Another Help Me With Detailing Advise

[GH05T]

and post results!

[dyl33]

I just want to remove scratches and swirls and make the paint beautiful

I'am likely to use it once/twice a year, I'd prefer to buy the DAS6 polisher as it's only $239-249, My only concern with the das6 is quality will it last, And I've read that it is a little under powered at 500w? (How much power do you need people detail with there hands lol)

@Hadouken Are you happy with your das6, Does it do a good job?

Concours 900 is out of stock atm and at $320, I feel it's a little over the top for what I was after

Edited September 6, 2013 by dyl33

[junkie]

I bought myself a DAS6 and very happy with it. Done about 5 cars so far and not found any shortage of power. Look into microfiber pads as well as they do a better job than foam with dual action machines.

[dyl33]

That's good to hear junkie

Are the pads you get with the kit good?

[Hadouken]

I love the pads with the kit. Maybe not that durable but pretty darn good.

And yes i love it. It does a lot of damage (good) with a firm pad and menzerna 500. That thing cut so much paint on my mates old terios

[dyl33]

Did you use all 3 polishes on your 33 hadouken?

Were the pads you got Menzerna or did you pick another brand?

You can get the das6 with menzerna polish and menzerna pads for $249 or you can get das6 with menzerna polish and mint protool pads for $219

Would there be much difference in pads?

Menzerna is 2 foam pads cutting & finishing and 1 microfiber extra cutting pad

Mint protool pads are 3 foam pads cutting & finishing

Edited September 6, 2013 by dyl33

[ARTZ]

lets simplify this for the budget conscious ..

WASH with dishwashing liquid, rinse off, then while it is still wet
CLAY with any decent claybar, mequirs Bowdens whatever they're all fine a quick wash down after clay is good idea too then dry with a microfibre towel..
POLISH with DA and FG500 with a firm pad

this will already get your paint looking amazing and if it doesn't you are doing it wrong.....

if your fussy and especially if the car is a darker colour I'd suggest finish with maybe SF4000 and a lighter pad to give a richer smoother more reflective finish..

apply sealant and/or wax of choice

Job done

The kits are great because they give you a range of different polishes and pads to play with but don't really need them all..but having them gives you options as different cars require different levels of cut of course, the fg500 will do 99% of jobs though and any car more than a few years old will usually need this level of cut unless it has been meticulously looked after....I bought another 900 DA and tried the scholl concepts kit from waxit as well and it does a great job at scratch/swirl removal., dare i say even better than the menzerna..I find the menzerna to leave a better more richer gloss though I have been bouncing between both and my latest project...also the 5 inch pads it came with are a bit tedious as it takes forever to do big panels...good for tight spots though...

keep an eye on how warm your pads are getting, many start to heat up when they are being worked hard and the glue that holds the velcro on will start to melt..after each area you do give the pad a chance to cool down or your pads will warp and can even fly apart...I have destroyed many and its pretty funny when you lift your buff and they just launch themselves into oblivion ...I actually double up on my favourite pads now and switch between them as I go

Light is your friend, get a cheap halogen light (20$ form bunnings) to shine off panels so you can see scratches...but beware it takes alot of time to get them all..ever wondered why pro detailers charge so much...time....it actually takes very little products to do a good job but it takes alot of time and patience..if you want to do it properly in your spare time prepare to have the car sit in the shed for a while..alternatively work the car one panel at a time..getting any panel perfect can easily consume a few hours of your time...I've spent the last 2 days on my toyota and I still keep finding faint marks I have missed, (working in a carport with one light doesnt help either)...as it sits I have still only done a 1 stage buff that still isn't perfect to my liking....and I haven't even touched on the bumpers... unfortunately it has to be done by monday so i will have to rush finish it and come back to it another day

Another problem is the closer you get and the more time you spend with the car you notice every little blemish. spot, scratch...sometimes it pays to just wash it down, stick it in the sun and stand back and look at it...it might look perfectly good from 10mtrs away and other people never really notice all the little marks you know are there...all comes down to your own vanity and quest for perfection really...

[dyl33]

cheers for your insight ARTZ.

I have just brought the ccpDAS6 Menerzna kit and DODO JUICE white diamond wax.

We'll see how it goes

[junkie]

Well done mate, Dodo Juice gear is awesome. I use Lime Prime Light+Purple Haze on my 200 with sweet results.

[dyl33]

All the stuff was delivered today Looks the goods. Also got a halogen light, I plugged it in and it really shows swirls and marks better.

Now should I start with the most coarse polish first (fg500) or should I start with PF2500 first then SF4000? If that's not getting them out then try FG500 then pf2500,sf4000?

Anyone have any tips or things you wish you knew before you started?

[junkie]

use the lightest polish+pad combo to achieve the desired result - then go up in strength if the light cutting stuff doesn't get the job done

in terms of tips, if you can be bothered, grab a panel from a wrecker to practice on. i bought a random burgundy fuel flap back when i first bought a polisher and practiced polishing+wetsanding+scratch repair on it before i got the hang of the whole process

[ARTZ]

I'm not disagreeing with you junkie, this is just from my experience.....But I'd just go straight up with the fg500 personally...i'd try first with a medium pad and if it seems Like hard work bump up to the hard pad...i rarely even use my 2500 unless working in a car with soft paint.....Nissan paint is tough...the 2500 will make a difference but the 500 will do it in half the time. It also works well with yellowing headlights..

It is a white R33 you're polishing yeah?

[dyl33]

Yeah it's a white r33.

I might start with the 500 but will take it easy then go up

Will most swirls be removed from the 500? how/when do you know it's time to change up polish

Edited September 13, 2013 by dyl33

[BakemonoRicer]

Yeah it's a white r33.

I might start with the 500 but will take it easy then go up

Will most swirls be removed from the 500? how/when do you know it's time to change up polish

I too would jump straight to FG500 like ARTZ has mentioned. Been there, done that.

Btw, Menzerna fg500 is a diminishing abrasive so be sure to work it long enough... otherwise itll do more harm than good.

Plus, you may get some light micro-swirls instilled by FG500, but its a compound so don't sweat - this is normal and will come out when you polish with PF2500 (so long as you polish properly).

I was doing around 8-10 passes per section on speed 4.5 with a properly primed pad and using ample product. Depending on how bad your paint is, you may need to do 2-3 sets of 8-10 passes per section.

Mark a black line on your yellow backing plate.... put enough pressure to hear a change in sound, then back out slightly from there. That is about the right pressure to use. The black line should be spinning freely, but if its going in really slowwwww motion and not spinning, then too much pressure.

[dyl33]

I've had a bit of a try with fg500 and medium pad it's kinda working, Still has scratches/swirls. I think I need to work the polish longer and use slightly more pressure

Should I be using the hard cutting pad? or medium

[BakemonoRicer]

I've had a bit of a try with fg500 and medium pad it's kinda working, Still has scratches/swirls. I think I need to work the polish longer and use slightly more pressure

Should I be using the hard cutting pad? or medium

Go straight to the hard pad... no point fluffing around with the medium.

[dyl33]

Go straight to the hard pad... no point fluffing around with the medium.

Yes Sir !

Just then with medium pad I worked the polish longer and with more pressure, definitely noticed the difference.

I'll try the hard pad it's a weird one not sure what side you attach lol

[dyl33]

It's coming along nicely, the extra cutting pad is heaps better. I have to stop now. getting to late apparently.

Do I have to do anything to the pads? wash/clean them for tomorrow?

[junkie]

Sorry let me clarify - you probably don't want to start with a finishing polish on a finishing pad, unless the car has very light swirls. I usually go medium first, see how that goes, then move up if needs to be. My 35 didnt need anything heavier cutting as the paint is soft and you need to minimise the amount of clear taken off as a general rule

for cleaning, just use carwash or dishwashing liquid, rinse well squeese out all the water and let the pads air dry somewhere away from dirt and dust

[BakemonoRicer]

Good to hear Dylan.

During use, I use a pad cleaning brush to get off any spent residue (helps to minimise dusting). After use, I rinse pads with a realllyyyy mild detergent (as you don't want something that attacks the glue on the pad).

That said, I left some LC orange pads overnight to air dry, and when I used them the next day they still had moisture. This is a bigggg no no, as the heat of the DA creates steam inside the pad and they quickly shred themselves away from the backing plate.So with that said I'd hit the pads with a hair dryer as well.... just on warm setting.