Hello from Indy! Have some noob questions too....

Double Dizzle · 07-17-09, 12:44

Hey everyone....been lurking here for a while now and finally got my 10 posts so I thought I would introduce myself and ask a couple questions. I have always been a freak about keeping my cars clean and shined up but have just recently got into the professional aspect of it all. Needless to say, I have learned alot here already. I have been doing some mild advertising, mostly word of mouth, and I finally got my first real detailing job lined up for this weekend or next. I am hoping that this side business turns into a more full-time venture, but for now I will just be doing one vehicle every weekend at most. I purchased a gently used PC 7424 last week from another member here and he threw in a few LC pads as well. On to the questions...

1. The DA that I got didn't come with the tool to attach pads...can I just use a wrench or do I need what I'm missing?

2. The pads I received with the DA are an orange, a blue, a black, and I assume the white one that comes with the DA originally, along with the larger backing plate. Which others do I need for now? From what I have read, the orange is a good cutting pad and the black is for finishing. What about the blue? White?

3. Because I can't afford to purchase top-notch products right away, my first few details will be with OTC products. I went today and got Meg's Ultimate Compound cause I have read it works pretty well for OTC. I also have Kit Scratch Out, Megs Cleaner Wax, and Black Magic Wet Shine Liquid Wax. I already have claybars, towels, etc. I use Megs Gold Class wash (love it), Megs Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner, BM Titanium Tire Wet Gel, and Armor All foam for wheel wells. Do I need anything else for this first detail? All ideas and suggestions are welcome.

Now I'm rambling and running out of time before work....sooo let me hear some expert advice and I will probably add some more questions later. Thanks all....this forum rocks!

scary bill · 07-18-09, 01:00

1. you can order a new wrench from autogeek, at least you used to could.
or use a wrench that fits

2. They sound like Lake Country pads. What size are they? Blue is the softest and can be used for *extremely* gentile polishing and to apply waxes, sealants and glazes. Black is a little more firm than blue and is great for final polishing to bring out max gloss, it will have very little cut with most polishes used with a DA. White is a polishing pad and good for light correction. Orange is for light cutting, but will do plenty with the right compound.

I would recommend against the yellow foam heavy cut pads, they cut really fast but seem to leave really nasty micromarring that is very difficult to remove. I think you have the right kind of pads, depending on how many you have of each you may be set. Its nice to have 4 of each wh/or and 2 blk or blues.

3. What you need will depend on what you need to accomplish. You may want to get some megs 105 and 205. Do some searching on this site about the Kevin Brown Method (KBM). If you are going to do corrections with a PC you will need to practice, as there is a learning curve to using a PC well.

The other products you mention will work fine.

Double Dizzle · 07-18-09, 10:47

Thanks for the reply scary bill...

They are 5 or 6 inch pads that I have now, and apparently not enough of them, since I only have one of each that I mentioned. So will I even be able to complete a detail on a mid-sized pickup tomorrow as I had planned? Maybe I will have to apply something by hand?

scary bill · 07-18-09, 11:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double Dizzle

Thanks for the reply scary bill...

They are 5 or 6 inch pads that I have now, and apparently not enough of them, since I only have one of each that I mentioned. So will I even be able to complete a detail on a mid-sized pickup tomorrow as I had planned? Maybe I will have to apply something by hand?

At worst you may have to clean them. A soak in a good apc, brush, rinse and spin dry ( if you can). Also if the pad loads up you can try to wipe it across a clean MF and use a brush to get out some of the polish. That may get you a few more sections.

Also, don't go heavy on the polish. Less is more as it will perform better and not load the pads as fast.

Good luck.