Machine Polish

[Christophe]

Wondered if I could get some help/advice

I'm after a machine polishing kit. My budget for everything including the machine and products pads plates etc is £200

What I have decided on is definitely the DAS-6 Pro DA. Which of these kits if any are best to get? http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polish...er/cat_81.html

Or, should I get the machine and then other things separately? If so what you reckon? I currently drive a black fiesta zs mk6.5 and i really want to get rid of the swirls and light scratches as they do my head in lol and want a real nice deep finish. Some of the products I have are SRP, Werkstat sealant, Dodo Lime prime, poorboys black hole various waxes R222, vics concours etc , Zaino Z8 and various other stuff i cant remember on top of my head.

I do want a definetly want a good polish etc for the machine but I have seen a lot of people have gone to just using sealants and seem to really work! So wouldn't mind one aswell.

Thing i can't get my head around are the processes and pads ie which finishing, cutting pads polishes and which order to use them and when? I have read the detailing world guide but still confuses me lol

 

[youngstig]

also interested in this, which pad and polish for each step, also for a black clio.

 

[Gally]

I personally would save the money and buy this tidy little thing once it's back in stock (email them) http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polis...r-ep800-compact-rotary-polisher/prod_854.html

3M yellow pad and some Menzerna 203's or 106FA (I prefer the 106FA).

3M Blue Pad and some Prima Amigo glaze/cleanser

Then whatever choice of LSP you want mate.

Forgot all the different polishes, a one step polish is more than enough to nip out some swirls etc if you read the guide et al. The glaze will them fill any deeper marks that polishing didn't remove whilst also increasing Gloss and prepping it ready for LSP.

That is such a small simple kit that can make the world of difference after proper claying, de-tarring etc, iron remover isn't quite as desperate on black imo.

For less than £200 you could have a great kit, 2 buckets, mitt, shampoo etc..

 

[aucky]

2kg on that one, any idea how much the silverline weighs?

 

[Gally]

About 9!

The EP is lighter than the 3M iirc which is easy the lighest rotary i've ever used. 3M could be 1.9kg in fact. I prefer the weight of the Millwaukee, it's easily my favourite machine.

The EP feels like a DA but performs like a rotary, i'd never recommend it from a pro pov, it's superb if you like to glaze/cleanse via machine but don't want 2 machines.

 

[youngstig]

Would u reccomend the EP for a beginner or would it be best to stick to a DA? Also which lsp would you reccomend for dark paint?

 

[Christophe]

Not to confident on a rotary as i have never done machine polishing so think i'll stick to a rotary. So if i got this rotary
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polis.../das-6-pro-dual-action-polisher/prod_673.html

this polish final finish
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/polish/menzerna-250ml/prod_217.html

with this 3m pad, it will fit the das pro rotary backing plate? (do i need more than one or do i just wash them every so often?)
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/car-p...-iii-polishing-pad-yellow-150mm/prod_760.html

Prima Amigo glaze (I have black hole does this do the same thing?)

this pad for the glaze
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/car-p...na-se-blue-high-gloss-pad-150mm/prod_761.html

and is that it? What if scratches and marks still there is there not another polish / pad i could use that is stronger.

Do you think i would need a smaller backing plate with pads for certain areas or is what it comes with ok?

cheers

 

[Gally]

Well the EP blurs the line between DA and rotary, so much easier to use, much quicker and cheaper, no drawbacks. You'll do damage with a DA if you use a pad and polish wrong. Imo the EP is hard to do damage with because it's similar to a DA in a lot of ways. I'd struggle to recommend a DA nowadays with the EP on the market.

You could buy the black flexipads backing plate and some spot pads, both yellow and blue same as the big pads. Blackhole will be fine.

Personally I wouldn't worry about correcting your paint any further than 106FA, you really want to look into checking paint depths if you want to chase deep marks.

Put it this way, on some people who are good at polishing can correct paint with very fine polishes and pads, in mosts cases lack of correction is down to technique not pad/polish combo. Practice more and more to find the sweet spot that suits yourself.

 

[Christophe]

Is this worth the extra money with the pads or are the 3m ones better quality?

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polis...compact-rotary-polisher-pad-kit/prod_855.html

How come the EP is so much cheaper? I have this habit of thinking more expensive the better quality. Is the EP got enough torque compared to the DAS pro

 

[Gally]

I never advise buying kits mate, buy separate and get what you want/need imo.

2 3M pads are cheap. Rotaries are always cheaper mate, a Silverline is only £40 or something.

 

[aucky]

The weight can be advantageous sometimes but I find vertical/low panels just destroy me with the silverine.

 

[chris_p]

If I were in your position, I'd probably follow Gallys advice.

I've detailed my 182 with a das6 and it's HARD work! Renault paint is supposedly soft too, I can't imagine how difficult it would be to correct anything like a bmw/Audi with one.

Maybe it was poor technique who knows, I doubt it though as I'm naturally perfect at everything I do.

EDIT: Do a search on my username, I detailed mine and gave the products etc I used. I gave it a long research before buying much like you so I feel your pain mate! Thread is 'bye-bye M3 hello tin can' or something..

 

[JD]

2kg on that one, any idea how much the silverline weighs?

A lot more. Where do you think my nickname "forearms" came from?

 

[aucky]

I've detailed my 182 with a das6 and it's HARD work! Renault paint is supposedly soft too, I can't imagine how difficult it would be to correct anything like a bmw/Audi with one.

Trophy paint is rock solid for supposedly soft paint :|

 

[JD]

Trophy paint is rock solid for supposedly soft paint :|

Trophy paint is, to use a CS phrase, defiantly medium. Honda paint is soft.

To get it out of the way, I'm not "dissing" your abilities, but what polish, pad and machine combo are you using?

 

[aucky]

I generally don't go further than enhancements because I correct every spring and a light polish in winter (usually).

PO85 on a medium polishing pad is enough for most of the car. 203 for any stubborn areas / RDS.

 

[JD]

I generally don't go further than enhancements because I correct every spring and a light polish in winter (usually).

PO85 on a medium polishing pad is enough for most of the car. 203 for any stubborn areas / RDS.

Good good. If you were talking wool, IP3.02 or 3MFCP then I'd be worried/call it hard

Always was one of my favourite colours, the Trophy red (Capsicum?).

 

[aucky]

I've got a couple of rounded off RDS (not THAT deep though) that I'm going to have a go at with some light wet&dry, but apart from that it's only ever light swirls I have.

I'm a bit scared of wool tbh

 

[Christophe]

Got the finishing polish with yellow pad but want a medium menz cutting polish with a 3m pad which do you reccomend? Just want something just incase certain parts need it?

 

[Gally]

3.02RD is the cutting polish mate, if you're buying 2 get 85re as the finishing polish. 106fa/203's is a medium polish.

 

[Christophe]

3.02RD is the cutting polish mate, if you're buying 2 get 85re as the finishing polish. 106fa/203's is a medium polish.

sorry bit confused. is it this final finish with which pad?
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/polish/menzerna-250ml/prod_218.html

and this is the medium compound 106fa http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/polish/menzerna-250ml/prod_217.html to go with the yellow 3m pad

would i start with the final finish and if needs be move up to the 106fa then back down to the final finish?

 

[Gally]

Sorry RE is the cutting polish and RD is the finishing polish mate.

If you want a heavy and light polish buy 85RE for polishing/correction and 85RD for finishing. If you want correction look at the hex range, will give more cutting ability on DA/rotary than 3M yellow. Green Hex is robust. Stick to 3m Blue for finishing/glazing, superb pad.

Personally I like 1 step polish plus glazing.

 

[Christophe]

if you dont mind could you give me links of each part with recomended pad as i'm not sure what goes with what at the moment lol. I know what glaze with a 3m blue pad thats fine. it just the others. I want a couple of stages just incase it needs a bit more work.

thanks for your help

 

[Christophe]

Thinking of getting these 3. You think the middle one Final finish is needed if i got the other 2?

Menzerna Super Finish (PO 106 FA)

Menzerna Final Finish (PO 85RD)

Menzerna Power Finish (PO85RD 3.02)

for the pads thinking of getting the lake country ones. what the difference between the CCS and the Hydrotek?

 

[Christophe]

or should i go for hex pads? which ever i go for will need small versions as going to get small backing plate.

 

[Gally]

3M or Hex. Hex if you're using a DA mate. Forget the rest imo.

 

[Chapppers11]

Might be worth looking at the Meguiars DA Microfibre System, was very impressed with it yesterday and it was a doddle to use.

One pad, one polish, easy job.

 

[Christophe]

3M or Hex. Hex if you're using a DA mate. Forget the rest imo.

Nice one. Decided I only want to get 2 polishes as I will be using a glaze aswell so don't want to many stages. hoping to only need to use menz 106FA then the glaze but just incase i need to up the cutting if i have a few deeper marks, will Menzerna Power Finish (PO85RD 3.02) be ok? or should i go for Menzerna Power Finish (PO203S) instead. bit unsure on the difference with these?

 

[Gally]

Stick with the 3.02 as 203's is too similar to 106FA.

 

[Christophe]

cool will get those two to start.

As for the pads. Going to get blue 3M for the glaze (do they not do a small version??) Which colour hex's should i go for for the 106fa and 203s??

 

[NFox]

Whats pads would you rate more out of the 3m and the hexlogic?

Edit: For the ep800.

 

[Christophe]

being a ford fiesta zs mk6.5 (Black), is that hard or a soft paint? As read for the Hex range Orange, white, black for medium/hard paint, green, blue, black for soft paint.

 

[Christophe]

is the blue hex similiar to the blue 3M in terms of using it for glazes/cleaners such as lime prime? as would prefer to get all same make pads plus they do small versions