some pc questions......

[RonTL]

I just got my pc and the sonus pads the other day and did my hood today. I washed/clayed/washed/1zup (orange pad)/1zpp (green pad)/sonus paintwork cleanser (blue pad)/nxt wax (grey pad).



I have a question. how long am i suppose to work the polishes, i worked them all until they looked thin and I seen a little bit of powdery residue and then buffed off the polish. And should i do all the polishes the same way, no matter how abrasive they are?



Another question is, when i wax with the grey pad, do i just work it in slow, let dry and buff off just like hand?



And im going to be getting VM. Do i just the blue pad or the grey pad for it?

[Eliot Ness]

Originally posted by RonTL

........how long am i suppose to work the polishes, i worked them all until they looked thin and I seen a little bit of powdery residue and then buffed off the polish. And should i do all the polishes the same way, no matter how abrasive they are?



Another question is, when i wax with the grey pad, do i just work it in slow, let dry and buff off just like hand?



And im going to be getting VM. Do i just the blue pad or the grey pad for it?

How did it turn out????



Can`t answer your 1Z polish questions for sure since I don`t use them, but as a general rule you want to work the polish long enough to break down the abrasives.



With a wax that dries before buffing (like NXT) you are correct, just apply a thin layer at a lower speed, let dry and buff off by hand (or you could use a MF bonnet over a PC pad).



VM, since it has some light polishes could be applied with a polish pad (the blue is OK) or the grey pad would probably be fine also. VM is really easy to work, I apply it to the whole car, then go back and buff it off with a MF.

[RonTL]

thanks for the reply. I know your suppose to work it long enough to break down the abrasives, but how do you know when that happens?



another question is, if i use 1zpp with the orange pad and decide i need something stronger, can i use some 1zup with the same orange pad or do i have to wash the pad first? same goes for the other pads

[JasonD]

I usually treat all three 1Z polishes the same way. It sounds like you did just fine, since they really don`t *dust* like other polishes do. At least they don`t for me.



Waxing with grey pad, all you`re doing is applying it. You don`t need to *work it in*like a polish. I`d say set your PC on 4-5 and you should be good.



VM can go either way, blue or grey pad but I`d lean more toward the blue for the most part so it can help it do its job a little better. I usually reserve the grey pad for wax application only.

[JasonD]

I wouldn`t risk using the same pad, but I would say as long as you are moving *up* the aggressiveness scale it might not be that bad to do, just don`t ever go the other way. If you only have one set of pads, I would say you are going to eventually run into a situation where you will run out of pads during a detail. I keep two orange, three green, three blue, and one grey pad on hand at all times just in case. As you can tell, my green and blue pads are the workhorses out of the group, and I rarely use the grey.



For the most part, if you use PP with the orange pad and want to step up to the UPP, I`d try it with the green pad first, just to make sure that doesn`t do the trick. I would almost put UPP/green pad and PP/orange pad on the same level, UPP being a tiny bit stronger. Now, UPP with the orange pad, totally different story. It can be some awesome stuff.

[Eliot Ness]

Jason answered you 1Z question better than I could since he is more familiar with that product.



With the pads you should be OK going from a less abrasive compound to a more abrasive compound if you at least clean off as much as you can by running a soft brush over the pad with the PC on. I would never go from a more abrasive compound to a less abrasive one on the same pad without at least a very good cleaning (washing).



I usually just buy extra pads and keep them in zip-lock bags with the product I use marked on the outside to avoid cross contamination. Uses more pads, but is safer in the long run.

[jaybs02]

Originally posted by Eliot Ness

How did it turn out????



Can`t answer your 1Z polish questions for sure since I don`t use them, but as a general rule you want to work the polish long enough to break down the abrasives.



With a wax that dries before buffing (like NXT) you are correct, just apply a thin layer at a lower speed, let dry and buff off by hand (or you could use a MF bonnet over a PC pad).



VM, since it has some light polishes could be applied with a polish pad (the blue is OK) or the grey pad would probably be fine also. VM is really easy to work, I apply it to the whole car, then go back and buff it off with a MF.



I have never used 1Z either (sorry), but polishes should be worked down till they start dusting. (4.5-6 on the PC) with either a cutting or polishing pad (least agressive combination first)



For sealants I Apply with a finishing pad (slower...around 3)



I apply VM with finishing pad also at a slower speed ( I use it more for the glaze than as a cleaner)



Hope this helps

[JasonD]

As far as when 1Z polishes are completely worked in, I don`t feel they ever get to a point where they *dust* like most others.



I recommend starting off with a 3x3 (roughly) area, and start working the product in. You should be able to keep working that same small area for at least a minute or two before it starts drying up on you. Usually at this point, your polish would start to create dust because the polish is dry and the residue is being brushed off. I don`t find that 1Z does this very much. It stays workable for a good while even past the point of actually working anymore. Like I was saying, work it until you start to see it dry up a little and then wipe off your excess. The excess residue should wipe off very easily, if it smears, you didn`t work it long enough and it`s still wet. You can adjust the amount of *working time* by using more or less product on your pad. You will get the hang of it after a while and will learn how to use more product to do a larger area. Just don`t start doing whole panels at a time because it will give the polish too much time to dry up just sitting there. It needs to be constantly worked until it does it`s job.

[RonTL]

thanks for all the quick replies, you have really helped me.



I figured i did it right, because i did half the hood of my 1993 h. civic and i could really tell the difference in the two sides. The side I did, was glossier and a darker red than the other side. I guess my paint was a little faded, didn`t even know it until i compared the 2 sides. Couldn`t really tell about how much of the scratches and swirls it took out because it got dark on me when i finished and didn`t have no more sun light. I would post pics, but dont have a digital camera, sorry.



Another question i have is........i was told to just use the weight of the pc when polishing, but when i do that, it looks like the pad isn`t even spinning, it looks likes it just vibrating :nixweiss. But when i set the pc on my car and lift just slightly, it seems to be spinning and doing a better job. Any tips to help me out?



Overall I am really pleased with my purchase.

I bought the Sonus Das polisher kit. It came with the pc7424, the sonus pads (orange, green, blue, grey), Sonus paintwork cleanser and 2 MF buffing bonnets. ( how do i use the bonnets, do i just use the white screw in pad that comes with the pc 7424 and put over it?)



I also bought the 1zup and 1zpp. I was going to buy 1zmp, but the kit came with the sonus paintwork cleanser, which I suppose is about the same as the 1zmp.



Only thing i need now is some Good Mf`s to buff off my polishes and wax, but have to save some money. I used the 2 mf bonnets that came with the sonus kit, and used them by hand to buff off the polish residue.



I was thinking of just getting the bundle of khaki`s from the autopia store.



Im going to be doing someone`s heavily oxidized truck (my girlfriends uncles) next week and he`s going to give me like $70 to do it. I did a square foot part on his hood with 1zup by hand and it looked awsome. Looked brand new (well almost :D )



After that, im going to practice with my pc until this coming spring and then open me a little mobile business. I got almost everything i need, except a pressure washer, but i can get one later.



Thanks again for all the replies, RonTL (Ronnie)

[JasonD]

Your PC shouldn`t spin. The movement is actually called an oscillation, very close to a vibration but in multiple directions. This is why the PC is so safe, it doesn`t create heat like a rotary does. The Sonus pads only require 1-3lbs of pressure to be effective, just depends on what pad you are using. The usual rule of thumb, is to apply enough pressure to hear the PC slow down and then back off a bit. Also, your pressure should slowly graduate from more to less pressure as you polish the surface.



The bonnets are for removal of wax/sealant residue. Just slip them over any clean pad you have and they will work great.



SPC is, in fact, very close to MP so that will work just fine.



If you are planning on detailing for a business (or as a hobby), I would definitely invest in some good mf towels. Get a few ww`s for drying, and as many plush mf`s as you can afford. You can never have too many. There`s a slew of mf suppliers to choose from. To name just a few: Autopia, ExcelDetail, Pakshak, Autofiber, Pinnacle, Autogeek, PremiumAutoCare, and many more. I personally, like the PakShak Ultra towels for all compounding and most polishing and the Autofiber Elite`s for the rest. Two great choices.

[RonTL]

thanks, i understand now why i thought it was spinning. Thanks Jdookie :up



another question. When i wash my pads, I put them in a bucket with dawn and let them soak about 30 min., then massage them, rinse them and then air dry them. I do this after every use, but i`ve only polished 1 time so far, so i only did it once :D. I can still see spots of polish on my pads. Im guessing this is normal and is why people put them in baggies and label what product they use with them.



thanks, RonTL (Ronnie)

[JasonD]

Yes, that is why they label them. As far as the spots, make sure you are cleaning them well enough. I usually don`t end up with spots after cleaning, except for on the white pads. Those get stained no matter what you do. I usually let my pads soak overnight and rinse them out with the hose (spray nozzle), and that gets the rest out.

[svanderbilt]

Next time you could skip the Sonus Paintwork Cleanser. NXT is a mild cleaner.

[Eliot Ness]

Originally posted by RonTL

........ When i wash my pads, I put them in a bucket with dawn and let them soak about 30 min., then massage them, rinse them and then air dry them. I do this after every use, but i`ve only polished 1 time so far, so i only did it once :D. I can still see spots of polish on my pads. Im guessing this is normal and is why people put them in baggies and label what product they use with them.......

That`s about the same way I clean mine, except after I massage the bulk of the product out of the pad I`ll let them soak in a fresh bucket of dawn for a while longer.



After I rinse and blot them dry I`ll throw them on a cheap rotary I have and give them a spin in a bucket that gets rid of a lot of the moisture. Let them air dry by laying them on a clean towel face down on something like a wire rack. That way dust won`t settle on the face of the pad and the moisture won`t be drawn toward the velcro backing.



My pads come pretty clean that way, but the lighter ones may show some staining. I also don`t seal my zip-lock bags so they can air out if any moisture is left deep in the pad.



By now you`re discovering that the more products you use the more pads you have come in very handy.

[m3 in estoril]

great thread!