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  1. #16

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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    Mike lambert- Oh, I agree...not knocking it, just never found it necessary. Of course, I`m not doing other people`s vehicles either so it`s easy for me to get dialed-in.

  2. #17

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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike lambert View Post
    I still think the Griot’s system is the way to go, one machine, one set of pads and one set of creams gets everything done I need to do, Day in and day out! No water spraying, no mix and match brands or pads.
    This is what I like. The simplicity; assuming it works. With the overwhelming Nano this Nano that products available in the detailing world, it rather gets confusing.

    I might be keeping my rotary as it does a great job. I should probably be focusing on what products to use as my go to combo for polishing paint.

    Always liked menzerna products and wouldn’t mind sticking to them.




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  3. #18

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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    What kind of cars will you be working on? Is it cars with hard clearcoats or softer finicky clearcoats or in the middle. Are they most dd or garage queens. And how many cars per year do you think you get to polish. There are alot of factors to consider when dial in the products you useing. I recommend what ever you decides to get that first buy is small bottles. And if you are satisfied and want more you get larger bottles and then you have the small to tap over to.
    When decide which polisher you are going to buy you can take your experience from the machines you have. If you feel your technique with your XP is good and you get the pad spinning on places they like to stall. And you want more correction and faster go with griots boss g15 or g21 or with the rupes 15mm or 21mm. Do you don`t like the pad stalling on the XP and like how your rotary always spinns go for a direct drive orbital polisher like flex 3401 or makita p5000 or maybe the new rupes mille. Turn your XP to a 3" to get to the smaller space easier.
    The pads depends on what kind of polisher and compound polish you are going with. There is different types that match different products and machines. Open or closed cell and thin or regualar thickness to pair with them.
    This is a djungle of choices to go with and if you want to pair different brands it`s only to read in on what peoples experience and outcome is. Then decide what you think suits you.
    First decide which polisher you are going with. Then the pads that works with them and the polishes that works with most of the cars you be working on most.

    This is way you ask general thing you get answers as following systems of products like griots boss system and rupes. You get combinations that you can tackle most of the cars you be working with. And they are great systems. If you have this as a big hobby and find it`s fun to test different products and like to dial in what works for you to get that last % of correcting and finish. Then go the route to test it out.

    Hope that I get thrue what I mean and that is that it`s not easy to say what is best. It`s more what is going to suit you and your situation of work. And you are then go from that.

  4. #19

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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    Quote Originally Posted by Striker View Post
    This is what I like. The simplicity; assuming it works. With the overwhelming Nano this Nano that products available in the detailing world, it rather gets confusing.

    I might be keeping my rotary as it does a great job. I should probably be focusing on what products to use as my go to combo for polishing paint.

    Always liked menzerna products and wouldn’t mind sticking to them.




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I was writing my post during you answer this haha

    So go with griots or rupes system if you likes simplicity or with a brand that works great with rotary polishers. One brand that works great with both pads and polishes with both rotary and random orbital polisher is Scholl products. There is more brands that do and menzerna is one also.
    Likes Striker liked this post

  5. #20

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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    Kinda bringing my thread back up from the dead-

    Been thinking more and more about machine polishing and having the right tools-

    As I mentioned previously in this thread- I do the bulk of my work using my Makita rotary. However, I tend to go to my old Porter Cable to ensure I’ve removed all the holograms from the paint.

    I’m wondering- would the Flex 3401 be the machine to provide me the best of both worlds?




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  6. #21

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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    Quote Originally Posted by Striker View Post
    Kinda bringing my thread back up from the dead-

    Been thinking more and more about machine polishing and having the right tools-

    As I mentioned previously in this thread- I do the bulk of my work using my Makita rotary. However, I tend to go to my old Porter Cable to ensure I’ve removed all the holograms from the paint.

    I’m wondering- would the Flex 3401 be the machine to provide me the best of both worlds?




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    Screw the 3401
    Check out the Makita PO5000C ..better then the 3401 in every aspect and less money

    Lake country Thinpros are best pads to get for foam
    If you need more pad then something like lake country foam lambs wool pad and or Buff and shine uro finishing wool
    I know a site that sells it for 320..can always get autogeek/autopia to pricematch also

  7. #22
    Raymoche's Avatar
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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    Quote Originally Posted by Striker View Post
    Kinda bringing my thread back up from the dead-

    Been thinking more and more about machine polishing and having the right tools-

    As I mentioned previously in this thread- I do the bulk of my work using my Makita rotary. However, I tend to go to my old Porter Cable to ensure I’ve removed all the holograms from the paint.

    I’m wondering- would the Flex 3401 be the machine to provide me the best of both worlds?




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    3401 is alright. I have a lightly used one for sale/trade. After I broke my elbow I can`t really use this machine there is enough vibration. It is a great middle ground machine if you know how to handle the machine.

    On the other hand rupes is great, but pricey and I feel that gg boss is an affordable alternative that brings same results.

  8. #23

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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    So the new Makita is basically a DA and a rotary all in one machine?

    As i mentioned earlier, my old Makita still works flawlessly. But often times then not, I find myself running over to the DA to finish it off with a white pad.

    *off topic- what pads (green or black from LC) are used with the fine finishing polished from Menzerna?

    I’ve got a couple black cars that are in very good condition (summer cars only) and want something to keep their gloss!


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  9. #24

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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    Quote Originally Posted by Striker View Post
    So the new Makita is basically a DA and a rotary all in one machine?

    As i mentioned earlier, my old Makita still works flawlessly. But often times then not, I find myself running over to the DA to finish it off with a white pad.

    *off topic- what pads (green or black from LC) are used with the fine finishing polished from Menzerna?

    I’ve got a couple black cars that are in very good condition (summer cars only) and want something to keep their gloss!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    The new Makita is dual mode
    Forced DA just like a 3401 and Mille.
    Free spin D/A line your Porter Cable..but 5.5 mm in freespin struggles to keep pad rotation..best to keep in forced when compounding and polishing..

    Freespin mode works for sealant application, clay disc and machine sanding.
    Best pads will be LC thinpros
    Always perform test spot on each vehicle as theirs no one majic combo for every vehicle

  10. #25
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    Striker -
    Here we go again !

    I use nothing but a Makita Rotary with Lake Country Hydro-Tech Cyan (Blue) pads and sometimes the Orange Hydro-Tech pad.

    There is about nothing I cannot remove with the Cyan, lots of downward pressure, speed below 1,000, keep the area moist so all the product works until it`s gone, and the pad then cleans up everything, and there is very little to wipe off.. +

    Sometimes on harder paint like Porsche Cayenne metallics, BMW any except for Jet Black, any Audi, Mercedes, I may have to make a couple passes, sometimes 3 full passes using above method, and I am most always good to go..

    The Hydro-Techs are a european closed foam that that keeps all the product, moisture, on top of the pad and very little is absorbed, like other pads do..

    The Hydro-Techs not only correct well, but finish down really clear and glossy...

    I have used these pads with Meguiars 105, 101, 205, All the Menzerna line of compounds and polishes, Optimum Hyper-Polish, Finish Polish, and Sonax Profiline Perfect Finish,

    Tried a whole lot of pads before they invented the Hydro-Techs, and I used them so hard, I re-named them Hydro-Shreds... I believe if I don`t let them get too hot they will be less apt to shred, and I could see them wearing them out when it was really busy...

    I don`t hologram or leave anything in the paint, but if you still want to use your Random Orbital after, you will be going a lot faster with the Makita, so you should be saving time as well.. If you have a Flex 3401VRG, you could use that after the Rotary work and it would work very quickly and efficiently to apply whatever you wanted.. It`s just counter-clockwise rotation, so that is the opposite of all other machines...

    Love all the new technology out there, I am glad for it; it has made paint correction so much more available and easier to more people who don`t want to lug around a 10lb machine all day..
    But the work out for me is worth it, and you get big forearms, arms, and hands that are very strong from doing this for a few years..

    If I ever have something that looks impossible to do with the above there is always the Lake Country Purple Foam Wool pad that cuts really quickly and finishes down pretty darn good.
    Since its not totally just wool, there is some shedding of it at the beginning but once you have it moist enough it goes away..

    I have used these Purple Foam Wool pads with M105 on that nasty, hard as concrete Airplane paint, and they really made it look great; when I got to the M205 and just plain flat, white foam LC pads, this totally cleared and glossed the Airplane up so good, the Owner was stunned... He took it right out of the hangar to take pictures...

    All of the above on your and my machine, the Makita Rotary, 1 main pad type, another pad type for really bad paintwork including Airplane paint..

    Dan F

  11. #26

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    Re: Machine polishing suggestions

    Thanks as always Dan.

    So essentially I need to learn to finish with a rotary a little more.

    This is something a good friend of mine always swears by. Every time we do a black car, he takes out his old bottle of 85rd after he finishes correcting and the results are stellar.

    This is going back to our previous convo from a few days ago regarding pads and menz finishing polishes.

    Believe it or not I only have LC orange and white pads! It’s time to stack up on the Menz 3500 paired with some green and black LC pads.


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