Polishes and pads

[apierce1289]

Hey guys I'm new here. I just picked up a Rupes mini, Flex 3401, Flex PE8 and I've got a Dewalt Rotary in my arsenal. I'm now trying to learn about polishes, wax, sealant and pads. What is considered to be the best pads, polishes, wax and sealant to use for a show quality shine?

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[irvsmith]

What is the car you are working on and is it single stage/base and clear coat? That is a nice set of tools.

[choijw2]

that would be depends on manufacture, car color, paint hardness
single vs clear coat, and current paint condition

[choijw2]

I recommend menzerna fg400 sf4000 with LC flat pads orange, white, and some meg DMX micro fiber pads,

for waxing i usually do with hand but when I use machine, I love using griots red waxing pads.

for wax and sealant I am big fan of blackfire
wet diamond and their waxes are one of the best out there.
easy to use, super slick, great wet look,

always do test spot with least aggressive settings,
for example if paint is soft and defect is very minor, you should be able to remove them only using polishing pads with sf4000.

Great detailers will make a car shine like diamond with least cutting.

[apierce1289]

that would be depends on manufacture, car color, paint hardness
single vs clear coat, and current paint condition
02 Pontiac Grand Prix - dark cherry metallic

It has a lot of swirls and never been polished. It's just my #### box I'm going to learn on.

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[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Congrats on the machine purchases!

The best pads for the Flex 3401 are the Lake Country Hybrid pads. These pads were designed for the characteristics of the machine.

My preference for polishes is the Menzerna range coupled with the above. Here is a starting point to get you off on the right start using this setup.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-university/77155-my-technique-concerning-3401-menzerna-products-hybrid-pads.html

[Mike Honcho]

Listen to Mike, he knows his stuff!

[apierce1289]

Can you use polishes on glass to get water spots off? I've used 0000 steel wool and goo gone before to get sticky sticker residue off. If so what kind of polish do you need?

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[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Can you use polishes on glass to get water spots off? I've used 0000 steel wool and goo gone before to get sticky sticker residue off. If so what kind of polish do you need?

I have never tried using paint polishes on glass so I can not comment here.

If you want to polish the glass I would recommend using a polish designed for glass such as the Pinnacle glass polish.
Pinnacle GlassWork Water Spot Remover, hard water spot remover, glass water spot remover, glass polish, water spot remover for cars (http://www.autogeek.net/pinnacle-glass-water-spot-remover.html)

[GSKR]

You can use a chemical to take off water spots,on side glass quarter glass back glass,but you can't apply any chemical on the windshield,use steel wool with some ceriglass or a mild compound steel wool oooo which the finest .Or get a pad that is recommended that works with the ceriglass and when using a chemical on side glass tape the molding only if it's brushed aluminum,if it's rubber Don't worry about taping have fun and good luck and wear gloves.