M205 users--how are you finishing?

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wfedwar

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I've seen about an equal number of posts from people who either 1) think M205 finishes off as good or better than anything on the market and 2) can't get it to finish down well (even seen some people say 105 finishes better) and follow it with Ultrafina or soemthing similar. So which is it???
 
M205 finishes off perfectly for me, M105 doesn't finish well enough for me to skip M205. I'm not a pro, but I've used it on Audi, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Mazda, and Hyundai. There's a post that shows "after" pictures of all types of cars using M205 as the last polishing step.
 
Pad selection a big factor, I'm wondering if the people that have problems aren't using a finishing pad. I get great results with a megs tan pad.
 
Like Jake said, most of the time, 205 finishes down just perfectly. However, I usually choose to finish those rare ocassions with 85rd. I have not yet tried the ultrafina.
 
Finishing via 205 with a PC via the KBM.



Pad selection- Depending on CC hardness and how hard I had to cut with M105, I use a white LC flat pad for harder clears or a black LC flat for softer clears.



1. Prime the entire face of the pad w/ M205 and work it into the pad a bit.

2. Speed 6 on your PC.

3. Apply firm pressure and do not let up at the end.



If the clear is hard with more defects to remove, go slower.
 
Lots of variables here, including how hard the paint is, machine, pad, and technique.



I find that on 90% of vehicles, finishing down with a flex and a *flat* red american buffing pad, meguiars 2.0 black finishing pad, or even a new oragnge pad is fairly easy.



With the flex, pc, etc what gmlack3a stated is very important--keep the pressure firm, don't let up at the end like you would with traditional polishes.



Also with 205 if you work it too long you will move out of its "window" and all of the abrasives/lubricants will be gone risking micromarring from the pad. This will really become apparent if the pad isn't cleaned well between panels because the dried polish on the edges will start to mar the paint once the lubricants are removed.



These are my findings on "unusual" paint systems--most paints will not be an issue IME.
 
dont mean to hijack, hoping this will add to the thread. When using rotary, i prime the pad with 205 before i start. Anyone else do the same, no prime, prime with something else?
 
ebpcivicsi said:
Also with 205 if you work it too long you will move out of its "window" and all of the abrasives/lubricants will be gone risking micromarring from the pad. This will really become apparent if the pad isn't cleaned well between panels because the dried polish on the edges will start to mar the paint once the lubricants are removed.
Click to expand...



Excellent observation....





That small example explains alot.........:xyxthumbs
 
In my (perhaps limited, compared to some other people here), M205 finishes out *VERY* well, great even. But *not* quite as nicely as the finishing polishes from Menzerna.



It's not like the M205/finishing combo leaves any real *problem* or anything like that, but if you try a final burnishing with Menzerna you just might be surprised at how much of an improvement it makes.



Would the average person notice the difference? I sincerely doubt it. But some people here might appreciate it.
 
As a general rule of thumb, when finishing or jeweling (don't know if they can be called similar here), do you want to use a faster or slower speed on the DA?

I see that the guy above is using speed 6 on the DA to finish out. Does it make a difference?
 
MichaelSpoots said:
As a general rule of thumb, when finishing or jeweling (don't know if they can be called similar here), do you want to use a faster or slower speed on the DA?

I see that the guy above is using speed 6 on the DA to finish out. Does it make a difference?
Click to expand...



With 205 (non-diminishing) you want contstant pressure at speed 6. Do not let up or reduce speed setting at the end of your polishing process.



With a diminishing abrasive polish, usually you want to reduce pressure near the end of your process.
 
gmblack3a said:
With 205 (non-diminishing) you want contstant pressure at speed 6. Do not let up or reduce speed setting at the end of your polishing process.



With a diminishing abrasive polish, usually you want to reduce pressure near the end of your process.
Click to expand...



Does this apply to Flex-type double action or rotary as well?
 
Thanks for the tip. GMblack :2thumbs:.

I guess somewhere along the road, I must have picked up the notion that finishing and jeweling with the DA was better around speed 4 or so, instead of 6. I think I may have seen this method in a few write-ups.



In any case, my car is due for its biannual M205-ing...will try it @ speed 6 on the G110 :clap:. I'm sure it'll turn out just fine. (Before I used speed 4, and it turned out fine as well).
 
After doing some burnishing with my Cyclo (single speed), I decided to keep the speed up pretty much all of the time with my other DA/RO machines as well. Seems to work fine, but then I'm using mighty mild products for this and they aren't flashing too fast (something that I *would* watch out for while you're getting familiar with your combo).
 
gmblack3a said:
With 205 (non-diminishing) you want contstant pressure at speed 6. Do not let up or reduce speed setting at the end of your polishing process.



With a diminishing abrasive polish, usually you want to reduce pressure near the end of your process.
Click to expand...



Valuable info here!



Now we just have to know which polishes are non-diminishing and which are diminishing! :nervous:
 
Jakerooni said:
205 finishes out just fine for most cars. If I get some picky paint I'll follow up with Ultrafina. But not always.
Click to expand...



Accumulator said:
In my (perhaps limited, compared to some other people here), M205 finishes out *VERY* well, great even. But *not* quite as nicely as the finishing polishes from Menzerna.



It's not like the M205/finishing combo leaves any real *problem* or anything like that, but if you try a final burnishing with Menzerna you just might be surprised at how much of an improvement it makes.



Would the average person notice the difference? I sincerely doubt it. But some people here might appreciate it.
Click to expand...





+1 to both... For 95% of the 1step polishing details I do, M205/M8006/rotary finish perfectly and cut a good amount of defects. Of the other 5%, 4.9 of it M205 will finish down very well with M9006 or a white LC pad. The rest of the time (black Porsches, newer black Infinitis and those horrible jet black BMWs) it's a bit too aggressive and I'll finish with 106ff/white or similar.



Because of this, I've been using M205 pretty much every detail, even if I do a 2-3 step polishing, and it's either a mid polish with M8006/LCW or final with M9006/LCB.



Great great polish IMO.
 
Only on the softest paints do I have to follow #205 (rotary and Meguiars yellow polishing pad) with Ultrafina. However, I usually do anyway because of the depth UF adds along with added insurance it give for a rotary swirl free finish.
 
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