polish dusting

8

8Banger

New member
i have a PC and im fairly new to polishing. actually i've had it for a while, but just havent used it that much



if i want to take out a scratch or do a small area it turns out great



but, if i want to a large area just for basic marring/swirling correction it turns out terrible





my polish always dusts and when i go to wipe it off, i just make new swirls :cry:



what can i do?





my most common combo is: PC on speed 6 with a 6.5 inch lcc white pad and a 5.5 inch backing plate



i'd love to get some smaller pads or a larger backing plate for better control, but i can't find any that aren't super expensive





thanks for any input guys
 
8Banger you didn't mention what brand of polish you are using. Every polish out there has it's own properties and some will definitely give you a dust storm, others wont. Take for example the Menzerna line, they are known for outstanding products but a nasty side effect is fairly pronounced dusting. The other end of the spectrum is some of the Optimum line that almost doesn't dust at all but, in some users opinions, requires you to work longer to achieve the same results of a Menz type product.



I recommend you lower your speed setting on the PC as well. 6 is pretty "smoking" when it comes to general defect removal. I tend to run closer to 4.75 to 5.25 for most of my work. Remember that the whole approach is synergistic, in that, for the best results it's a matter of matching the right pad with the right chemicals with the right speed of machine.



Lastly, if you are frequently having dusting problems....back off on the quantity of product you are using. Sometimes too much product can cause problems such as you describe. Oh and lastly,lastly...only work in areas about 2'X2'.



oh...and lastly lastly lastly...if you are wiping off the product and noticing new areas of marring, make sure you aren't imparting them with the MF's you are using.



Hope this helps in some way.
 
it's helped for sure, i'll try using speed 5 more often - i usually only do about 2x2 areas



i might be using too much product, but one of my fears is not using enough and over working :(
 
8Banger said:
it's helped for sure, i'll try using speed 5 more often - i usually only do about 2x2 areas



i might be using too much product, but one of my fears is not using enough and over working :(
Click to expand...





OK, how much product are you using??? To much product will dust bad...
 
Yes too much product with the OD Light Polish will dust a lot. With this polish, less is better. I don't get much dusting at all when I use it. It is similar to the PB's line, but dusts a little less and finishes off a little nicer.
 
thanks for the quick responses guys, i still dont get it though, im using the amounts of polish you guys are saying and everything, maybe i just suck ***?





would a smaller pad or larger backing plate help? i find myself fighting to get the PC back under control sometimes because of the extra hang over (from the backing plate) on the pad



when i'm using it, i don't look like a newb, i have control of the unit, it's just the pad is big and bulky





does this have anything to do with it maybe?
 
oh, and i almost always have some micro-marring left over, should i follow up with some meg's scratchX on a grey pad?
 
That is a light polish and should be fine with a white LC pad. You can try to follow up with the same polish and a blue or grey pad.
 
Pad size and backing plates really are just a matter of personal preference. I currently have two PC's one has a 6" bp the other a 5". In so far as pads go, I prefer the smaller pads 6" and less. I like the megs pads and the new Sonus/Ultima 5.5" size. While you don't get as much coverage are with a smaller pad, you get more control and quicker defect correcting due to more energy transfer between the PC and the foam. (Think of it like a stiffer shock absorber)



Lowering the speed of the pc will give your better control as well. Do you use the side handle on the PC or just grasp the head of the unit? I finally got rid of the side handle and put bolts in those holes to stop the rattling from the plastic head cover.



Regarding your choice of polish, sorry I cant give an opinion as I have never used that particular brand
 
8Banger- Sorry to hear you're having problems. A few sorta- random thoughts follow:



I'd try to figure out what you do differently between the large/small area corrections.



You can always just do whatever process you use on a small area several times for a larger one.



The only time I turn thePC's speed down below 6 when doing correction is when I'm using 4" pads.



I like to spray some #34 before I buff off residue, helps reduce the chance of marring.



Most people use too much product (for every process).



Maybe you just need a better pad/product combo for the final polishing.



Dunno if any of the above will be helpful, but that's what came to mind...
 
thanks for your input guys. ill try and get a video up tomorrow to show you guys, so you can give me some more in depth advice :)



#34? is this like a meg's quick detailer?
 
8Banger said:
..#34? is this like a meg's quick detailer?
Click to expand...



It's a somewhat special one, in that it doesn't leave much of anything behind and it's bodyshop-safe. It's a very "clean" QD that's just right for jobs like this.
 
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