curious!!
Click to expand...

I peddled my 3401 after using it a half dozen times, it just didn't fit with the way I work. I use a lot of 3 & 4" pads and backing plates, the 3401's lack (at the time) of various sizes of backing plates always had me reaching for another polisher. I like versatility in my tools. I also found it harder to control than a rotary.

I don't know what was behind the big price increase on the 3401s, I bought mine during a real attractive sale when the retail price was around $260 or so. When I sold it the new ones were over $300 so I made out pretty well.

TL
 
TLMitchell said:
I peddled my 3401 after using it a half dozen times, it just didn't fit with the way I work. I use a lot of 3 & 4" pads and backing plates, the 3401's lack (at the time) of various sizes of backing plates always had me reaching for another polisher. I like versatility in my tools. I also found it harder to control than a rotary.

I don't know what was behind the big price increase on the 3401s, I bought mine during a real attractive sale when the retail price was around $260 or so. When I sold it the new ones were over $300 so I made out pretty well.

TL
Click to expand...

Same here. I dont use 4" pads often, mostly 5.5's. I sold it a month before the smaller backing plate was announced. I personally hated the reverse rotation of the machine.

As for the folks with arthritis. I have found the best machine is on the hands is the G110v2. Its super smooth and doesn't vibrate a lot.
 
Thanks everyone for your replys and helpful information.

Gewb , I think you may be right because I was on speed 6 and really working the flex like I would the megs G110 DA with quite a bit of pressure. I will try lightening up .

So what arm speed should you use , slow like a DA? Thats what I was doing .
 
The smaller backing plate makes a significant difference in handling. Furthermore, there is a side handle available to dampen vibration. As others have said, you do not need to apply a lot of downward pressure in comparison to normal DA machines. I like to use mine as a follow up to remove any swirls left from the rotary.
 
detailchick said:
Thanks everyone for your replys and helpful information.

Gewb , I think you may be right because I was on speed 6 and really working the flex like I would the megs G110 DA with quite a bit of pressure. I will try lightening up .

So what arm speed should you use , slow like a DA? Thats what I was doing .
Click to expand...

I played with speeds - like you, I started around 5 to 6 but had problems. My Ah-Ha moment cames when I slowed it down. I found most of my correction using Menzerna products on LC pads (yellow, orange, white) works best between 2.5 and 4.5 with 3.75 being my most common speed (for example: Menz IP and Final Polish on LC white). The only time I use higher pressure is to work a particularly rough spot, otherwise I only use enough pressure to comfortably control the machine.

I thought about attaching a side handle (ala typical rotory) but after closely examining the mechanics of the Flex I decided to use the bale handle. Given the unusual orbital motion and the power, the bale handle would provide the easiest control. I do wish the bale handle went more "up" and about 1/2" less "out" at the nose.

However, to "jewel" before applying my LSP, I found the best (for me and my Flex) is the opposite of what other detailers use - I found the Flex with a finishing pad and a suitable polish running at 5.5 worked very well.

If I use the Flex to apply a LSP, a finishing pad at 2.25 to 2.5 is perfect for me.


Regards,
GEWB
 
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