What do I use to cut and polish?

[Skidney]

hey

A while back I bought a cut and polishing kit. simply the tub of polish and it came with an abrasive sponge type of thing. its pretty much just a sponge but its just a tiny but rougher than a normal material.

anyway ive lost the sponge so i tried just using an old rag but it simply doesn't buff out marks etc as well as the old sponge.

can i buy new 'cut and polish' sponges? or what other kind of material is good?

thanks, sid

[westbad]

you want a machine polisher, and a bottle of G3.

Thats what we use in panel shops to cut and polish.

[Scooter79]

When you say a 'machine' polisher I assume you are referring to a rotary... not a smart move in the hands of a novice.

To replace the sponge you lost you can use a microfibre applicator pad or a Meguiars type foam pad. All available through CCP website or auto stores for a few dollars.

[nicklong1993]

and also after using g3 go over it with a wet look polish as g3 is a cutter mainly wet look gives it a nicer finish

[Car Care Products]

If you want to know about polishing/cutting (correcting) paint see here: How to Machine Polish If you are looking for a good option to use by hand try Duragloss Pre-Cleaner it is easy to use and produces great results.

[Bravotwozero]

When you say a 'machine' polisher I assume you are referring to a rotary... not a smart move in the hands of a novice.

To replace the sponge you lost you can use a microfibre applicator pad or a Meguiars type foam pad. All available through CCP website or auto stores for a few dollars.

Rotaries aren't the only option when it comes to machine polishing. You should know that.

I turned this....







Into this...







I did this with a machine and I'm certainly no expert. I would encourage anyone interested in having a crack with an RO to go ahead and do so. Mike sells great DAS-6 packages which are pretty safe for beginners.

[vxcalais_01]

Good work. What pads did you use with that machine ? I am looking for pads to use with my Ryobi 150mm 750v machine. Also what compound did you use ? I am looking to use my Megs Ultimate compound then get some Duragloss 105 from Carcare site to go over it. But i want to know what pads to order with the Duragloss.

[Bravotwozero]

I used a yellow Edge medium cutting pad with Menzerna IP 91L followed by a black finishing pad with Menzerna 85RD FF. I have never used the Duragloss but it isn't for me as I prefer to apply my waxes separately to polish. I'd recommend the Edge pads. Worked well for me so far. Probably better off getting the green Edge pad as opposed to yellow unless you're doing heavy cutting. Then a finishing pad.

[vxcalais_01]

SO you only needed 2 pads ? I have Bloe Calais VX 2001 paint, never cut or polished, only lightly by hand. Been neglected now, thats why looking to use the machine on it. Would you rate Commodore paint as being hard or soft ? I know the pads does alot of the cutting itself, and the Meguiars UC is a compound where the abrasives dont brake down, so maybe i should try a green pad on it first. I think the 6 inch pads are too small for me as the machine is 150mm and there will be no lap with the pad the exact same size. 6.5 might be the way for me.

[Bravotwozero]

I've got lots of pads!

But mostly I think you could get away with 2 pads. 1 for cutting and one for finishing. This is what I started with and kind of expanded my collection from there. Are you using a random orbital or a rotary? RO's are good but they don't have enough grunt when it comes to breaking down the more aggressive polishes. I've used both the green edge pad and the yellow with Menzerna IP 91L and the more aggressive pad didn't cut any better than the green pad. All it did was dust heaps! I don't think Edge come in 6.5" but Lake Country pads do. They do cost a little more though. Here's the carcareproducts link to their pads Car Care Products / Lake Country / All Areas / All Categories

I also have plenty of polishes and have pretty much the whole Menzerna range but mostly I stick to the same combination of IP 91L for cutting and 85RD FF for finishing. Unlike your Megs, Menzerna are diminishing polishes so you need to work them down until they're spent.

I've heard people say that Commodore paint is sticky but I don't think my VY is at all. I know Jap paint is very soft and sticky and black is an absolute nightmare to get right. Also if you polish you need to reapply some kind of sealant whether it be a synthetic seal or a natural wax.

I've pretty much got a system down pat now with both polishing and protecting which is good because I'm still learning myself. I've started using a rotary now so I guess I'm going beyond beginner and into the realm of a professional ha ha! These things make RO's seem like toys. What it took me to do in 6 hours with an RO I did in 2 with a rotary!

Lastly if you are using a random orbital don't be scared to really get stuck into it. The only way you're going to damage your paint with an RO is if you drop it on the car!

[vxcalais_01]

lol fantastic advice. Your past beginner if your using a rotary hehe. THe Ryobi is a RO, so its not a rotary. Ryobi - 150mm 750 Watt Random Orbital Sander Kit

I have Poorboys Ex sealant, but i am looking to get the Duragloss 105 from carecare products with the pads. The finising pad you use still gives a light cut or just to apply stuff ? I will apply the last coat by hand for wax or sealant. 6 hours ! That means you could spend 1 hour on the bonnet alone ?

[Bravotwozero]

A finishing pad has a very light cut. Not enough to remove swirls but it will remove marring from claying etc.
Yeah it took me ages with an RO. They're safe but man they're slow. Took me 3 hours to correct the boot alone on that black car I posted earlier. In comparison I did a whole Nissan Murano with moderate swirling in 2 hours with a rotary.

I've never applied waxes with a machine as I prefer to do by hand. If you wanted to apply with a machine you could get another finishing pad as you wouldn't apply a wax with a pad that you have used with an abrasive polish, even if you washed it. You may want to ask Mike what pad to use with the 105 as I'm not too sure how abrasive it is.