Nanoskin Pads on the FLEX XFE 7 - 15mm Free Spinning Long Stroke Orbital Polisher

[Mike Phillips]

Nanoskin Pads on the FLEX XFE 7 - 15mm Free Spinning Long Stroke Orbital Polisher


If you have a FLEX XFE 7 and you detail cars for fun or for money, then get yourself a Nanoskin Autoscrub Pad and turn your FLEX SFE 7 into a decontamination machine.

Speed setting: I find the 3-4 speed setting works best to maintain pad rotation on both flat and curved panels.

Lube: Use lots of clay lube when removing contaminants by machine. The friction created between the pad and the paint when removing things like overspray paint, industrial fallout, transportation pollution, etc. is enough to cause the lube to dry faster than if you were using a clay bar instead and when you start to run out of lube the pad will struggle to rotate. So the key to using a Nanoskin pad by machine is to always use plenty of lube.

Arm Speed: Use a slow to medium arm speed when moving the FLEX XFE 7 over a body panel.


Process
The paint on this 1957 Chevy failed the baggie test miserably! Before moving onto the compounding, polishing and waxing steps the first thing that needs to be done is to get the paint smooth. Remember,

"Gloss comes from a smooth surface"


Nanoskin pads
If you've read my book, How to use the FLEX 3401 for both Show Car Detailing and Production Detailing then you know I think the Nanoskin Autoscrub pads are the bet way to get contaminated paint perfectly clean and smooth. So for this Monster 4x4 that's what I used to remove the above surface bonded contaminants only instead of the FLEX 3401 I used the new FLEX XFE 7 - 15mm Free spinning, long stroke orbital polisher.















How does it work?
The rubberized surface of Nanoskin products actually contain a form of abrasive that will remove contamination without scratching the paint. On softer paints you might see marring, especially on darker colors. I practice and recommend only using Nanoskin products if you already plan on doing at least one machine polishing process. This can include doing a one-step process with a cleaner/wax.










Done
Now that the entire car from top to bottom and the sides has been decontaminated it's time to move on to the next step.





On Autogeek.net


Nanoskin Autoscrub pads

FLEX XFE 7 - 15mm Free spinning, long stroke orbital polisher.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

I agree Mike. The best way to mechanically decontaminate paint is with this method of using the foam pad attached to a machine. No other method will match the power of this setup. While the wash pad or towel can be faster, it will lack the overall grunt of decontaminating the paint.

I have been using the Nanoskin pads with the 3401 for quite some time. Now that you have utilized the XFE it has piqued my interest in how it compares when using the pad between the machines. Either way, you cant go wrong.

Thanks for taking the time to put this article together.

[Whitewater25]

While I agree on the point MIKE made here,that method he is using to reach the roof is bad ass. I want his toy box. Didn't mean to hijack thread but just thought lift was great idea,if one has one at their disposal.

[usmcpab]

By far nanoskin on the rupes has been a time saver for me. I have noticed the medium pad will marr the paint a bit, however, it's not a problem since a it's usually followed by polishing.

[axel06]

excellent topic as always.... love the nanoskin pads

[rlmccarty2000]

I've been using the 6 inch Nanoskin pad on the Rupes 21 for about a year now. It is a huge timesaver and an armsaver.

[Mike Phillips]

While I agree on the point MIKE made here,that method he is using to reach the roof is bad ass.


I want his toy box.

Ha ha.... I had to bribe the warehouse guys to steal their lift for a few hours.

Didn't mean to hijack thread but just thought lift was great idea, if one has one at their disposal.

The Baggie Test will show you the difference between claying and using a Nanoskin pad by machine. Do one side-by-side one time and you'll be convinced.