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OP
kilobravo
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- KB
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- '16 CT6, '18 SD, '20 GT 500
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- #91
Tob: Always happy to help and while I'd heard of Flex, I'd never seen any of their hardware. Nice kit, very similar to my Nano. A few tips and my apology in advance for saying something you already know...
- Remember to cover anything nearby that you don't want slung compound on. <smile> When this happens, it's always a freshly soaked pad. So, be sure and spread it around like you see guys doing in almost any polishing video then, before you press the trigger, depress the pad about 25-50 percent...then pull the trigger.
- Everything I've read or seen says you never need more than level "4" on the speed and I'm guessing all the DA polisher adjustments are very similar...as in 1-6 kinda thing.
- Work on the worst sections first but I would test them with a MF (furry) pad and perhaps M105 or the cutting compound of your choice. Don't move on until you get those areas to look as good as the rest of the surfaces that have yet to be polished.
- Then, depending upon your painting abilities, (smiling widely,) I'm gonna guess that you'll only need to start modeately aggressively, nothing meant by that and I would do that with a fresh factory painted vehicle, too.)
By MA, I mean a yellow foam pad and M105 (or Sonax Final Finish.) SFF is basically 105 that diminishes to 205 or finer. Love the stuff for vehicles that have never been polished. It's a bit too aggressive for the Shelby now that she's been polished with it once, plus this last round of 105/205 prior to the coating.
All of what I've said so far assumes that you shot at least two or more coats of clear on your baby.
- "Slinging seems to be more prone to occur with the little DC polishers, at least that's been my experience. A lot has to do with mentally and visually determining the correct reduction in compound "dots" compared to a two or five-inch machine. Anyway, I make sure the little pads have SOME compound on them but not a great deal, when I start out with a job. You'll get a feel for this quickly, just a heads up on the slinging.
Plus, the trigger on mine at least is just a hand squeeze which is easily done accidentally. I now move everything else out of the garage (or cover the one remaining.) <chuckling>
- Be conservative, especially with the peel...work in small and I mean small areas. The manual probably has a good suggested size to start but I wouldn't imagine it's more than about 6"x6".
- Be sure and read up on the different backpads and pad sizes, they affect (not effect, <grin>) the performance of the machine. I learned a good bit reading mine (for a change.)
Finally, it's tedious work with the little fellas but for me at least, it's quite pleasurable and I wish I had had mine before I coated my wheels. Just don't get too close to the 90 side piece edges as the backpad, while not metal edged, can still scratch. You'll hear a loud noise if it happens but my experience was that I only marred the clear one actual time, the rest were just noise.
Last of all...Have fun and post a snapshot or three. :-)
- Remember to cover anything nearby that you don't want slung compound on. <smile> When this happens, it's always a freshly soaked pad. So, be sure and spread it around like you see guys doing in almost any polishing video then, before you press the trigger, depress the pad about 25-50 percent...then pull the trigger.
- Everything I've read or seen says you never need more than level "4" on the speed and I'm guessing all the DA polisher adjustments are very similar...as in 1-6 kinda thing.
- Work on the worst sections first but I would test them with a MF (furry) pad and perhaps M105 or the cutting compound of your choice. Don't move on until you get those areas to look as good as the rest of the surfaces that have yet to be polished.
- Then, depending upon your painting abilities, (smiling widely,) I'm gonna guess that you'll only need to start modeately aggressively, nothing meant by that and I would do that with a fresh factory painted vehicle, too.)
By MA, I mean a yellow foam pad and M105 (or Sonax Final Finish.) SFF is basically 105 that diminishes to 205 or finer. Love the stuff for vehicles that have never been polished. It's a bit too aggressive for the Shelby now that she's been polished with it once, plus this last round of 105/205 prior to the coating.
All of what I've said so far assumes that you shot at least two or more coats of clear on your baby.
- "Slinging seems to be more prone to occur with the little DC polishers, at least that's been my experience. A lot has to do with mentally and visually determining the correct reduction in compound "dots" compared to a two or five-inch machine. Anyway, I make sure the little pads have SOME compound on them but not a great deal, when I start out with a job. You'll get a feel for this quickly, just a heads up on the slinging.
Plus, the trigger on mine at least is just a hand squeeze which is easily done accidentally. I now move everything else out of the garage (or cover the one remaining.) <chuckling>
- Be conservative, especially with the peel...work in small and I mean small areas. The manual probably has a good suggested size to start but I wouldn't imagine it's more than about 6"x6".
- Be sure and read up on the different backpads and pad sizes, they affect (not effect, <grin>) the performance of the machine. I learned a good bit reading mine (for a change.)
Finally, it's tedious work with the little fellas but for me at least, it's quite pleasurable and I wish I had had mine before I coated my wheels. Just don't get too close to the 90 side piece edges as the backpad, while not metal edged, can still scratch. You'll hear a loud noise if it happens but my experience was that I only marred the clear one actual time, the rest were just noise.
Last of all...Have fun and post a snapshot or three. :-)
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