Cyclo - Green Polishing Pads

[mgm2003]

I`ve been having issues with my cyclo brand green polishing pads leaving behind slight scratches -no haze, that show up under the lights or under bright sun. They are easy to clean up via another polishing step, but I`m wondering if this is normal. Should I just get used to finishing up with a black or white finishing pad? I find it hard to believe that this is normal for the green polish pads, but maybe it is......



I`ve used brand new pads, as well as used ones to rule out dirty pads.



I`ve tried putting an `X` on the pad, thin circle, nickle size dab (many variations of products and amounts) and consistently get the light scratching. I use light to med cut polish with these pads (FPII, IP, P085RD, Optimum).



I just got my cyclo in December, so I`m no where close to a `seasoned user`.

[scottabir]

let the polish do more of the work than the pad when finishing up the area. Lighten the pressure basically. MOst of the time unless really hard paint I have to put hardly any pressure on the machine for the final few passes.

[mgm2003]

scottabir, Thanks for the tip, I`ll have to give that a try. I`m pretty sure that I`m the cause of this because I don`t get this via the rotary or PC when I use a light cut polish pad. I`m trying to bog down the cyclo like it`s a PC and don`t need to.

[Accumulator]

Yeah, just let the Cyclo "float" over the panel for the final passes.



Some paints are just too soft for the green pads to leave a flawless finish.



Make sure they aren`t contaminated with little bits of velcro (more a problem with the white Cyclo finishing pads).



Also, you might try using the Cyclo green pads on your rotary and PC (with the appropriate backing pads) and see how that works. Then you`d know if it`s a "pad-specific" issue. FWIW, I kinda like the Cyclo green pads with the rotary and the PC, but then I`ve been using them forever and have a good "feel" for them.

[EBPcivicsi]

I have had no such issues with mine. The velcro backing has pulled away on a few, but it seems to be an isolated issue.

[mgm2003]

Accumulator: I use LC green light cut/polishing pads on the PC and rotary and they work great. The cyclo brand 4" pads may take some seat time to figure out. I may try the 4" LC polishing pads at Autogeek to see if they work better (for me).

[Accumulator]

mgm121499- OK, sounds like you`ve narrowed it down to "Cyclo technique". I sure won`t argue against trying other pads, but I bet you could figure out how to get a flawless finish with the Cyclo ones (since that machine is right in between the two machines with which they *do* work well for you).



One advantage to that approach would be that you`d be limiting the variables involved (only one would be the Cyclo itself, rather than the Cyclo and new/different pads). I used this approach a little differently when getting acquainted with my Makita rotary, I used the Cyclo pads and products with which I was familiar so that the Makita was the only variable that changed.

[Bill D]

Mgm,



Yeah, like I mentioned to you, the Lake Country/Sonus do very well. No complaints here perfromance wise. Just be extra careful to perfetly center the pads on the velcro. If you have them off slightly, they can grind against each other a little bit.

[mgm2003]

Thanks guys!



99% of the time, I`ll polish out 1 panel (or a large section of a panel), back out into bright sunlight, and inspect before continuing on. I do this to ensure the polish, pad, speed, etc... are producing decent results. It was raining on Saturday, so I didn`t/couldn`t do it! I wanted to strip the existing wax/sealer so I could try a few new finish kare products.



If I have time this evening I`ll try to fix a few spots that I missed on the hood via the cyclo. The scratches were very light. FPII & a white polishing pad via PC @ 5.5 quickly fixed them.



The sides are complete. I used FPII to clean/prep the surface, Finish Kare 2180 sealer, FX-100, then topped with pink wax, and wiped down with their super slick poly wipe (forget the product #). Not to start another thread within a thread, but so far I like the Finish Kare products that I`ve tried.

[Bill D]

mgm,



Gotta get a 1000 watt halogen light stand esepcially if you hav a dark colored car. Also the 200-300 watt incadescent trouble light, a la Accumulator, is a great inspection tool.



Next, I`m eyeing the Brinkmann dual beam Xenon hand held rechargable spot light :up

[mgm2003]

Here`s what I tried last night after washing the Tahoe.....



-cyclo green pad & FPII to clean up micro scratches (look like fish eyes, small-curved scratches). The green pad not only didn`t correct the existing one`s but added to the number of them.



-Next up.... I pull out the rotary & Optimum @ 1200 RPM and it clear`s them up 85% after 1 application.



I pull out the cyclo for round 2 -using a fresh set of green pads. This time I use IP, thinking maybe FPII didn`t have enough kick. No go, same thing. I even switched up my hands, to focus on not applying much pressure (Usually hold the handle with my right hand, switched to my left). I was also extra careful to ensure the pad was on center. I tried cleaning things up with a cyclo white pad (finish pad) and it didn`t touch it.



What in the heck could be causing this?



I can`t believe it because when I first started using the cyclo it ate this stuff alive. I ran it on my neighbors TL, and got the same result. He used his PC (FPII on a polish pad) and they came out.



Any ideas what I`m doing wrong? I feel like an idiot posting this, but what the he**, I`m here to learn.