detailing in tight and small areas????

**nonwelder** · 03-31-2002, 12:15 AM

Hello all!

I got my PC and got a chance to go after the car today. Did the SMR, some One Grand Omega Glaze, and Souveran. For the most part, I am smiling big! However, I still have a few places with swirls. So, what`s my next step? Should I go for FI-II? I want something safe, as I am not an expert with the PC. Thanks for your help!

Brett:up

**JasonC8301** · 03-31-2002, 12:30 AM

If you have the 3M Finesse It II handy go for it. If not you can make a few more passes with the 3M SMR. Which pad did you use for the SMR? If you have the PC kit from CMA, you can step up to a firmer pad, assuming you used a polishing pad, you can go to the firmer foam cutting pad, and if thats not enough try the lambswool polishing pad, always follow up with a fienr pad/product if any haze is present.

Several applications of a lighter product can equal one application of a more barasive product, just takes more time and enery with the lighter/finer product. In this case the finer product is 3M SMR and the courser product is 3M Finesse It II.

Good to hear you like the finish/results.

Jason

**rockafella** · 03-31-2002, 05:53 PM

Three passes of SMR with the yellow and white pad didn`t do it for me but, FI-II on the yellow pad followed by SMR on the white was the way to go for me.....

**imported_Intel486** · 03-31-2002, 05:58 PM

Try a few more passes with 3mSMR before moving up to a more abrasive product.

**imported_Time2shine** · 07-06-2011, 10:05 PM

I am looking for some advice on paint correction in small and hard to get areas with or with out using my Flex XC3401 VRG. Example: I have an 08 Toyota Tacoma and i want to correct the paint behind my door handles that has many scratches from finger nails. Also what about the A pillars? i need to remove the swirl marks and polish it, should i use my flex with 5.5 inch flat pad or something by hand? if by hand what kind of applicator should i use? Lastly, When correcting the area in and around my body lines should i tape of the edges of the body line? and if i cant get my Flex to lay flat when trying to correct inside of the body line ( I`m referring to the body line toward the bottom of the truck) what approach should i take? Thanks in advance.

Current Ammo for the job

Flex XC3401 VRG
M105,M205
BFWD
Megs gold class nuba
LC 5.5 flat pads: yel,org,white,blk,blue

**imported_Stokdgs** · 07-07-2011, 01:54 AM

For the door cups behind the handles, take a soft cotton cloth and Meguiars 105, and rub the area from the top and the bottom. It is ok to use a little pressure, and keep the compound damp enough to work for a bit.
Clean out the area with a clean microfiber and see how nice it looks !

For A Pillars between the front and rear doors, etc., its a good place to use a 4" foam pad or even a 3" if you have a rotary with the appropriate sized backing plate.
Since you only have 5.5" pads, it will be harder, but not impossible. Just make sure you tape off any plastic and rubber moldings around the A pillars.
This paint here is sometimes a little fussy because the pillars are usually plastic so it heats up faster and doesnt dissipate heat as well as metal.
You can try to use a soft cotton or microfiber pad with something less abrasive, perhaps your Meguiars 205, be gentle here, its hard to say how much actual paint is on these pillars.
Flex came out with a smaller believe its 4 3/8" backing plate for using the smaller 5" pads, so that might be a good thing to think about getting sometimes, and of course some 5" pads..
I never tape body lines or body panel edges; just let up on pressure and speed when you get close to them and go over quickly. Edges are so sharp that they cant possibly ever really get dirty anyway, so they don`t really need correcting like the surrounding areas may need.
Your Flex 3401VRG (I also have one of these), will be just fine in those areas.
Just try to keep the pad as flat as possible, but don`t worry if you cant. I use the edges all the time to help speed up correction of badly swirled, scratched areas, but finish by going over those areas with the pad as flat as possible.

Good luck with your project !
Dan F