New to Machine Polishing...what products to use?

R

reyo

New member
Hi



I've been hand detailing for almost 2 years now and finally confident enough to try machine polishing

I am planning to get the PC 7242XP with 6" backing plate and LC CCS Pads

I am thinking orange for compound or heavier polish, white for light polish, and black for waxing



I am just wondering what are some nice and not so expensive compounds and polishes you guys recommend?



I was looking at the Meguiar's 105 and 205, a lot of people seem to use this combination.

As well the Optimum compound/polish II combination seems popular as well

I was also reading on Merzerna products and they are very high review, however they have SO MANY different products it's very hard to choose which one to use.



Can anyone please give me some advice?

Or even an all-in-one compound/polish product would be great as well (such as a glaze, if these are recommended?)



FYI: car conditions

07 black rdx...................swirls and webs...still decent condition overall until you look closely...it is a metallic black..I think this is the only car that need compound

09 silver is250.................better condition than the black rdx....maybe because it's silver, but bumper is definitely not in a too good condition)

12 white mini cooper .......brand new...so probably just going to machine wax it.....is polishing recommended on new cars?

13 black jx350 ...............brand new...so same situation as the mini cooper



Thanks!
 
Welcome!



Please do not use the larger pads, purchase a 5" backing plate and 5.5" pads. The smaller the pad the more correction you will achieve, also it will save you a lot of time.



�



3D Car Care; Car Wash, Car Wax, Auto Detailing supplies, Car Polishers, Car Buffers & accessories store



As far as products, the once you have mentioned are indeed great polishes and compounds.



However, I will give you another alternative.



HD UNO, HD POLISH, HD POXY



Or if you are after an AIO, HD SPEED.



These products are very easy to use, they don't dust, work in the sun, and I will say that the finish they produce is the best I have seen so far.
 
PS: Make sure to clay each car after you wash them (2 bucket) before you polish them.



Yes, new cars will greatly benefit from polishing.



Your pad choices are fine as far as cutting, polishing, finishing. However many times even a one step with something like the orange pad will create the finish you are after.



If you end up trying the HD line, here is a coupon code for you. TD5



If you have any other questions, we are here for you.



High Definition - Pro Line Products | Car Paint Protection – 3DProducts
 
Thomas Dekany said:
Welcome!



Please do not use the larger pads, purchase a 5" backing plate and 5.5" pads. The smaller the pad the more correction you will achieve, also it will save you a lot of time.



�



3D Car Care; Car Wash, Car Wax, Auto Detailing supplies, Car Polishers, Car Buffers & accessories store



As far as products, the once you have mentioned are indeed great polishes and compounds.



However, I will give you another alternative.



HD UNO, HD POLISH, HD POXY



Or if you are after an AIO, HD SPEED.



These products are very easy to use, they don't dust, work in the sun, and I will say that the finish they produce is the best I have seen so far.
Click to expand...



Thanks! I'm not sure how to get the HD stuff because I'm in Toronto and I usually purchase off eshine.ca (about the only detailing etailer in Ontario) and they don't carry the HD line

So I'm stuck with most of the "common" products



Any reasons why the bigger plate and pads are not as good? With a car like JX I figured bigger would be much more convenient...but again I guess with the Mini it wouldn't make sense
 
reyo said:
Thanks! I'm not sure how to get the HD stuff because I'm in Toronto and I usually purchase off eshine.ca (about the only detailing etailer in Ontario) and they don't carry the HD line

So I'm stuck with most of the "common" products



Any reasons why the bigger plate and pads are not as good? With a car like JX I figured bigger would be much more convenient...but again I guess with the Mini it wouldn't make sense
Click to expand...



You will have very little power polishing with larger size pads on the PC. On a rotary machine it is the opposite. The larger the pad, the more cut.
 
Thomas Dekany said:
You will have very little power polishing with larger size pads on the PC...
Click to expand...



Right :xyxthumbs Too much friction.



reyo- Unless you've already bought the PCXP, I'd absolutely recommend the Griot's Garage 6"RO instead. And it can work OK with the 6-6.5" pads too. OR the new 3D/HD one, if you're OK with using 5-5.5" pads.



For serious correction, I'd get Microfiber Cutting Disks (e.g., Meguiar's) instead of foam pads. They cut better, finish nicer, and clean up a whole lot easier. And you don't need as many of them compared to all the foam pads you'd need (especially with products using non-diminishing abrasives).



Also, the CCS pads are generally *VERY* unpopular. I've only used one once...for a few minutes before I threw it away. Ixnay on the dimpled pads, get regular ones instead.



And I can say that 3D products like Uno are a whole lot more user-friendly than the M105/M205 twins, which I've used quite a bit. IF that line isn't available to you, maybe something from Optimum might work. IF you want to go Menzerna, somebody here can help guide you through their admittedly extensive line of products.
 
Thanks for all the help guys!



I'm going with the PCXP because I can get it for a decent price from a friend who has a detail shop.



I guess I'll go with the 5.5 regular pads, and Optimum Compound/Polish II!



Thanks again!
 
Accumulator said:
Right :xyxthumbs Too much friction.



reyo- Unless you've already bought the PCXP, I'd absolutely recommend the Griot's Garage 6"RO instead. And it can work OK with the 6-6.5" pads too. OR the new 3D/HD one, if you're OK with using 5-5.5" pads.



For serious correction, I'd get Microfiber Cutting Disks (e.g., Meguiar's) instead of foam pads. They cut better, finish nicer, and clean up a whole lot easier. And you don't need as many of them compared to all the foam pads you'd need (especially with products using non-diminishing abrasives).



Also, the CCS pads are generally *VERY* unpopular. I've only used one once...for a few minutes before I threw it away. Ixnay on the dimpled pads, get regular ones instead.



And I can say that 3D products like Uno are a whole lot more user-friendly than the M105/M205 twins, which I've used quite a bit. IF that line isn't available to you, maybe something from Optimum might work. IF you want to go Menzerna, somebody here can help guide you through their admittedly extensive line of products.
Click to expand...



This man speaks the truth about CCS pads...i don't hate very many things but these dimpled pads are one of them...
 
MCA said:
This man speaks the truth about CCS pads......
Click to expand...



I tossed it so quickly I didn't even retain much memory of the thing! Had to ask a few days ago "are those the ones with the dimples?" or somesuch. And no, it wasn't a case of "giving it a fair chance", the design was simply wrong IMO.
 
Ok then I will go with the regular LC pads!



Since paint condition is not horrible (just swirls), is compound really necessary? I'm thinking of using Orange pad with Optimum Polish II on the black RDX with lots of swirls and webs

As for the newer cars, I'm thinking of using just white pad with the same polish.



Is this ok?
 
reyo said:
Ok then I will go with the regular LC pads!



Since paint condition is not horrible (just swirls), is compound really necessary? I'm thinking of using Orange pad with Optimum Polish II on the black RDX with lots of swirls and webs

As for the newer cars, I'm thinking of using just white pad with the same polish.



Is this ok?
Click to expand...



It just depends....



Eh, that sounds like some BS reply, huh :o But it really is the truth. On harder clear it takes pretty aggressive compounds to do much of anything in a time-effienct manner; then you only use the finer polish(es) to give the final gloss.



AFAIK, most (all?) of the vehicles you mentioned have medium-to-sorta soft paint, but don't underestimate the amount of cut you'll need. My Fords don't have "hard clear" like my other vehicles, but I still need something kinda aggressive to get much done (even with Griot's/Flex/Cyclo polishers).
 
Nobody on there can tell whether they need compound or not (especially since there's no pictures). Just start with polishing and a less aggressive pad and keep getting more aggressive with your pads/compound combo until you get the results you want. That's literally the only way to know.
 
There are very few cars where you can just take a white polishing pad and OP to "level" paint. But you never know. If I knew what car, maybe I could tell what it will need. Instead of orange foam, Micro Fiber pads work better. Good luck in any case! Post pictures!



reyo said:
Ok then I will go with the regular LC pads!



Since paint condition is not horrible (just swirls), is compound really necessary? I'm thinking of using Orange pad with Optimum Polish II on the black RDX with lots of swirls and webs

As for the newer cars, I'm thinking of using just white pad with the same polish.



Is this ok?
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top