Swapping Cutting Polish

**jmikolich** · 08-15-2016, 11:47 AM

Was working on removing some swirls the other day, and started with the least aggressive polish and pad I could, but was not getting the results I was looking for, so moved towards a more aggressive setup.

I started with Lake Country White pad on PC7424XP with XMT #2 polish, when I wanted to swap I was going to move to the XMT #3 polish... how should I have handled cleaning the current white pad? or should I have just taken it off the machine and swapped in a fresh one?

Is there any harm in combining polishes assuming you're always going to a more aggressive cut?

I ended up eventually going with the XMT #4 polish on a Lake Country Orange, but even that wasn't quite the level of removal I was hoping for (spread on speed 3, worked in on speed 6 2'x2' area, intentionally trying to keep arm speed slow but definitely unsure of amount of pressure I was applying, though backing plate is marked, and pad was rotating)

**GSKR** · 08-15-2016, 12:59 PM

You might need a compound instead of a polish.The condition of paint have so many variables hard to give defenitive answer as to what pads and such.Try your local auto pars store and pick up some ultimate compound by meguairs,then see if you need to amp it up a bit with something with more of a bite.

**jmikolich** · 08-15-2016, 02:29 PM

I only included the stuff that helped to guide me towards what I was doing wrong... in reality I tried about 5 or 6 different compounds, including Megs ultimate compound, XMT #2,#3 & #4, BOSS Correcting, Menzerna 3 in 1

I'm just curious as to the "cross contamination" of the pad from swapping around working media mid removal.

EDIT: I'm probably calling them the wrong names, as some of them are probably polishes and some are compounds, but you get the idea I was diligently trying to go least aggressive to most in order to achieve the results I wanted.

**WRAPT C5Z06** · 08-15-2016, 02:32 PM

PC is your problem. MF cutting pad should help.

**BudgetPlan1** · 08-15-2016, 02:46 PM

Megs D300 w microfiber cutting discs

**Sizzle Chest** · 08-15-2016, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by jmikolich

Was working on removing some swirls the other day, and started with the least aggressive polish and pad I could, but was not getting the results I was looking for, so moved towards a more aggressive setup.

I started with Lake Country White pad on PC7424XP with XMT #2 polish, when I wanted to swap I was going to move to the XMT #3 polish... how should I have handled cleaning the current white pad? or should I have just taken it off the machine and swapped in a fresh one?

Is there any harm in combining polishes assuming you're always going to a more aggressive cut?

I ended up eventually going with the XMT #4 polish on a Lake Country Orange, but even that wasn't quite the level of removal I was hoping for (spread on speed 3, worked in on speed 6 2'x2' area, intentionally trying to keep arm speed slow but definitely unsure of amount of pressure I was applying, though backing plate is marked, and pad was rotating)

No, I do not believe that you will 'harm' anything by 'mixing' polishes on the pad, however, you will get much more accurate results by utilizing a new pad every time you switch out/try a new polish. I know you can burn thru some pads pretty quickly this way, but you will have a better 'guideline' for the work you are performing.

Hope this helps out!

**jmikolich** · 08-15-2016, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by WRAPT C5Z06

PC is your problem. MF cutting pad should help.

That level of material removal is still beyond my comfort zone, I'm comfortable with modern polishes and not too worried about eating through all the clear with them, but cutting discs seem way more aggressive. This was on a 2011 GS Corvette which i've read has notoriously hard paint.

Originally Posted by BudgetPlan1

Megs D300 w microfiber cutting discs

cutting discs scare me, the name alone makes them terrifying

Originally Posted by Sizzle Chest

No, I do not believe that you will 'harm' anything by 'mixing' polishes on the pad, however, you will get much more accurate results by utilizing a new pad every time you switch out/try a new polish. I know you can burn thru some pads pretty quickly this way, but you will have a better 'guideline' for the work you are performing.

Hope this helps out!

Yes this does help, I would have swapped pads if I had enough (Don't come yell at me Mike) but I only had 4 pads on hand to cover this particular area and my cleaning on the fly technique is also dicey.

I think I should have focused more on the results I was getting from each compound, perhaps even a notebook, but I was also on a time crunch

**Paul A.** · 08-15-2016, 04:19 PM

Sizzle Chest nailed my approach too in that i always grab a fresh, clean pad to see what that next product will do on it's own. I don't like to confuse the results of a test spot with a hybrid mix on one pad.

**shadwell** · 08-15-2016, 06:08 PM

As long as you are cleaning the pad on the fly between test spots / compounds then little "harm"...

once you find the level you are after, worth while starting fresh with pads and compound of the final selection...
If nothing else just removes variables ie other compounds impacting the final selection.. unlikely but if your are into not taking chances..

Re getting more cut... I stopped messing about with small incremental changes and go straight to foamed wool on a roatry... then play with either SMAT ot DAT depending on the level of cut, and finish i want from that pass.. that is when the foam pads and heavy cut compounds start to flounder.. ie hard paints.. accepting i'll be going over it with a foam pad on DA and a DAT polish afterwards to bring the gloss up..

**shadwell** · 08-15-2016, 06:15 PM

Honestly don't be afraid.. the progression from foam to MF on Da is not night and day.. its incremental.. and you are in control...

ON HARDER PAINTS be confident that even wool on a rotary with a strong SMAT compound still takes some work to cut.. its not an angle grinder.... again you are in control..

just be smart in the use and avoid edges and raised profiles as thes will cause more issues than the polisher... ie they focus the pressure and hence cut rate many more tens of times more than any pad / compound selection...

Even denim and velvet are relatively forgiving.... so long as your technique is sound.....

Sanding.. well now we really do have the oppurtunity to bugger things up quite quickly... work through the above and if you end up here.. then you'll know a lot more about what you can and can't get away with and how to recover surfaces with 2000grit abrasion anyway.. so again less daunting..

Anyhow, all the best... just remeber if it all goes tits up you can always get the section repainted.. we're not saving lives here.. just reflections..