Need Help Choosing Pads and Polishes for 7424XP

K

K1500 Cheyenne

New member
I made a thread a few days ago but for some reason it never posted. That being said, I'll just cut right to the chase with this one. I'm a COMPLETE newb to detailing and just got a 7424XP with a 5" counterweight and LC backing plate from AutoGeek last week. Now I'm trying to figure out which pads I should go with (it sounds like the 5.5" LC flat foam pads are my best bet). Would an orange, two whites, and a black be a good selection? I think I'll buy up to six. What about polishes? It appears that M205 or maybe UC are good to start with (let me know if you have a better suggestion), but what about for final polishing with lighter pads?



Just so you guys get an idea of what I'm working with, I've got a '98 Chevrolet K1500 pickup (hence my username :)) with Light Pewter Metallic paint. It's got some mild scratching from going off-road. I made the mistake of using polishing compound by hand a few months back and there are marks all over the paint where I worked on the scratches. :dig



I also just got some used polished aluminum wheels I'd like to get into shape (I don't believe they have a clear coat; they're Alcoas). I bought some Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish, would it be safe to use with a 7424XP (instead of by hand)? If so, which pad(s) should I use for this?



Oh, and what clay bar and lube would be the best for my money, or does it really matter?



Sorry for all of the questions and the long post, I've just found this all quite overwhelming and need some help coming to my final choices. I'm not looking to make my truck show-stopping, just make the paint look a lot better. Thanks a lot! :clap:



EDIT: I forgot to mention I read through this thread in its entirety. I think it gave me a good idea of what I should get, but I thought I'd make sure I was on the right track, first. Thanks again!
 
I'm still a newbie but have done lots of reading within and 8 great looking corrections under my belt.



I ended up with Menzerna products SIP or 203 for some cut, followed by 106fa for complete correction.



I have 2 each orange white and black and will be getting a blue for wax application. Mine are 6.5 CCS but 5.5 would work as well or better, maybe get the blue in a 6.5 for speedier application.



Final seal (LSP) for me is Collinite 845(inexpensive), but Blackfire Wet Diamond and Wolfgang are very popular as well as many other great produts.



Meguiar's (local) clay is working great?



I hear alot about 105,205 but have no need to try...yet



The halogen work light is the tool I don't think most newbies think about, I'd be wasting my time without one.



Have fun!



Tim
 
SLICK1 said:
I'm still a newbie but have done lots of reading within and 8 great looking corrections under my belt.



I ended up with Menzerna products SIP or 203 for some cut, followed by 106fa for complete correction.



I have 2 each orange white and black and will be getting a blue for wax application. Mine are 6.5 CCS but 5.5 would work as well or better, maybe get the blue in a 6.5 for speedier application.



Final seal (LSP) for me is Collinite 845(inexpensive), but Blackfire Wet Diamond and Wolfgang are very popular as well as many other great produts.



Meguiar's (local) clay is working great?



I hear alot about 105,205 but have no need to try...yet



The halogen work light is the tool I don't think most newbies think about, I'd be wasting my time without one.



Have fun!



Tim
Click to expand...



Alright, thanks for the advice! I'll look into those! :thx
 
I am a newbie too! And my problem is similar to yours (new XP looking for proper pads/polish combination) I started with HD Uno combination because it looks "simple" we will see how it works this weekend. So I have HD Uno and Poxy with their pads Unopad (similar with Lake Country flat cut orange or yellow? not sure about that and Poxypad (similar with Lake Country flat cut black).

I have polished by hand for years. Claybars I have used Meguairs and Mothers (from local auto store) with good results. Also used Griot's clay..with issues. Either it was a bad batch or I don't know. It sticks to hands (not to paint), was finer than Meguairs but was not able to remove the contaminants.

Anyway I have now Meguairs professional grade (from Amazon, about 19$ for 200grams) and I will try that too this weekend.

Take your time in your research , it looks to me that the proper polish needs to be paired with the proper pad for the best results, it is the combination that matters.
 
pcxp, LC flat pads, meguiars 105/orange and 205/white and menzerna FPII/blue would be a good three step process



OR



menzerna 203with orange, 203 with blue/white for a solid two step! This way you only have to buy one polish!



use speed 6 ONLY! the only reason not to is using the machine for waxing...everything else gets speed 6!
 
Haha, I'm also from SoCal, and I'm looking at getting menzerna polishes.



Everybody says they use Menzerna polishes, but they also use the different products. I'm kind of still confused as to what I should use...



So far, I have decided on 85RD as well as 203.... I'm wondering if I should get SIP as well.
 
Partially Deaf said:
Haha, I'm also from SoCal, and I'm looking at getting menzerna polishes.



Everybody says they use Menzerna polishes, but they also use the different products. I'm kind of still confused as to what I should use...



So far, I have decided on 85RD as well as 203.... I'm wondering if I should get SIP as well.
Click to expand...



Yes get SIP. M105 and SIP tend to be the most popular 2 on this forum. For good reason too!
 
BumbleBeeGTO said:
Yes get SIP. M105 and SIP tend to be the most popular 2 on this forum. For good reason too!
Click to expand...



Cool, I got some coming :)



Ok, so I'm wondering... I also have 4 inch orange pads coming to use for problem spots. Should I also invest in 5.5 inch orange pads? Or would the 5.5 inch black/white pads be good enough?
 
'Nother noob here but I am investing in a PC and thinking of a good, cost effective combo for pads/polishes. I was thinking about the pinnacle swirl remover bundle coupled with orange pad for swirl remover #3 and #4. White pad with #2 and a gray pad for #1. Then get a blue and top with maybe meguiars or poorboys wax? Im looking for a little help on the wax/sealant. I want a deep,wet shine but not spend a fortune. Is the poorboys my best combo? Or is the Meguiars better bet?
 
SIP is not needed as 203 will cut about the same and finish off better...



105>203>FPII is a killer combo! but sometimes you have to have a range of products...just like my last detail on a custom paint job! 203 was too aggressive, so 205 got the call! Usually 203 is perfect!
 
First of all, I'm terribly sorry for bumping this up. I've had this set to send me instant email notifications of replies, but I guess AOL has a problem with Autopia, so I had to remember to check on my own. Anyway, I think I'm going to purchase everything I'll need (read: basics) in a few weeks as spring approaches. Here's my list:



Meguiar's C2100 (none of the vehicles I'll be doing have been well cared for or had anything more than a wash)

M34 (for clay lube, or should I use D155 or something else?)

M105

M205

Blackfire Wet Diamond (what about the Deep Gloss Spray?)



Would the Wet Diamond be enough as a wax/sealant? I don't particularly care so much for the shine as much as longevity and durability, which sealants seem to be better for. Wet Diamond seems to be the general sealant of choice ATM.



On to the pads, I plan to get the set of seven LC 5.5" flat foam pads for $50 from Detailed Image (unless anyone know of a better deal out there). Would this be a good list?



1x Yellow

1x Orange

2x White

1x Blue

2x Black



I want the basic variety as well as a couple of the ones that would most likely get the most wear. That being said, let me know if I'm right about the quantities.



Thanks a LOT guys! I never could have even begun to get an idea about this stuff without you all!



P.S. If you know of which sites are generally cheaper, please let me know. I plan to get all of the Meguiar's stuff at Detailed.com, and the pads and WD from DetailImage.com.
 
WCD said:
How do you plan to clean the pads?



I used the pad cleaner last summer- very fast and very good.



Anyone else using it?



Rob
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Oops, forgot about that. :dohI think I'll buy a few packets of the Snappy Clean Pad Cleaner.
 
K1500 Cheyenne said:
I don't particularly care so much for the shine as much as longevity and durability, which sealants seem to be better for...
Click to expand...



IME sealants are *not* always more durable/long-lasting than waxes. If I were only doing one coat of LSP, I'd much rather use Collinite 476S wax than any sealant, with the *possible* exception of FK1000P. And FWIW, I actually reach for the Collinite in those cases instead of the FK1000P.



I haven't tried the BF Wet Diamond, but the BF sealant I have used (All Finish Paint Protection) didn't last nearly as long as 476S for me..or at least it didn't stay slick and easily shed dirt for as long.
 
Accumulator said:
IME sealants are *not* always more durable/long-lasting than waxes. If I were only doing one coat of LSP, I'd much rather use Collinite 476S wax than any sealant, with the *possible* exception of FK1000P. And FWIW, I actually reach for the Collinite in those cases instead of the FK1000P.



I haven't tried the BF Wet Diamond, but the BF sealant I have used (All Finish Paint Protection) didn't last nearly as long as 476S for me..or at least it didn't stay slick and easily shed dirt for as long.
Click to expand...



If that's better, I'll definitely go that route since I can get that for less than half the price and locally at Harbor Freight, or if not there, somewhere else. I've read a lot of good things about 476S, but I had the impression that sealants were still better. I guess I interpreted wrong, thanks!
 
This covers pretty much everything related to using a DA Polisher to remove swirls, polish the paint to a high gloss and then apply and remove a wax or paint sealant by machine too...



http://www.autopia.org/forum/autoge...ues-using-pc-7424xp-dual-action-polisher.html





The most important thing you can do if you're just starting out is to do a Test Spot, that is test out your pad, product and process to one small area first and make sure you can make one small area look GREAT before going over the entire car.



If you run into any problems then just post back here what you're seeing and our forum member will all be glad to chime in with their suggestions and tips.



When doing your test spot, it really helps a lot to actually place a strip of painter's tape onto the panel you're working on so you can EASILY see the before and after difference due to a strong demarcation line.



For a Test Spot you can use a single strip of tape or do something like this,



2ProductTapeLineTest.jpg








The above would be if you wanted to try two different approaches, for example two different pads or the same pads but two different chemicals.



The section on the right is your "control", it's the section you keep original to compare to your two test spots.





Does anyone remember the thread where the forum member tackled their Avalanche? (I think), they were learning to use a DA Polisher and did a test spot on the door and I think they posted a picture of the door? The end conclusion was the project came out great.





It's important to test first and dial-in your process and this will give you the confidence to tackle the entire project.





:)
 
Mike Phillips said:
This covers pretty much everything related to using a DA Polisher to remove swirls, polish the paint to a high gloss and then apply and remove a wax or paint sealant by machine too...



http://www.autopia.org/forum/autoge...ues-using-pc-7424xp-dual-action-polisher.html





The most important thing you can do if you're just starting out is to do a Test Spot, that is test out your pad, product and process to one small area first and make sure you can make one small area look GREAT before going over the entire car.



If you run into any problems then just post back here what you're seeing and our forum member will all be glad to chime in with their suggestions and tips.



When doing your test spot, it really helps a lot to actually place a strip of painter's tape onto the panel you're working on so you can EASILY see the before and after difference due to a strong demarcation line.



For a Test Spot you can use a single strip of tape or do something like this,



The above would be if you wanted to try two different approaches, for example two different pads or the same pads but two different chemicals.



The section on the right is your "control", it's the section you keep original to compare to your two test spots.





Does anyone remember the thread where the forum member tackled their Avalanche? (I think), they were learning to use a DA Polisher and did a test spot on the door and I think they posted a picture of the door? The end conclusion was the project came out great.





It's important to test first and dial-in your process and this will give you the confidence to tackle the entire project.





:)
Click to expand...



Thanks a lot for the link and tip! I don't think I would have thought to do a test spot, first. I'll be sure to give that guide a good read, too! :thx
 
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