Rupes Pads with Non-Rupes Polishes

[Rmd]

Have the Rupes 15 with all of the Rupes pad varieties and the Rupes polishes. I know they are designed as a system, but I am partial to the performance of Menzerna products. I am particularly curious about using FG400 on the blue pad. Has anyone used other polishes on Rupes pads with success?

[Andr3wilson]

All the time!

[Tato]

Hi. I use menzerna polishes with Rupes 21, 5" plate and 5.5" lake country pads. I use Rupes pads on Flex 3401 (run smoother than on Rupes itself! and accept pressure added when using 3401).

I also may use Menzerna polishes with rupes pads, however, to date, I've only tested SF4000 on rupes yellow pad and Rupes 21, both 6" and 7" pads.

My camera died last week, so I'm only left with Cell phone poor pics. I hope they can at least illustrate Rupes 21 use with 7" yellow pad and Menzerna SF4000.

Side By Side:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/showingback.png

Rupes yellow 6" pad runs VERY smooth on Flex 3401 4 3/8 backing plate:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/showingplate.png

Here you can see (barely with this horrible pic!) both tools, each one equipped with different sized backing plates, different pads, but same SF4000:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/2LR0.png (http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/77300)

I was working on a Land Rover Freelander2, it should be at show&shine if not for my camera issue.

The after pictures represents areas where I used rupes 21 and yellow rupes pads paired with SF4000:
Before:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/2LR1.png (http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/77301)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/2LR2.png (http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/77302)

After:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/2LR3.png (http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/77305)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/2LR4.png

This tail light was corrected using Rupes 21, 5" plate, 5.5" white LC pad and SF4000 (few passes, ANY pressure). No stalling on curved light.
Before:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/2LR5.png

After:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/2LR6.png

This is a general view of car. Fenders, upper and lower parts of doors, pillars and bumpers were polished using Flex 3401, 4" plate, 4" and 5" pads. The remaining flat parts were polished using Rupes 21, 5" and 6" plate, 5.5"-7" pads. All work conducted using SF4000.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/2LR7.png


Regarding your will of using the Blue pad and FG400, sure I'd recommend a test spot, but in Advance I may say it'll be extremely aggressive combination.

A tip for working the Menzerna on Rupes: slow arm speed, plenty of pad rotation all the time. I've used basically speed 5 on the above work.

Please, let me know if you need some more info.

Kind Regards.

[Hazcat]

I use a lot of non Rupes polishes with Rupes pads. I recently used FG400 on a white car. The owner pulled in right as I was finishing the FG400 to see how things were going. I was going to go over it with SF4000 but he liked it how it was so he helped put on WG Deep Gloss Liquid Seal 8 and was estatic. He wants to come over next weekend and help me detail a van. He thinks I "have all the cool stuff that makes it easy." I figure he'll be gone within 2 hours. Hopefully he'll stick around long enough to get a PC in his hands. Anyway, I like the Rupes pads with any polish....Rupes or other.

[Rmd]

Thanks for all the input guys! I did use rupes yellow with SF4000 and it worked really well at speed 5. Will probably try rupes MF pad with FG400 on roof tomorrow.

[Hazcat]

work down to small particles and it should finish out quite nicely. Take some pictures...we all like pics

[WRAPT C5Z06]

When paired with the recommended size BP & pad(LHR21, 6" BP, 7" Rupes pad) the polisher will run very smooth!! Change the dynamics and you'll lose the smoothness. Washer mod helps with pad rotation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mike Phillips]

The Menzerna FG400 works very well with the aggressive blue Rupes pad.

This combo cuts fast and finishes out like a fine cut polish. I predict you will be amazed.


:)

[WRAPT C5Z06]

The Menzerna FG400 works very well with the aggressive blue Rupes pad.

This combo cuts fast and finishes out like a fine cut polish. I predict you will be amazed.


:)
I've gotta try this combo.

[dpk20x]

The Menzerna FG400 works very well with the aggressive blue Rupes pad.

This combo cuts fast and finishes out like a fine cut polish. I predict you will be amazed.


:)

Mike do you mind going into a little more detail as to how you use the blue pad?

Like how much product you use. Do you prime the pad? Do you use any pressure at all? Do you spritz the pad with any detail spray or water?

I've attempted to use them a few times on my LHR15 with either Rupes Zephyr or Scholls S3 Gold and haven't been able to get much correction.

I know the paint I'm working on isn't super hard because I switched over to the S3 gold on a Meguiar's microfiber finishing disc and that got rid of all the swirls in four or so passes ... finished out pretty darn good too I might add. So I'm sure something is lacking in my technique.


BTW OP sorry for the mini hijack but I don't think these questions are too far off the original topic :hijacked:

[Mike Phillips]

Mike do you mind going into a little more detail as to how you use the blue pad?


Trying to think where I have pictures of the Rupes Blue Foam Cutting Pad posted from a project car. I'll get back to this with a link...





Like how much product you use.


Kind of in the middle of another project and I know I have pictures somewhere of the Rupes Compound on the Rupes blue foam cutting pad just can't think of the thread.

This will give you the idea though, this is the Wolfgang Uber Compound on a yellow Rupes polishing pad and a Prototype Duetto last year when I buffed out this old red pcar.


Lady in Red - 1986 Porsche - 4-Step Process (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/71247-lady-red-1986-porsche-4-step-process.html)

That prototype Duetto is one of 4 units sent out by Rupes to be field tested.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2162/New_Rupes_DA_Polisher_002.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2162/New_Rupes_DA_Polisher_003.jpg







Do you prime the pad?


No, not at all. Here's something I wrote about NOT priming Rupes pads in this thread,

Rupes Microfiber Cutting Disc with Rupes Zephir Gloss Coarse Gel Compound (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/74359-rupes-microfiber-cutting-disc-rupes-zephir-gloss-coarse-gel-compound.html)

Scroll down to post #7 (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/74359-rupes-microfiber-cutting-disc-rupes-zephir-gloss-coarse-gel-compound.html#post1009684)





It doesn't look like the blue foam pad was fully primed?



And it's a hard habit to break if you're use to always priming a pad, kind of like a reflex action.




Is fully priming the pad less important or not needed on this coarse pad or Rupes pads in general?



I'd say it's less important with their "system" not so much their pads in general and not needed at all with a pad this coarse.

Because the cells are so large and open in the cell structure of their blue cutting pad and because the foam formula itself is so rigid, (at least when you're starting out with a fresh pad), excess product will simply sling out and throw splatter everywhere.

I've done it myself and that's how I learned NOT to add too much product or practice the pad priming regimen. Now I watch others do it and try my best to caution them to both,


A: Don't prime pad when using the compound with the blue cutting pad.

B: Don't overuse product.

And then when you do turn the polisher on, make sure the face of the pad is in direct contact with the paint and apply some firm pressure to TRAP the product between the pad and the paint and then get the polisher moving the product over the section you're going to buff when you first pull the trigger to get it spread out so it doesn't sling out.

Little tips but they will help you a lot.







With the Rupes foam pads there is no need to prime, with their MF disc you have to prime, Mike can correct me if I am wrong. Thanks




You're dead-on accurate Chris... and Chris has used the Rupes system plenty since we brought Rupes on board...


Here's Chris aka Italian Guy...

Buffing on a 1955 Chevy Sedan Delivery (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pictures-autogeek-s-car-week/66328-1955-chevy-1947-buick-slantback-show-car-makeover-pictures-videos.html) here at Autogeek's Show Car Garage

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1854/1955_Chevy_1947_Buick_027.jpg


Buffing on the North Miami Beach Police Department Mobil Command Center (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pictures-autogeek-s-car-week/63069-north-miami-beach-police-mobil-command-unit-show-car-makeover.html)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1806/Police_Command_Van_030.jpg


>>>>>>> END OF POST #7 <<<<<<<







Do you use any pressure at all?



Very light downward pressure. Basically enough to keep the pad flat to the surface without hopping around. When you first start out, as in there are three drops of product sitting between the paint and the pad you want to use a slow speed and fast arm movement to get the product spread out otherwise it will tend to sling out on it's own.

Once you have the product spread out to create a film of product over the surface you're going to work then bring up your speed and start making your section passes.





Do you spritz the pad with any detail spray or water?



I don't.


:)

[Mike Phillips]

This thread has a ton of information in it plus a time-lapse video showing the below car buffed out using the Rupes "system".

I used the 21 on one side and the 15 on the other side and you can watch the entire process in about 5 minutes.


Rupes Polisher Time Lapse Video - 1955 Ford Crown Victoria (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/60921-rupes-polisher-time-lapse-video-1955-ford-crown-victoria.html)



RUPES Bigfoot 21 versus Bigfoot 15 Time Lapse...

To do this time-lapse video, I taped the car off right down the middle and then being as fair as possible gave both sides the exact same treatment.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1759/1955_Ford_Crown_Victoria_019.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1759/1955_Ford_Crown_Victoria_020.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1759/1955_Ford_Crown_Victoria_021.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1759/1955_Ford_Crown_Victoria_022.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1759/1955_Ford_Crown_Victoria_023.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1759/1955_Ford_Crown_Victoria_049.jpg

:xyxthumbs:

[dpk20x]

Thanks for the fast response Mike.

Guess I'll give them another shot sometime. Seems like I'm doing everything correctly except that I spritzed the face of the pad with a little UWW+ before I started buffing.

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for the fast response Mike.

Guess I'll give them another shot sometime. Seems like I'm doing everything correctly except that I spritzed the face of the pad with a little UWW+ before I started buffing.


Be sure to mark the backing pate on your Rupes the same way we all do it for backing plates on our other DA polishers.

The mark on the backing plate will make it easier for your eyes to detect whether the pad is rotating or stalling out.



Video: Mark your backing plate to make it easy to see pad rotation (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-car-garage-how-videos/49489-video-mark-your-backing-plate-make-easy-see-pad-rotation.html)


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1423/MarkYourBackingPlate01.jpg

Here's a quick video that show how and why to mark your backing plate to see and monitor pad rotation while doing any correction or polishing steps.




How To Check Pad Rotation on a DA Polisher -...



It's also important to maintain pad rotation with PC style tools when using a one-step cleaner/wax or AIO type product on neglected paint.

It's not vital to maintain pad rotating when applying a finishing wax or finishing paint sealant to a finish that you've just buffed out.



:xyxthumbs:

[dpk20x]

Yeah the backing plate is marked. Did the washer mod too. I'm working on flat panels as well so pad rotation isn't the issue.

Not sure what the problem is :dunno:

I'll keep playing with the blue pads and hopefully can figure out what I'm currently doing wrong.