Questions on 2-step polishing process

[BigO]

What's your process when using two grades of polish with a PC (in this case, 3MPIIIRC and MG)? For example, do you do the whole car with the RC, and then hit the whole car with MG, or do you do one panel at a time (RC the panel, then do the MG)? If the later, is it necessary to swap out the pad when switching between products?

[krwaxbz]

BigO:
Not quit sure what your abreviations mean. I have several polishers but the one I use the most is my Metabo it is a small polisher with individal preset speed control from 700 to 2200 5 pounds and easy to use with any 6 inch velcro quick change pads.
I use this machine for light compounding and polishing and machine glazing.
In aswer to your question presuming you have washed the car first and clayed it . Follow with a good paint cleaner/ polish that will remove towel scratches and hazing. low speed 1200 to 2000 RPM using a dimes worth of product.
After you have finished the areas or whole car with this product donot forget to spur pad often. I follow up with a all cottom towel or micro fiber towel with some final inspection to wipe down surface
dust then proceed again with a finish or glazing foam pad and a polish to get that final wet look to the pait low rpm 1500.
Again follow with a micro fiber towel or cotton with a final inspection . Some people like to follow with a hand glaze or simular product to enhance the deep of clarity than follow with a good quality carnauba paste wax or a synthetic polymer product like meguires or zaino.

krwaxbz

[pontgta]

When usining the 3m PIII or any rubbing compound swap to clean pads when using Machinge Glaze. Not swapping pads is a waste of time. The machine glaze removes swirls caused by the rubbing compound. I actually wash the car before applying the Machine glaze to be safe. After this I add some PIII FG, and OR Imerial HG Followed with some 3M Perfect-It Show Car Wax .

Remeber ONE polish One Pad.

[salty]

I do the whole car then move onto the next product. You could go panel by panel, but it would take longer.

[JBM]

It depends on how much time you want to spend on the vehicle per day.

If i am going to do a 2 stage polish job, i break the car down into 4 sections.

This lets me concentrate on what i am doing, and not panicing when the moon comes up.

A 2 stage polish with a "wax" and dressing the tires, doing the glass, will take somewhere around 6-12 hours. Depending.

[JDookie]

BigO,

Once you start polishing/compounding you don't want to stop until the whole car is completely done. What I mean by this is, still do small 2x2 areas, removing any excess as you go, but don't stop in the middle of it to switch to another product. You don't want to let the product dry in the pad, and then pick back up later, this could be bad.

As the others have said, also use a different pad for each product and keep your pads cleaned/spurred (I use a pad cleaning brush) as to avoid caking of the pad, which can lead to marring and swirls. I find this most noticeable when using the 3M compound, and not as much with the glaze.

Also, for the pad's sake, as you fnish with each pad, throw it directly into a bucket of hot water/soap to start soaking. This will help when it comes time to clean them out later.