Is D300 The Most Versatile Polish For A Newbie?

[Accumulator]

peacemaker- Some sorta random thoughs follow:



-I`d *always* plan to do a two-step polish, though I do appreciate where you`re coming from

-Anything that`ll correct hard clear will be tough to get a nice final finish with

-I can`t quite finish out to my satisfaction with Uno (Audi clear). May be (probably?) user-error but that`s how it works for me

-Doing a final polish with a nonabrasive/chemical product probably won`t work out and I wouldn`t bother trying

-I don`t work 2` x 2` areas, that`s much too large for me

-With non-diminishing abrasive products, I need a *lot* of pads, even though I clean them quite effectively/often

-Multiple sessions work well IME, less chance of getting tired/sloppy or trying to rush things

[peacemaker]

Again, thank you for all of the informative feedback, you guys are really great. I am learning a lot.



@pwaug

*The rest of the paint is not like that. The rest of the paint has some swirls in it. I tried to take a photo of it, but I couldn`t get one that came out good. However, I do feel like it can`t hurt to have 4 pads on hand.

When do I know I should move onto a new/fresh pad?

*I guess I was under the impression that a one step process would involve literally one step w/ the DA. You`re suggesting that I start with the white/orange at speed 5/6 and then finish off w/ a white pad at a lower speed, did I follow you correctly?

If I can`t avoid a finishing phase, then I feel like I should just buy a proper finishing polish--this will @Aeat up way more time than I wanted.



@Accumulator

*Do you recommend that I use a diminishing abrasive product (given my skill level)?

*Realistically, if you were in my shoes, what would you do here (1 step, 2 step)? Which products/pads would you use?

[Accumulator]

@Accumulator

*Do you recommend that I use a diminishing abrasive product (given my skill level)?

*Realistically, if you were in my shoes, what would you do here (1 step, 2 step)? Which products/pads would you use?

I think I`d try to gradually get into this..aiming for "much better" as opposed to "perfection". But I would two-step it.



I`d try the Uno, and their final polish too even though that`d make it a two-step deal. Honestly, that might be overall better other than the cost, trying to do it with merely Uno, or otherwise trying to distill it down farther, just might not work as well (time/effort/etc.). The final "finishing passes" go quick and easy.



Hard for me to say exactly what you`ll need as the Uno, by itself, might work great for you; I just don`t know but I`d rather err on the side of caution and *not* have you get stuck without what you need. Note this also means having *MORE* pads than you think you`ll need. With nondiminishing abrasives, which yeah I *do* think are good for your situation, you can go through a lot of pads.



So...I`d orange pad/Uno to correct things to an acceptable level. Then I`d do a finishing polish on a milder pad. Then I`d do Collinite or FK1000P.



BTW, I`ll come right out and say that I`m not advocating Uno/etc. because of 3D/HD`s involvement with this site. I resisted trying Uno for a while and was pleasantly surprised how well it worked for me (even if I can`t finish with it) and now it`s my go-to; I only use M105 when I really need it. I fully expect their finishing polish to be great otherwise I`d *never* recommend something I haven`t tried...I`m that confident. Hey, if you try it and decide that you hate it, well... PM me



I`d use the FK1000P because it lasts a long time, protects great, and sheds dirt great in the wash. Others don`t like the look and I can understand that. I used it on GMC Granite Metallic and initially thought it looked "wrong" (I can be picky about this stuff too) but I got an incredible number of compliments (complete strangers rushing up to me in parking lots!) and ended up deciding it was fine.

[peacemaker]

Fantastic, thanks for that. I don`t mind spending a few extra bucks to make sure I do this right the first time. I just feel bad that I have Poorboy`s Polish w/ Sealant sitting around as well as P21S Concourse Wax (brand new). Seem`s like neither will be good for my situation.



I am really looking for a permanent or great sealant. I was eye balling some Menzerna Power Lock (someone selling used). Figure, use a quality sealant until I can opti coat it. I have also read so many great things about Collonite.



How many pads should I purchase of each color (4 orange/4 white?). How do I know when to switch to a new pad?

[pwaug]

I can only relate my findings based on someone new to machine polishing for the past 10 months on 2 VWs--Accumulator has allot more experience than I so heed his advice.



Based on my experience on my 07 Passat in Granite Green which is a medium green/grey that had not been polished since purchased in 06-difficult to see the light wash induced marring--UNO on an orange pad--4 passes with moderate pressure on speed 6 on GG6 with 5.5" pads and 2 passes on speed 4 with light pressure will create a LSP ready finish--I only mentioned switching to another pad if you wanted to for finishing purposes, but I didn`t need to.



On the 012 Black Golf I just used HD Polish on a green pad (since the paint was new) 2 passes on speed 4 with light pressure created a fantastic finish.



You can tell when you need a new pad as it starts to take longer to achieve your results, but to keep it simple I used 4 pads in 2 sets of 2--after a couple of sections (cleaning after each section) switched to pad 2, then back to 1 then back to 2 (cleaning often) for one half of the car then went on to the second set of 2 pads for the second half of the car--this allowed the pads to cool since I was using them on speed 6



BTW--make sure you get FLAT pads--no dimples, waffles etc. to be most effective. As Accumulator mentioned I`m only recommending HD products because as a beginner I decided on them after extensive research and have had excellent results from day one.



If you wanted to you could do a finishing step (after UNO) using HD Speed on a black pad (should only need 2) --this would add a coat of sealant as well as a final finishing step--then top it with Collinite 845 for a very durable finish for a car outside 24/7--I`ve never used Collinite, but it is widely recommended for 6 months of protection in the winter.

[Accumulator]

I am really looking for a permanent or great sealant. I was eye balling some Menzerna Power Lock (someone selling used). Figure, use a quality sealant until I can opti coat it. I have also read so many great things about Collonite. ..

I myself would rather use the FK1000P or a Collinite.

How many pads should I purchase of each color (4 orange/4 white?). How do I know when to switch to a new pad?

Those 4 of each might do it.



Keep cleaning the pad *WAY* more frequently than you think you need to; I feel like I spend more time cleaning pads and inspecting my work than I do polishing, and I bet that`s accurate.



You oughta be able to tell when the pad is getting loaded up with old polish (and cut-off paint) beyond the point where you can simply clean it "on the fly". If it starts losing cut you`re overdue