PC 7427 ain't "cutting it" anymore

K

krzdimond

New member
I have been using the PC for bout 3 years now, with great success. Problem is, I am now (and have for some time) getting customers that require more correction than the PC can handle. Yesterday I spent about 8 hours with various pads and products (polishes and compounds) to correct a black '04 Mercedes S class:mad: There HAS to be a better way! So, I started looking for another machine. This has gotten confusing. I was leaning towards the Flex 3401 VRG, but I am thinking that it is "just" a more powerful PC. I need something that can correct/level paint so I don't have to spend hours upon hours in vain with an underpowered/incorrect machine. And would like advice from someone that isn't "selling one":waxing:



So, is the 3401 "just" another PC, or is it REALLY a rotary with the safety of a DA? Should I get a rotary? Or will the 3401 work? I have a spare hood to practice on and I "learn fast":dance
 
Have you tried the KBM/DA method with M105 and M205?



Using a PC, KMB and 105, you can do some amazing amounts of correction in a very short period of time.
 
i went through the same frustration...i got the flex 3401, love it...!!! cuts much faster and no learning curve like a rotary...kept my PCXP with 4 in pads for tight spots...I tried a rotary and hated it, but I love my 3401...
 
SuperBee364 said:
Have you tried the KBM/DA method with M105 and M205?



Using a PC, KMB and 105, you can do some amazing amounts of correction in a very short period of time.
Click to expand...



KBM? Kenne Bell? I did a search and came up with 81 posts, just no defination:mad:



I have used the 105 with decent results, it's just packaged in unubtanium, you know, unless I pay shipping. I use 3M products that I can get locally.



the_invisible said:
Try the Surbuf pad. It breathes new life into the DA.



http://www.autopia.org/forum/machine-polishing/116878-surbuf-pad-paired-m105-pc-defect-killer.html



I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
Click to expand...



The surbuf scares me more than a rotary:nixweiss



I can see it now, I pull up to a customers Mercedes and tell him that I'm just going to SAND off the scratch!:shocked
 
krzdimond, sorry for being a bit cryptic on ya there.. KBM stands for "Kevin Brown Method" of using a DA polisher with Meguairs M105 and M205 polishes.



His technique, when used with those two polishes, have created a polishing Revolution (or, as someone has next to their Avatar, a "Kevolution") when it comes to DA polishing. It really brings the DA up to the rotary in terms of it's correcting ability. I'm not gonna say it brings it up to the rotary in terms of *finishing*, though, cause I still think the very finest in jeweling results comes with a carefully applied rotary. Don't get me wrong, though, you can still get *darn* good finishing results with KBM and a DA.



There are quite a few pros that have their rotaries collecting dust since the Kevolution. It's fast, safe, and effective. It's also not really my place to try and describe it to you.... I'm afraid I'd screw it up royally. I can kind of give you the very, very basics of it.. just enough to make you dangerous.. ;)



1. Get some M105 and M205



2. Start out with a 5" (or smaller) LC orange pad on your PC.



3. Prime the pad very thoroughly by applying an even amount of M105 over the entire pad surface, so that every pore has just a bit of polish in it. Use a (I prefer terry cloth) cloth to wipe off any excess; you don't want an over-loaded pad, but you do want pad over the entire surface. Once primed, put about three pea sized dots on the pad itself.



4. Put the pad against the car, and go max speed on the pc. Using moderate to firm pressure, polish until either the polish is done, or the defects are gone. Since 105 is *not* a diminishing abrasive, you can stop whenever you want. However, it's best to do a few passes using minimal pressure to reduce compounding marks and holos before you stop polishing. Don't worry about trying to break down the abrasives, though, you'll never do it. :)



5. Between applications, very thoroughly wipe out the pad with a terry cloth or MF. Keep the pores of the pad clean. Then apply a couple more dots of polish, and keep going. You'll know you're doing it right when you end up with a great finish and hardly any residue left to wipe off after you're done.



IMO, the big things with the KBM are pressure (you gotta push down when correcting, and don't push down when you're finishing), and keeping the pad primed and the pores cleaned out.



Using M205, you'll be amazed at how much correction you can do with a PC, and how well it's going to finish down. M205 via KBM is a *very* effective one-stepper.



D151 via KBM is a really sweet one stepper, too.



I still use a rotary for the majority of the stuff I do, but there's no doubt that Meguiars and Kevin Brown have really expanded the capabilities of the DA.
 
My vote goes to the Flex 3401.



KBMing works a lot better for me with my Flex than it does with either of my PCs, and I mean a *LOT* better (yeah, I've discussed this with Kevin, not like I'm doing anything wrong...).



Except for those very rare occasions when I need rocks-in-a-bottle compounds, I simply don't touch my rotaries since I got my Flex 3401.



Much as I simply *enjoy* using my Cyclos, IMO the Flex 3401 is simply *the* polisher.
 
I still prefer my Makita. The PC works great at times, but on some cars I do with extremely hard clear, the PC wouldn't make a dent. I don't see too many people selling their rotaries and don't in the near future either.
 
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