Newbie advice - first time polishing, dumb questions

[Adam_W]

hi!

I bought Griot`s Garage DA polisher, 5 inch backing plate, 5.5 inch orange and red pads, and have Meg D105/205 plus Menzerna 4500.

Haven`t used them yet.

I`ve read a lot instructions online, but had a few questions:

- So after I wash, clay, tape off the car, and picked the area I want to start polishing (will probably just use the Menzerna 4500 this time, it`s a new, 3 month old, car)... what do I when the pad gets dry or if there is powdery stuff (read this online) ? Do I stop polishing? Do I moisten the pad and keep working on the same spot until the criss cross is done? Do I move on to the next panel, adding more polish?

- whatever the answer is to the above question(s), does the same apply to when I use D105 or 205 ?

- After I`m done with one polish, say D105 and am ready to move onto 205, is there anything I do, i.e. do I need to first wipe off any powder or residue before continuing?

- How about between the 205 and Menzerna 4500 ? Anything I need to do ?

- if i`m going to apply Menzerna Sealant after the Menzerna 4500, do i have to wait a few hours?

- After menzerna sealant, if I want to apply a coat of Collinte 845, how long should I wait for the sealant to `cure` ? (dry california weather, detailing in the shade under canopy, early morning, warm summer day)

I`ll have more dumb questions later, I`m sure.

Thanks!

[wdmaccord]

1) You need some white polishing pads for SF4500 and M205. Red is for applying wax. I`d use M205 on a brand new car. SF4500 has virtually no cut and a new car usually has some defects from transport and dealer prep. M205 will give you a nice finish and should be no need to follow it with SF4500

2) Clean your pad after each panel with a terry towel (Mike Phillips has a thread on this over on autogeek called something like "cleaning pads on the fly"). You can also use a pad brush.

3) Between polish and sealant, you need to wipe down with an IPA solution...10-15% is preferred.

4) Let sealant cure 12-24 hours before applying 845 (845 is also a sealant (sealant/wax hybrid) so using it on top of another sealant really isn`t necessary.

[JustJesus]

Sweet! I have similar setup with DA and 105/205 (actually, I bought a few more on top of that).

I like #3 posted above. I wasn`t sure, and don`t recall reading that in Mike`s book.

Thanks WDM!

ADAM: where in Cali are you located? I just bought some Terry towels and can throw a few your way if you want, for cleaing on the fly. Maybe we can learn together

[tropicsteve]

wdmaccord has some good advise for you adam. you made a good choice going with the griot`s da and the 5" backing plate. griot`s makes very good pads but their selection is somewhat limited. even though they are stepping up with some new microfibers and a new black pad, lake country gives you a much more broad selection of pads to choose from. cleaning pads on the fly helps, but i like having 4-6 pads each of orange and white so i don`t have to clean so much while i`m working. after a light brushing on the fly (and i mean light, heavy brushing can trash your pad`s finish pretty quickly) i simply change out the pad and continue. megs m105 and m205 are great choices also, your ride should still be in pretty good shape, so do a test spot with a white pad and m205 and you should be good to go.you can probably make due with your orange pads, just don`t bear down as much while polishing unless the defects are heavier. remember to have fun while you work. post some pics if you get a chance.

[wdmaccord]

wdmaccord has some good advise for you adam. you made a good choice going with the griot`s da and the 5" backing plate. griot`s makes very good pads but their selection is somewhat limited. even though they are stepping up with some new microfibers and a new black pad, lake country gives you a much more broad selection of pads to choose from. cleaning pads on the fly helps, but i like having 4-6 pads each of orange and white so i don`t have to clean so much while i`m working. after a light brushing on the fly (and i mean light, heavy brushing can trash your pad`s finish pretty quickly) i simply change out the pad and continue. megs m105 and m205 are great choices also, your ride should still be in pretty good shape, so do a test spot with a white pad and m205 and you should be good to go.you can probably make due with your orange pads, just don`t bear down as much while polishing unless the defects are heavier. remember to have fun while you work. post some pics if you get a chance.

I will echo on the pad brush. First time I used it I turned on the GG and let the pad spin and dug the brush in. Trashed that pad in no time. Now I do combinations of the terry towel wipe off and a light brushing of the pad with the brush, both with the machine off. Most times I can get through an entire detail with one pad but I always have a few on hand for backup if I need to change out.

Be careful if you do the Mike Phillips method with the towel, it`s not hard for the towel get get sucked into the gears behind the pad and trash your machine. I`ve elected mainly to just wipe the pad with the towel instead of turning it on. Combined with the brush to get the last dusty remants out, it does the job.

+1 on the LC pads too. Go with the 5.5" flat pads (CCS pads don`t work as well with DAT polishes, but the flat will work with DAT and SMAT).

[alexxxx89]

I will echo on the pad brush. First time I used it I turned on the GG and let the pad spin and dug the brush in. Trashed that pad in no time. Now I do combinations of the terry towel wipe off and a light brushing of the pad with the brush, both with the machine off. Most times I can get through an entire detail with one pad but I always have a few on hand for backup if I need to change out.

Be careful if you do the Mike Phillips method with the towel, it`s not hard for the towel get get sucked into the gears behind the pad and trash your machine. I`ve elected mainly to just wipe the pad with the towel instead of turning it on. Combined with the brush to get the last dusty remants out, it does the job.

+1 on the LC pads too. Go with the 5.5" flat pads (CCS pads don`t work as well with DAT polishes, but the flat will work with DAT and SMAT).

I just got the brush for my microfiber pads, because the towel technique works for me. Just grip real tight and keep at a reasonable speed (i keep my 110v2 on 3)

Definitely DEFINITELY get multiple pads and pad types. Every abrasive product works differently with different pads. I have a bunch of CCS and microfiber pads that are awesome, but I like to keep my options open with some hydrotechs and Id like to get some hex logic pads.

Welcome Adam! Good luck with this addiction- I mean hobby

[MarkD]

Three month old car, definitely skip Megs 105!

Keep this one rule always in mind.... less is often better. Better to under-do a paint correction, than over-do one. Better to get 80% correction, rather than excessively remove precious paint. Going goofy on a 3 month old car with aggressive polishes will convert a relatively new paint into 20 year old paint in a single afternoon.

Now Megs 205, yeah, here`s a mild polish that is very versatile. But, you might have the wrong pads on hand. I`d start with a white pad, and you know what, even the red pad, although supposedly doesn`t have any cut, it will remove very light swirling just by the action of the abrasives contained within the Polish.

The least amount of work, and product, and the gentlest of products is the theme you want to keep in mind.

Wash, Iron-X, Clay, gentle Polish, then seal-wax-coat.

I have Menz SF4500 on hand, have used it twice in some experimenting, and I`ll say this.

I`ll dare anyone to do two test sections (both with a DA), one section with Megs 205, and the other with Menz SF4500. Pull the tape. If you can see any substantial differences, I`ll send you off a new bottle of CQuartz free!

Im not in any way saying Menzerna Polishes are junk, quite the contrary, Menzerna makes some of, if not the very finest Paint Polishes in the world bar none, but Menz SF4500 is more suited for Jeweling with a Rotary Polisher, where the higher speed and finessing can bring about a slightly higher gloss.

Some people "might" see an ever so slight difference. Might depend upon the paint, the color, and of course going back a multitude of times can often produce better results, the same as if you did a panel twice with Megs 205.

Good lighting, patience, not being dead beat tired, the right products and tools on hand all help. If one cannot see what they are doing, one might as well detail with a blindfold on.

As an old saying goes, if the only tool you have on hand is a hammer, then everything begins to look like a nail. Have a good variety of the various pads, various polishes, compounds, towels. Cover all bases so that you will not get caught with your pants down when it`s time to step up to the plate.

Study, study study, and then study some more. Experience is many times the best teacher, but it sure doesn`t hurt when going in, to be well armed, well informed, and to keep in mind the teachings, and good advice from the more experienced.
This way in the end, you`ll come away with little to no regrets, and will say to yourself so and so was right, they helped me, and I did darn good!

[MarkD]

An old soft clean toothbrush will suffice.

[MarkD]

Many say that Menzerna Polishes are oily. Thus even after total wipe off, one can still have oily films sitting on the paint.

If such exists, no wax, sealant, or coating will effectively bond to the paint.
A product such as Carpro`s Eraser is so easy to use, and works!

Other cheaper, easier to get formulations to degrease would be about an 11-15% IPA Alcohol Dilution sprayed upon the paint, then quickly wiped off.

[Adam_W]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone!

Question:

I`m a little confused about the pads, i.e. some of you saying that the red pad is not aggressive enough and that I should be using a white pad.

To clarify, the orange and red crimson pads I got are Lake Country pads, and I chose these for those polishes I mentioned because of the following blog post:

Polishing Supplies for Experts and Beginners | Ask a Pro Blog

I guess I misread the part where he mentions using the Crimson pad with the M205.

Since I don`t have the white pad right now, if I want to use the M205 polish on my 3 month old car, do I use 1) the orange LC pad, 2) the crimson red LC pad, or 3) order some white LC pads and patiently wait for them to arrive. I`m kind of impatient, staring at all this cool equipment, I really want to start polishing !


Also, is Iron-X important ? I hadn`t heard of it until this thread.

[bswombaugh]

If the orange pad that you have is actually a Hydrotech Tangerine pad it should be fine to use. If it is the normal flat orange pad it may be a little to aggressive for your new paint. If it is a Hydrotech Tangerine pad it will actually finish a little better than the plain white flat pad.

Iron-X is a spray on chemical that decontaminates your paint and wheels by removing iron particles. This is normally sprayed on the paint before the claying process to help eliminate iron contamination and thus make the vehicle easier to clay. You don`t have to have it, but it will help remove a lot of contaminates that would normally embed in your clay.

[Merlin]

I just got the brush for my microfiber pads, because the towel technique works for me.

I use a terry towel or a Foam Pad Conditioning Brush (lightly) for cleaning foam pads "on-the-fly".

My "trick" is the BLACKFIRE Bug & Tar Eliminator Sponge for cleaning microfiber discs (compressed air is preferred).

To start out, try a 6-Pack of Lake Country 5.5 Inch Flat Pads I`d suggest 2) Orange 2) White 1) Black and 1) Blue

For microfiber discs I suggest Meguiars 5" DA Microfiber Cutting Discs and some D300 Microfiber Correction Compound

Those along with CarPro Iron X Lemon Scent (before clay) and some CarPro Eraser Intense Oil & Polish Cleanser (after polishing)

[JustJesus]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone!

I guess I misread the part where he mentions using the Crimson pad with the M205.

Since I don`t have the white pad right now, if I want to use the M205 polish on my 3 month old car, do I use 1) the orange LC pad, 2) the crimson red LC pad, or 3) order some white LC pads and patiently wait for them to arrive. I`m kind of impatient, staring at all this cool equipment, I really want to start polishing !

you also probably misread my earlier post? maybe skipped it altogether?

If you`re impatient, I have a 5.5" white Hex-Logic pad you can use with the M205.

[glen e]

I agree with the 205, above all else if you are going with other sealants, if i use Blackfire LSP`S than i use TPNS but for everything else, 205 is the answer.i use it with a white lake country CCS pad.

[wdmaccord]

If the orange pad that you have is actually a Hydrotech Tangerine pad it should be fine to use. If it is the normal flat orange pad it may be a little to aggressive for your new paint. If it is a Hydrotech Tangerine pad it will actually finish a little better than the plain white flat pad.

Iron-X is a spray on chemical that decontaminates your paint and wheels by removing iron particles. This is normally sprayed on the paint before the claying process to help eliminate iron contamination and thus make the vehicle easier to clay. You don`t have to have it, but it will help remove a lot of contaminates that would normally embed in your clay.

This. Do you have the hydrotech pads or the "regular" flat or ccs pads (orange would be light cutting, white would be polishing and red would be for applying wax/sealant)? If you have the hydrotechs, then you probably have the right pads.