E M B A R R A S S E D

yes...both are the same item...difference is in the counterweight....get the lowes model...you will be happy....



then order a backing plate..I use a 5 inch plate...thats just preference...they come in 5 or 6 inch...



then get some pads....if you have a body shop supply near you they may have some Meg's pads to get you started...



you may want to order on line for pads ..better selection...



I will let other chime in on pads...



I still use the old Edge Classic pads which do me just fine...which are 6 inch pads...but hard to find now...





also the propel pads are good also..from exceldetail....



I also use 4 inch pads for some correcton...
 
AdrianStewart- get youself all kitted out with the PC and get acquainted with it before you try the rotary. I'm of the opinion that rotaries aren't all *that* risky, but that's assuming that the user will be approaching the whole thing the way I would (might might be a bit of a stretch).



Rotaries do require a thorough understanding of what's involved, and I don't mean a "15-30 minute" level of understanding. Lots of thought before you use it, lots of thought and intense concentration *while* you use it.



Oh, and I'd never recommend that anybody without a *lot* of experience use a wool pad on a rotary, it's just asking for serious (possibly irreperable) trouble. Better leave that thing alone for now ;)
 
Accumulator said:
AdrianStewart- get youself all kitted out with the PC and get acquainted with it before you try the rotary. I'm of the opinion that rotaries aren't all *that* risky, but that's assuming that the user will be approaching the whole thing the way I would (might might be a bit of a stretch).



Rotaries do require a thorough understanding of what's involved, and I don't mean a "15-30 minute" level of understanding. Lots of thought before you use it, lots of thought and intense concentration *while* you use it.



Oh, and I'd never recommend that anybody without a *lot* of experience use a wool pad on a rotary, it's just asking for serious (possibly irreperable) trouble. Better leave that thing alone for now ;)
Click to expand...





I agree with Accumulator about the rotary, learn it 1st. Practice on some old door panels or hoods. Perfect the technique using old items that can be wasted. Burn some clearcoat off of a practice piece to see what it looks like. Once you start getting the hang of it, learn it some more. Eventually you will have to take the plunge on a real vehicle, but with the earlier practice you will know what to do and what not to do.

Here is what you can do with one:



81da5cb2.jpg




615c22d0.jpg




This was from last year on a 1992 Saturn SL I bought at an auction. I paid $600 for it in '02. Look how nice the paint is after I got done. This was my practice car. So you can see it can be done. Good luck. :D:D:D
 
Get the basics down first (full detail):



Wash

Claybar as necessary to remove embedded contamination

Wash/Rinse

Polish with abrasive and/or cleaner as necessary to remove swirls, oxidation, etc.

Wax/Seal

__________________

Zane Oliver



'93 Z28 A4 - Red

'05 Z71 Tahoe - Black



Advance Auto today for my lunch break ... bought the following

Meguiars Step 2 polish ( I really don't know what to buy off the shelf? )

NXT Tech Wax

Mothers Clay Kit ( all they had )

microfiber towels (6)

Meguiars Wash

Stoners Window Aerosol
 
AdrianStewart said:
Advance Auto today for my lunch break ... bought the following

Meguiars Step 2 polish ( I really don't know what to buy off the shelf? )

NXT Tech Wax

Mothers Clay Kit ( all they had )

microfiber towels (6)

Meguiars Wash

Stoners Window Aerosol
Click to expand...



The Deep Crystal Step #2 is nonabrasive. If you want to use it, I'd use their Deep Crystal Step #1 beforehand. Actually, I'd rather go with their Scratch-X or Color-X instead and I wouldn't use the DC #2 at all. But the DC #2 *will* hide a little marring, so maybe it has its place. (note: see at bottom below for my *real* recommendation ;) ).



IMO more research would be beneficial. I know this stuff gets confusing/irritating and there's a lot to digest, but time spent figuring things out is better (IMO) than time wasted using the wrong products/techniques. E.g., the Deep Crystal #2, which, like Meg's #7, people *often* buy for all the wrong reasons (this isn't just you, it happens all the time so please don't think I'm slamming you about it or otherwise being :nono ).



The Mother's clay oughta be OK. My local Advance has Collinite 845 Insulator Wax, which I'd prefer over the NXT but see how the NXT works for you. Hope the MFs you got are soft enough (I'd test them on the data side of a CD).



IMO the wash process is the most important and (least frequently emphasized ;) ) part of the whole thing. If you mar when you wash then it's a losing battle from the get-go.



Oh, when you order the PC, you could also order some polish. Yeah, it's not as good as getting something locally, but IMO it's more important to get the right stuff. Something like 1Z paint polish, which is *VERY* user-friendly and effective, would be a great way to start.



When I put together stuff for people who are just starting out (and who probably don't care all *that* much about making detailing a big part of their lives ;) ), I recommend the 1Z Paint Polish (or maybe their milder MetallicPolishWax depending on the paint in question) topped with Collinite wax *every* time. Used after a good claying, it's (IMO) just the simplest, most effective way to move beyond a beginner-level "hand wash and wax". I have friends who couldn't care less about "detailing" yet keep their vehicles looking great with this regimen. It's just a tiny step up from the "cleaner wax topped with straight wax" approach.
 
I'm sure there are marks/swirls/marring, but nothing like some of these photo's on this site?

I have a camera phone, today I will snap some before's and begin the process tomorrow on the '04 Pilot, Saige Pearl color ( greenish )

like I said previously, I apparently tortured our cars ... ZipWax wash, ONE BUCKET ... used sponges or used mitts, dry with real chamois ... Zymol Wax put on with a $28 buffer terry cloth, and removed the same way. Heck I even used some wool thingy to help smooth out the shine ...



All stuff will be applied by hand this weekend, removed with the MF ... ( its her car, so I'm not as picky ) she'll drive it through the car wash ... no matter what I say!!!



BUT I NEED TO SEE A DIFFERENCE! Thats the key
 
1st "Autopian car detail"

lets start off by saying, I'm still wondering how much cleaner my cars will look?!?



2 bucket wash method, (never did this before) ... what I liked, the wash bucket was clean, soapy! Good start ... took a few minutes extra as I rinsed more frequently.



Mother's clay kit ( had a QD spray w/ piece of clay ) ... this was REAL NEW to me. (I like the cinnamin smell of mothers QD!) I did the whole car, spray, rub, spray, rub, spray, rub ... NOT REAL DIRTY, except for the front/wheel areas ... but then it was minimal.



2 bucket RE-WASH ... the Pilot still looked the same, a little smoother, but not significant



Polish #2, had sunlight galore ... couldn't see swirls or too many marks ... so I applied with an applicator, lightly covered the entire hood ... wiped off with an MF. SMOOTHER, maybe, but hands were starting to dry out, finished car.



NXT Tech Wax, decided to pull out that Makita w/ a clean pad. I used speed #2 for the first pass to control the machine ... I removed w/ MF , pass #2, I used speed #3 (grew some nads) ... removed with MF ...

Applied a few spritz's of Mothers QD, wiped clean ...

lets just say it took about 6 hrs from start to finish, rather "HO-HUM" experience?? Its SMOOTH, its clean, it has some "pop", but I honestly ... seriously, couldn't really tell the difference? Any chance this is because I kept her clean & waxed???



( 2nd attempt, neighbors trunk ) ... 7 year old Honda Accord, never gets cleaned or waxed, scratches from hell! This was the REAL key to noticing what works ... All I did was the trunk, WASH, CLAY, WASH, SCRATCH X, POLISH #2, CARNUBA Cleaner Wax Mothers 2 coats, NXT Tech liquid 2 coats. 1hr & 45 minutes on the trunk ... BEAUTIFUL, the dude was pissed he has to wash the rest of the car ...

I used the Makita w/ WOOLIE thing with the POLISH #2 after I applied the scratch x by hand.

Should I have used the Makita with scratch x? The "nads" were huge after the speed #3 for polish, I went with #4 for the Carnuba coats, and then 5/6 for the final 2 NXT coats. F'n SMOOTH, F'n SHINY, F'n A, good looking work!





NO PICS this time, sort of silly knowing these cars were well kept.
 
Sounds like things are going well, but I'd absolutely *NEVER* use the makita with that wool pad. Seriously, it's made for use with aggressive compounds and for the first of several steps. You always have to follow wool pad work with foam pads, for instance, and using it with that product is simply a mis-match. And you can do serious damage with the wool pad ;) And using NXT with a rotary is another no-no. It's just not made for that kind of application. Glad to hear that apparently nothing went terribly wrong (speed 3 on the Makita rotary is 1500 rpms, way beyond the speed/heat you use for NXT).



Not surprised that the Pilot didn't show a huge difference. That DC #2 doesn't do much on paint that's in OK condition and NXT isn't the most impressive LSP in the world. It's tough to improve the apprearance of nearly-new paint that's in good condition, and you have to use the right products (and procedures) to do it. DC#2/NXT just isn't going to make for that kind of improvement and some people find it hard to discern improvements beyond "already good" anyhow.



When you use DC#2 with the wool pad/rotary, what you're doing is relying on the wool pad to do the work. The DC #2 provides lubrication so you don't just burn through the paint. But the DC#2 isn't contributing anything else of value. The potential for rotary holograms is huge.



As you apparently like using the rotary, I'd get some good products that are made for that kind of work. Maybe Menzerna FPII or something like that.



I do think you oughta do a bit of research/thinking before the next go-around. You wouldn't want to mess something up ;)
 
tough to figure out what to do next w/ the Avalanche



I gave the rotary back to the owner ( nads or no nads ), I'm still afraid to use it on my truck!



wash / clay / re-wash / NXT or should I start to think about a polish or better wax P21S? I want the DEEP WET look ... how many coats?
 
AdrianStewart said:
..wash / clay / re-wash / NXT or should I start to think about a polish or better wax P21S? I want the DEEP WET look ... how many coats?
Click to expand...



To effect a major improvement, I expect you'll have to do some polishing. If you're working by hand, my choice would be something from 1Z. IMO you oughta get at least 90% of the finish you want before you even apply the LSP, you get the looks from the pre-LSP prep- the polishing. The differences between LSPs is a rather subtle thing in most cases and sometimes the "depth" is really dependent on the actual paint- some paints just really have this characteristic and others don't.



But somehow I just don't think of "deep and wet" when I think of NXT. For an OTC wax, I'd expect #26 to do better in that regard.



Probably a smart move returning the Makita ;)
 
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