I am perplexed, Buffing/pads

[casvg5]

Alright, let me define the situation here.

The vehicle is a 1986 Chevrolet C-10. It has been repainted and is single stage. Its a dark blue.

My partner and I begin buffing, and run our test spot with his buffer, a PC. We settle on a white Chemical guys Hex pad, and Chemical guys V36. I use a LOT of chemical guys products and really have picked through their product line and found the products I love to work with. V36 and a white pad is one of my go to's, it finishes VERY well.

So after we pin down the pad and the polish, we begin. Hes on a 5.5" hex, on a PC, and Im on a 6.5" Hex on a Flex 3401.

I CANNOT get mine to finish out like the PC is doing. Partner is getting a 98% correction, I am just marring the hell out of the finish. The truck was dull, with no deep swirls, just broad hazey finish. My combination polishes through the haze, but finishes with millions of circular TINY short swirls. I decide that it MUST be my pad, so I switch to a brand new Lake Country, white 6.5". I get the SAME issues. I just cannnnnnooooot get it to finish well. High speed, low speed, high pressure low pressure, nothing will finish out. Then my partner comes over, makes one pass, and boom, PERFECT finish on the same pad and polish, but on a PC.


Before everyone comments on my prep, please understand I've been doing this for a while. My work space is surgically clean. The truck was deironized, washed, clayed, washed again, and then wiped clean again before polishing started. I even gave my flex a through cleaning thinking that it must be dropping contaminates on to the surface.

Does anyone have any insight into this?

Upon completion I did notice partners white CG Hex pad was SIGNIFICANTLY less firm than my LC pad. Should I try polishing with one of LC finishing pads? Its my first go round with LC so that might be it, but still an ultra fine finishing polish, and a polishing pad, and light pressure, should have yielded a great finish.

Thoughts?

Again...please don't resort to the prep was bad reasoning, the surface was immaculate before we ever got the buffers off the shelf.

[cplchris]

i would try using a 5.5" pad on the flex, or using next to no pressure as you finish polishing each section (i have never worked with v36 so i don't know much about it), the only other factor i can think of is possibly the paint being soft and the flex being too powerful for the job (like a car making huge power at a shitty track or strip, such as that Z06 in your sig on a gravel driveway)

[FUNX650]

Seeing that your partner had the right combination of pad, product, machine for this particular paint/project...
Myself: I would have switched, rather than fight.

That's why it's sometimes pays to have more than one type of polisher on hand, IMO.

Bob

[Evan.J]

Seeing that your partner had the right combination of pad, product, machine for this particular paint/project...
Myself: I would have switched, rather than fight.

That's why it's sometimes pays to have more than one type of polisher on hand, IMO.

Bob

:iagree:

You have answered your own question.

The forced rotation may have something to do with the issue you are seeing since that seem to be the only difference and you have tried everything else.

[swanicyouth]

:iagree:



You have answered your own question.



The forced rotation may have something to do with the issue you are seeing since that seem to be the only difference and you have tried everything else.


Agree.

This may be another reason Rupes is more user friendly than the 3401 in the battle of high $$$ machines. That's why I choose Rupes anyway.

Forced rotation is a dinosaur for finishing with IMHO.

[casvg5]

Seeing that your partner had the right combination of pad, product, machine for this particular paint/project...
Myself: I would have switched, rather than fight.

That's why it's sometimes pays to have more than one type of polisher on hand, IMO.

Bob

Yea, we were trying to tag team the paint correction and get the truck back asap. I ended up putting the flex away and letting him finish with PC.

[casvg5]

Seeing that your partner had the right combination of pad, product, machine for this particular paint/project...
Myself: I would have switched, rather than fight.

That's why it's sometimes pays to have more than one type of polisher on hand, IMO.

Bob


i would try using a 5.5" pad on the flex, or using next to no pressure as you finish polishing each section (i have never worked with v36 so i don't know much about it), the only other factor i can think of is possibly the paint being soft and the flex being too powerful for the job (like a car making huge power at a shitty track or strip, such as that Z06 in your sig on a gravel driveway)

The paint was incredibly soft. This was the first single stage I have ever worked on. The 5'5 wont fit on my backing plate on my flex. Usually my flex with a good polish and a white pad finishes glass smooth.

[spiralout462]

Agree.

This may be another reason Rupes is more user friendly than the 3401 in the battle of high $$$ machines. That's why I choose Rupes anyway.

Forced rotation is a dinosaur for finishing with IMHO.
.
Interesting. hmmm....Maybe both should be on my "wish list"?

Or better yet, Flex PE14 and Rupes 15.

[casvg5]

Does anyone have an insight on the Rupes, should I go 15 or 21? Seems like 21 would be hard to work with.

[Evan.J]

Does anyone have an insight on the Rupes, should I go 15 or 21? Seems like 21 would be hard to work with.

I have the 21 with the 15 or the 5" BP and its perfect no issues. If you think the 21 will be too hard then go with the 15

[artofdetailing]

Agree.

This may be another reason Rupes is more user friendly than the 3401 in the battle of high $$$ machines. That's why I choose Rupes anyway.

Forced rotation is a dinosaur for finishing with IMHO.

Flex is great with 4 inch pads on it. Other than that its Rupes all day

[WRAPT C5Z06]

While the 3401 is very capable, now that I have an LHR21, 12E and 75E, I much prefer to use those. The LHR21 is easily the most powerful. I've tried the LHR15, but with a 5" BP, the LHR 21 was a no brainier for me.


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[WRAPT C5Z06]

Seems like 21 would be hard to work with.

With the 6" BP the 21 comes with, it's too much coverage area. Still very easy to use, but you need large flat panels. Put a 5" BP on the LHR21 and it's all gravy.



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[casvg5]

While the 3401 is very capable, now that I have an LHR21, 12E and 75E, I much prefer to use those. The LHR21 is easily the most powerful. I've tried the LHR15, but with a 5" BP, the LHR 21 was a no brainier for me.


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With the 6" BP the 21 comes with, it's too much coverage area. Still very easy to use, but you need large flat panels. Put a 5" BP on the LHR21 and it's all gravy.



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Can anyone echo this opinion?

[Evan.J]

I have the 21 with the 15 or the 5" BP and its perfect no issues. If you think the 21 will be too hard then go with the 15
^^^
I already have