How to do a test spot???

[runrun411]

When doing a test spot to try different combos of products do you:

1 change pads when changing products?
2 try test spots with various combos?
3 use eraser after doing the test spot?

Just curious. Trying to figure out how to do it right.

Feed back please

[Paul A.]

I do test spots that tell me everything i need to then apply an LSP. If it's a 2 step cut and buff i first determine the cut method. That may be as many as 3 different spots to determine what specific level of cut i want as the first step. I never hit the same spot again with a different cut product. And i say maybe 3 spots after trying 2 compounds but one of the 2 on 2 different pads. Yes, fresh pad for the next spot and basically, a fresh pad for each product i'm "testing". I rarely mix products on a single pad. Once i determine the first step i then use THAT spot to try what i think the second step should be. I rarely need to try a second product but sometimes that happens. If so, i.e. what i thought the finish step should be re: pad and product isn't as good as i can get, i cut another section and try my next candidate for the "second" step.

My test spot may yield that i can "persuade" a little more gloss out of this paint with the same product BUT different pad.

I then use Eraser on the test spot when i have determined what will be my approach around the entire vehicle and see how it looks. Effectively i have determined what looks best for what the customer wants and to a point that just needs LSP. And in the order i'll be working around the vehicle. First step, second step, Eraser.

Hope that's not confusing and is just the way i do it anyway. I will say i have refined what i think will work pretty fast and rarely do my test areas take more than about 10 minutes.

[nyjetfan]

Puckman really nailed it and only thing I would add is check out mikes test spot how to here:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/50162-how-do-test-spot.html