polishing with lc and pb

[nheidmann]

I am not seeing "wonderful results from a pc with an orange lc pad and pb ssr 2.5, my pad seems to be caking up after 5 panels or so, how many pads should I be using for one car/suv/truck etc.? also, if I can`t fix it with ssr2.5, should I order the ssr3 and an lc yellow pad? I am getting ready to attempt my buddy`s 95` BMW black with moderate oxidation and severe paint contamination/swirling. I need to convince him that he doesnt need to repaint it.. "civilians" geez! haha anyway thanks guys - Nick

[Setec Astronomy]

If you are caking up, you may be using too much product, or you may need to "spur" the pad with something (nylon brush) to get the caked polish off or wipe it with a terry towel to remove excess if it`s still wet enough. As far as the effectiveness, how much pressure are you using? I was initially unsuccessful with the PC because I wasn`t using enough pressure. Mike Phillips of Meguiar`s suggests you need to use 15-20 lbs of pressure for swirl removal, and that you should push the PC down on a bathroom scale to get a feel for how much that is.



If the car is really bad, you can go to SSR3, even though it feels like liquid sandpaper, it breaks down pretty quickly. I have never used it on a car that had a lot of value...if that BMW is really a candidate for repaint, you can give it a shot. Just try it in a small spot first--you will definitely get some hazing from it that will need to be removed by a finer polish.

[Evenflow]

I just ordered some SSR2.5, and was told it will take care of most swirls/defects. Its pretty aggressive. Im going to guess your just not using enough pressure on the machine.





Have any pics?

[RAG]

Those orange LC pads like to cake up a bit. I like to use two pads to cover the vehicle.



Heavy swirls removal with a PC is time consuming...it`s really much better suited to light/medium duty work. Personally, I wouldn`t go with anything stronger than SSR2.5, IP, or DACP with the PC. As far as pads go, if you want more cut go with the Meguiars Burgandy or the Propel Yellow. You might have to over the vehicle with 2.5 to get the job done, and then follow with your finishing polish.

[metal]

During a detail, I usually just rinse the pads out every few panels, squeeze all the product out of them then squeeze all the water out, and fling the water off the PC at setting of 4 or so for 3-5 secs, works well for me.