Taming Finicky Paint with a DA polisher! Tips & Tricks to get a Flawless Finish

[Rocket]

I normally do not like using soft finishing pads when final polishing on a DA polisher. While these pads work amazingly well when used on a rotary polisher, they tend to bunch up on the out edges where the backing plate cannot provide direct compressible force.

Todd, I normally use a black LC flat pad when I finish polish with PO85rd but there have been a few times where I`ve gotten the DA haze. What pad would be good to use in these situations?

[SS 07C70]

I`ll have to Re-Read this - a lot of info - My 2011 Black Jag, has very finicky paint. Thanks for posting it.

[Kevin Brown]

Todd, thank you so much for often crediting me with your insight into the working of the random orbital.

Keep writing these easy to understand articles. There are so many guys out there wanting to learn how to do things the right way, and wanting to understand why the "right way" works! Hooray!

I don`t stop by often... glad to see you are staying busy writing these articles.

[Todd@RUPES]

Todd, I normally use a black LC flat pad when I finish polish with PO85rd but there have been a few times where I`ve gotten the DA haze. What pad would be good to use in these situations?

I would go to the Lake Country White foam pad in this case. I am usually (not always) able to achieve the same quality finish on most paints with a the White Pad, and on finicky paints a better finish. Also the Hydro-Tech Crimson pad is another of my favorites.

I`ll have to Re-Read this - a lot of info - My 2011 Black Jag, has very finicky paint. Thanks for posting it.

Your welcome!

Todd, thank you so much for often crediting me with your insight into the working of the random orbital.

Keep writing these easy to understand articles. There are so many guys out there wanting to learn how to do things the right way, and wanting to understand why the "right way" works! Hooray!

I don`t stop by often... glad to see you are staying busy writing these articles.

Stop by more often Kevin!

[Rocket]

Thanks Todd. I`ll give the white pad a try this weekend

[glfahlc1]

thanks todd, another article for the detailing notebook. my question is when i use a slower speed to polish my paint it seems with my 7424 on speed 4 or slower the slightest pressure stops the pad from rotating. so am i still using too much pressure to finish my paint or is there some other suggestion that might work for me. don`t know if there is any more finicky paint than jet black bmw.

[cmichael258]

Well done Todd. Thanks

[Todd@RUPES]

thanks todd, another article for the detailing notebook. my question is when i use a slower speed to polish my paint it seems with my 7424 on speed 4 or slower the slightest pressure stops the pad from rotating. so am i still using too much pressure to finish my paint or is there some other suggestion that might work for me. don`t know if there is any more finicky paint than jet black bmw.

What size pad are you using?

[EUROTECH]

Love this forum, why i stopped the hobby I don`t quite know. but its time to play catch up. Its post seeing masters @ detailing continual growing at their trade,and then sharing those thoughts that educate even inspire . I know its got my detail bug back.. Thank you!

few question you made two statements that impressed on me.

1)"Reduce Speed, Not Pressure"
with my Porter Cable applying more pressure slows to prevent me from making flaws heating the paint. However I was never able to get the results desired truly desired. Why i put down the PC long ago and the detail hobby fire fizzled away .So you basically answers my 2nd question

2"Switch products or machines"
So i am going to switch my P.C. DA from Random Orbital to Forced Rotation. I am leaning t wards the FLEX (no pun intended) I know the crazes over machines, and uselessly for good reason.
So would you recommend FLEX 3401 VRG. Or another model/ Polisher entirely. And Learning curve from Random orbital to forced, any quick tips?

thank in advance for any advice, and for the post!

[Dr Oldz]

I think the "reduce speed" is the biggest mistake people make. More than a few times I have just slowed down the speed of the machine to go from an "ok" to a "great" finish.

I also think changing a pad very often is important. As a pad soaks up the liquid part of a polish it looses it rigidity and starts to "bunch up on the edges"(as you called it in the oversized backing plate section)

[JSFM35X]

Todd, great read and nobody can argue with the results . I am Curious how many pounds of pressue do you figure is "correct".

[Lou Bunn]

Well, it`s weird, but I`ve done many more details where I just used a LC orange pad for the whole job, and M105. Like Todd said - I keep the pad clean and replace when it`s not cleaning up with comressed air. Now thanks to this:

"Switch to a More Aggressive, Open Celled Pad

“You`re gonna do what?!” If the above suggestions are not helping you then it is time to get creative. Remember that delicate paint residue can be extremely sharp (think shards of glass) and this can lead to the micro marring you are seeing. Switching to a stiffer, open celled pad can give the polish residue, which has become contaminated, a place to go. The stiffer foam membranes act as a squeegee as they are driven across the paint, cleaning this residue and exposing fresh abrasives.

The stiffer foam pad is much less resistant to compression, allowing you to ease up on the pressure slightly while maintaining an even surface to finish with. I can remember a thread where Nick Chapman (a highly accomplished detailer) used a Meguair`s cutting pad to finish extremely finicky paint.

It makes sense. I`d like to mention that a thin flat pad works better, I tried those fat biscuits (first gen hydro`s) and they tore apart very quickly.

[groebuck]

So how much pressure are we talking about? I was always told let the machine do the work...I use a megs da (PC I think) and megs pads - red for cutting yellow for polish swirl removal and the tannish soft buff for final polish/lsp - how hard are we pushing down to compress the pad??

[Todd@RUPES]

So how much pressure are we talking about? I was always told let the machine do the work...I use a megs da (PC I think) and megs pads - red for cutting yellow for polish swirl removal and the tannish soft buff for final polish/lsp - how hard are we pushing down to compress the pad??

Maybe 5-10lbs of additional down pressure