This is it guys, I need help choosing my products

Toy_Cam_Ed

Toy_Cam_Ed

Buffed out
I'm buying my DA tomorrow, and will need some compounds, polishes/glazes, sealants and waxes. Also, help with car soap, chrome cleaners, wheel cleaners, interior cleaners, and any tools/brushes I may need.



Sorry for asking so much, but I have a lot of faith in you guys to steer me straight.



What's a good light cutting compound?



Medium cut?



Polish?



Sealant?



CCS pads vs. flat?



Feel free to address as little or as much as you want. I am not demanding answers, and will be grateful for any and all help. Thanks ahead of time, you guys rock.



Btw, I will have questions regarding other aspects of starting up a detailing business, but first things first. And before anyone tells me to "practice" first, yes, I plan on doing a number of vehicles (8+?) before charging someone. Cheers.
 
You can make this simple. Very simple. :) HD UNO, HD POLISH HD POXY. Cut, Polish, Finish, Protect.



All the pads you would need are also available from Autopia. So are 3D Pink car soap,3D Green APC, 3D Yellow degreaser, 3D deep blue polish (metal), 3D liquid Leather.



You will get very good prices, saves on shipping charges as well, and you will get easy to use products that perform very well. And in the process, you support this wonderful site.



USE COUPON CODE TD5.



I can provide direct links to all the products. Just let me know. Follow the link



3D Car Care - Car Wash, Car Wax, Auto Detailing supplies, Car Polishers, Car Buffers & accessories store
 
Thanks, I'll look into those things.



What's a good substitute for foam pad conditioners? I don't want to pay $12 for a small bottle. Can a quick detail spray be used?



And what about HD Speed? I'm sure some people might not need a concours level job done. Would it be good for quicker jobs where swirls are not a huge issue?
 
As a foam pad conditioner I usually use H2O. Any quick detailer should work fine.



As for pads, each has their place. I use a variety of pads on every detail, but if I had to pick one it would probably be flat pads; very predictable. But a variety of sizes is necessary.



Compounds and polishes: My staples are: M105, D300, Menzerna Power Finish, Menzernal 85rd. I might use something different by choice, but these can accommodate 90+% of what I do.



I like Blackfire BFWD/AFPP. If I need speed I like Optimum Opti-Seal or BFCS, depending on color.
 
Nth Degree said:
As a foam pad conditioner I usually use H2O. Any quick detailer should work fine...
Click to expand...



I have noticed that some quick-detailers have a negative impact on polish performance when used as a foam pad conditioner. The ingredients (whatever they are) causes smearing, uneven polish breakdown times and subsequent gumming, increased difficulty in removing from paint surface, etc. A very fine mist of water will work well, but in my opinion, Meg's #34 is the best for foam pad priming. #34 also happens to be quite frankly the most versatile QD out there (IMO)...it is a shame that it gets forgotten quite easily on every forum.
 
Speed is of course a great choice for quick jobs. I personally don't use a pad "conditioner. Don't need it with the HD polishes.



Buffer_Wannabe said:
Thanks, I'll look into those things.



What's a good substitute for foam pad conditioners? I don't want to pay $12 for a small bottle. Can a quick detail spray be used?



And what about HD Speed? I'm sure some people might not need a concours level job done. Would it be good for quicker jobs where swirls are not a huge issue?
Click to expand...
 
While everybody will give you different answers, basically whatever it is they use or like, here are mine:



Aerospace 303 and Megs interior flat shine dressing are both proven, I prefer 303 for the added protection.



ONR is a proven wash soap, not sure if you want to wash traditional or rinse-less, but I just can't wash traditional anymore, ONR is that good.



I use ONR for clay lube also, and a QD for quick clean ups, and I also wash wheels with it, it's an all around product. Chrome cleaner, I use glass cleaner, works great.



Brushes, just get a wheel brush or two, different shapes and sizes, maybe a couple for engine bays, etc. You will know what you need as you come across difficult situations.



Megs 105, 205, always have their place and are proven. I find that both 105 and 205 can have increased/decreased cut as needed, depending which pad you use. Many cars will take 205 on a cutting pad and finish almost LSP ready, and 105 can be used on a polishing pad in the same way, to decrease the cut, while finishing almost LSP ready, if not LSP ready.



Megs MF pads, at least the cutting with D300 is excellent



LC H20 pads are also excellent for their finishing ability, although they don't last that long. Megs foam pads are also excellent, and last a lot longer than LC pads. LC foamed wool also com in handy for heavier cut, but finishing out nicely.



I prefer flat pads over CCS pads, that's just me



Klasse AIO is an excellent sealant, proven durability, top with anything you like. HD Speed is easy to use and has a nice gloss, durability has yet to be reported, but I'm testing it now. Sealants and waxes are a dime a dozen IMO, just try some and figure out which you like to use. Collinite is always a winner also, especially with Klasse underneath it.



HD Polish is a good finishing polish, light cut, at least lighter than 205 for me, and provides a very nice gloss.



My advice to a beginner, don't go crazy buying every cool thing out there at first, most of it you won't even use, I have tons of stuff but I always end up using the same small amount of tools, etc. over and over again. Keep it as simple as possible.
 
Thanks for all the great answers. On top of trying to get opinions, I'm studying like a man posessed. I'm reading every article I can, and watching a ton of videos. I know they're no replacement for actual experience, but the more I know going into it, the more comfortable I'll be once I pick up that machine for the first time.



I just ordered Meg's G110 DA, and 6 various Lake Country CCS pads from AutoGeek.



As far as Uno, is it considered a medium cut abrasive? But I realize that what pad is used and time taken will also affect amount of correction. There's only so much info on the product page.
 
Also, what's a good OTC compound I can use for "practicing" until I get enough money to buy some serious supplies?
 
Thomas Dekany said:
I personally don't use a pad "conditioner. Don't need it ...
Click to expand...



Same here, at least not with RO/DA machines.



Buffer_Wannabe said:
As far as Uno, is it considered a medium cut abrasive?
Click to expand...



That's an OK assessment; IMO there are a whole lotta variables that make it kinda tough to pigeonhole products into categories. That said, another "medium cut" product that's also very user-friendly is Optimum's Hyper Spray Compound. But you could probably do *VERY* well just sticking with the 3D/HD approach with only two abrasives (and multiple pads).



I just ordered Meg's G110 DA, and 6 various Lake Country CCS pads from AutoGeek.
Click to expand...



OK on the polisher, but I think you made a mistake buying those CCS pads. The "dimpled" type of pads are one of the few types that I utterly *hate*. When they prove unsatisfactory and you're ready to get some decent ones, look into MF cutting pads and flat/"regular" foam polishing and finishing ones. Like the ones 3D/HD sell to compliment their Uno and Polish ;)
 
Buffer_Wannabe said:
Also, what's a good OTC compound I can use for "practicing" until I get enough money to buy some serious supplies?
Click to expand...



You can't go wrong with Megs Ultimate compound and polish. Available at Walmart and everywhere else really.
 
RZJZA80 said:
You can't go wrong with Megs Ultimate compound and polish. Available at Walmart and everywhere else really.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've already tried Ultimate Polish and like it. I've also heard Ultimate Compound is a decent product. I just need to watch my $$$ carefully right now, and some of the high end products are a bit pricey. Plus, Meg's is available everywhere these days.
 
Buffer_Wannabe said:
Could you elaborate a bit more?
Click to expand...



I have only limited experience with them as it was immediately apparent to me that the dimples were a bad idea. I want a more uniform surface, holding a uniform amount of product, when I polish. And I don't want "dimples"/etc. retaining either product (and Q: will it be "dried out" product or "fresh" product anyway?...who knows... perhaps a mixture of the two? :nixweiss ) or cut-off paint.



I think of the dimples as a marketing gimmick at best, but IMO they could actually lead to performance/result issues if the dimples retain stuff.



Repeating- MF cutting pads, smooth polishing/finishing pads. Period. I myself don't even recommend SurBuffs, at least not for somebody who doesn't already have a lot of experience with this stuff. And with the MF cutting pads, I don't see any compelling reason to recommend wool pads either. Yeah, yeah...I know, I *do* use 'em but again, it's in that "if you have to ask..." category.
 
@ Accumulator: fair enough, but since I've already ordered them, I'm going to give them a shot. If I'm unhappy with them, I'll just try something else.



What are MF pads primarily used for?
 
MF pads cut more than foam pads for the most part. MF cutting and finishing pads are just that, for cutting and finishing. I prefer to finish with foam, but you don't have to. The CCS pads will work fine, they worked for me for a long time when I first bought pads, I just prefer the H20 pads now.
 
I've never used MF finishing pads, but one thing I really like about the MF cutting ones is the way they're *so* easy to clean out (which you need to do quite frequently with nondiminishing abrasive products) compared to foam. When you're stopping to deal with pad cleaning all the time, IMO you either need a whole lotta pads (so you can just swap 'em out) or a quick and easy way to clean them (and dry them too, if you get 'em wet).



RZJZA80- Hey, good that you chimed in with an OK opinion about the CCS pads :xyxthumbs Wouldn't bother me at all if my doom-and-gloom post to Buffer-Wannabe proved unfounded :D
 
Buffer, you should be able to do well with UC if you're on a budget and want to go the OTC route. I've gotten excellent results from Meg's products and with that a lot of them are going to stay within arms reach! That being said I'm digging the 3D/HD lines as well. Their prices are comparable to MEG's MG line and I feel that the results are slightly better in my limited experience with them. Another biggie is that I've noticed is the ease of use and extended working time both by hand and machine.
 
I also prefer flat pads. Love MF pads but for maximum cut the black wool pads still work much better than MF pads. I always finish with foam pads. MF pads can't finish as well. As a matter of fact I only have cutting pads as well. As far as I know, (from Meg's rep) there is no difference in the actual fiber, only the backing material. One is softer. FWIW



Accumulator said:
I've never used MF finishing pads, but one thing I really like about the MF cutting ones is the way they're *so* easy to clean out (which you need to do quite frequently with nondiminishing abrasive products) compared to foam. When you're stopping to deal with pad cleaning all the time, IMO you either need a whole lotta pads (so you can just swap 'em out) or a quick and easy way to clean them (and dry them too, if you get 'em wet).



RZJZA80- Hey, good that you chimed in with an OK opinion about the CCS pads :xyxthumbs Wouldn't bother me at all if my doom-and-gloom post to Buffer-Wannabe proved unfounded :D
Click to expand...
 
For what it's worth, I have used the LC hydrotech pads with awesome results [and I have used CCS pads, but I greatly prefer the HT pads].



I have also started to use MF pads when needed, as in the surbuf and the Optimum polishing pads. I love using these pads as they don't require a ton of pressure and are thin, which allows me to have more control. The Surbuf cuts like crazy too, which has been a blessing on a few jobs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top