What am I doing wrong here? *pic*

I

imported_95legend

New member
Hi guys. I just tried out rotary for the first time today. I detailed the hood of my car because it's heavily swirled. First of all, here are the details:



-Lexus GS400 with Black with no clear coat

-Hitachi SP18VA Rotary @ 1300ish RPM (moving about 1.5ft/sec)

-Lake Country light cutting pad (white)

-Lake Country finishing/polishing pad (black)

-Meguiars DACP #83

-3M Rubbing Compound



The problem I'm experiencing is very light marring. I've tried these combinations so far:



-White pad with DACP

-White pad with 3M

-Black pad with DACP

-Black pad with 3M

-White pad with DACP followed by Black pad with DACP again.

-White pad with 3M followed by Black pad with DACP



Here is how my car turned out (ignore rock chips and dry clumps of DACP):



img0866nw1.jpg




When I used the 3M instead of the DACP, it worked better. The DACP quickly dried out and I had problem with the rotary skipping. Not to mention, the DACP left clumps of dry polish on my car. I had to use a QD to get rid of it. I rule out using DACP with a rotary. From now on, the DACP only gets used with the PC.



So what's wrong here? Am I moving too fast/slow? Is the 3M too abrasive? Is it the pad?



Any tips would be better than no tips at all.



Thanks!
 
I didn't use one. the 3M and DACP are the only polishes I have.



I figured I was going to need one. I've been meaning to ask for recommendation in my first post, but I forgot.



So is the lack of finishing polish my problem?
 
Yeah, you're going to need something less abrasive than what you have to finish it out nice and clear. Where are you located?
 
I'm in Socal. What a coincidence!



What do you recommend for a lighter polish? I'm guessing it should be applied with the black finish/polishing pad?
 
I was aftraid of going that slow because you hear all these stories about paint burning if you most too slow and such. I'll give 6"/sec a try.



Maybe thats why I'm experiencing some skipping problem. I can't seem to get the pad flat on the hood. If I do that, the rotary starts to spin around and go all over the place. I have to keep it at a very very slight angle.



But no more DACP with rotary for me. Its time for a new light polish. the 3M works great for my swirl problem (which is worse in person), but it did feel abrasive to my fingers when I was rubbing it. It's been a nightmare :(
 
themightytimmah said:
I think it's the speed - 1.5ft/sec is way fast. I usually go 6in/sec or sometimes less to finish out. Try 1500rpm, 6-9"/sec and FPII on a LC black.
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It's not going to matter what speed he uses/moves working with that level of abrasives.;) He needs a finishing polish.



I ask again. Where are you in So Cal?
 
I don't think a final finishing black foam pad is going to take out 3M compounding marks. You need another step in between with a stiffer pad.
 
DACP can be a royal pain in the ***. On a clean hood (no wax or sealent) it works great! When there is something on the hood, the product gums up quickly. Also, with DACP, there is a minor learning curve.



I would slow my arm speed way down. If the buffer is getting out of control, I am guessing you are putting pressure on the rotary. Let the weight of the rotary do the work (unlike a PC) and gently skim the surface. Once a rotary is up to rpm and skimming, they are very easy to control.
 
Noting that there are a *lot* of different "rubbing compounds" from 3M, yeah...same answer here- you need a finishing polish. PI-III RC 05933 will leave an *almost* ready-to-wax finish on some paints, but I can't get it to finish out that will by rotary (by a long shot). Even by PC/Cyclo it can be shocking how nicely a milder follow-up product improves things.
 
David Fermani said:
I don't think a final finishing black foam pad is going to take out 3M compounding marks. You need another step in between with a stiffer pad.
Click to expand...



In the pad kit that I received, there is nothing that is between the White cutting pad and the Black cutting pad. All the other pads are either stiffer than the white or softer than the black.



TH0001 said:
I would slow my arm speed way down. If the buffer is getting out of control, I am guessing you are putting pressure on the rotary. Let the weight of the rotary do the work (unlike a PC) and gently skim the surface. Once a rotary is up to rpm and skimming, they are very easy to control.
Click to expand...



I tried letting the weight of the rotary do the work, but it still goes out of a control a bit. Even the slightest tilt will make the rotary somewhat spin around. Any other suggestion on how to tackle this? Perhaps its just the product I'm using that's making it hard? I love DACP, but only if I apply it with a PC :(



Accumulator said:
Noting that there are a *lot* of different "rubbing compounds" from 3M, yeah...same answer here- you need a finishing polish. PI-III RC 05933 will leave an *almost* ready-to-wax finish on some paints, but I can't get it to finish out that will by rotary (by a long shot). Even by PC/Cyclo it can be shocking how nicely a milder follow-up product improves things.
Click to expand...



I'm using the rubbing compound that you can find at Walmart. I think I'm going to get myself a finishing compound. As far as I know, isn't the PI-III more abrasive than my DACP? If so, how will that help my marring problem? Do you have any recommendation for a polish that I can apply after DACP or my current 3M?



Thank you guys for giving me input. I dont think I did *too* bad for a first time. I just need to address the final polishing stage:woohoo:
 
95legend said:
I tried letting the weight of the rotary do the work, but it still goes out of a control a bit. Even the slightest tilt will make the rotary somewhat spin around. Any other suggestion on how to tackle this? Perhaps its just the product I'm using that's making it hard? I love DACP, but only if I apply it with a PC :(







I'm using the rubbing compound that you can find at Walmart. I think I'm going to get myself a finishing compound. As far as I know, isn't the PI-III more abrasive than my DACP? If so, how will that help my marring problem? Do you have any recommendation for a polish that I can apply after DACP or my current 3M?
Click to expand...



I, too, have found DACP to extremely difficult to use via rotary. Keep something in mind about DACP, it has diminishing abrasives which means it starts off very aggressive and finishes mild, but in order for it to do this, you have to break it down correctly. If you are fighting the machine to just stay on the painted surface I can almost guarantee you that you aren't breaking the polish down correctly, which could leave you with a marred finish.



Are you detailing in the sun? If the surface temperature is too hot, it will cause the product to dry very quickly which will make the pad grip the surface instead of glide, which will cause some problems too.



The rotary is difficult to master. Just take your time, and don't rush things.



As far as your 3M compound, is there any way you could tell us *exactly* what it is? I'm not familiar with what's available from WalMart, but there are some 3M compounds out there that are like sandpaper. The one you want is the one Accumulator mentioned, Perfect It III Rubbing Compound (product # 05933), and then follow behind that with Perfect It III Machine Glaze (product # 05937).
 
I'm detailing in the shade in 70ish degree weather.



The part number is 03900. I bought it years ago. I dont think walmart has it anymore, but I might be mistaken.



Well I couldn't control the rotary from the start. It likes to move around a bit. I think it's because i'm moving a bit too fast so it requires me more work to keep its going straight.. :(
 
I found your compound online. I've never actually seen that one before, but if it's the one I'm thinking of, it's basically liquid sandpaper. Does it feel gritty?



Regardless, the two 3M products Accumulator and I mentioned above are excellent products, and can produce an unbelievable shine, prepped and ready for just about any lsp.
 
95legend said:
In the pad kit that I received, there is nothing that is between the White cutting pad and the Black cutting pad. All the other pads are either stiffer than the white or softer than the black.
Click to expand...



If you used compound on with a LC black final finishing pad, you'll probably need more than white polishing pad to get the swirls out. You probably need something like a yellow cutting pad or equivalant. You might not be cutting through the compound marks leaving the finish swirled.
 
JDookie said:
I found your compound online. I've never actually seen that one before, but if it's the one I'm thinking of, it's basically liquid sandpaper. Does it feel gritty?



Regardless, the two 3M products Accumulator and I mentioned above are excellent products, and can produce an unbelievable shine, prepped and ready for just about any lsp.
Click to expand...



Yes it does feel gritty. I wanted to mention that for a fact, but I didn't think there were that many different 3M rubbing compound
 
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