205 and optimum II no cutting power

[frankprozzoly]

I've been using 105 205 and I'm trying optimum products. Optimum II didn't dust st all which is nice. The problem is 205 and optimum polish say they correct a little. Either porter cable isn't strong enough or im not working long enough but it doesn't appear to do anything but make a nice shine. The car had some minor scratches and water marks. Didn't touch any of it. Just got a nice shine. I thought 105 was just for serious correction

[ski2]

I use HD Polish on an orange 5.5" B&S pad with a GG DA on hard VW paint and get some nice correction of light marring left over from winter. HD Polish is certainly not any more aggresive than 205. Speed 5.5, solid pressure, very slow arm speed, clean pad on the fly often---usually takes me 3-4 section passes--slow I know, but I have the time.

[frankprozzoly]

I'll try the more aggressive pad. I did buy microfiber pads to see if they cut better. I was even having trouble with 105 and the Orange pad correcting minor scratches. Maybe I'm just not working long enough.

[frankprozzoly]

When you say section passes, what does that mean exactly. Do you go over a section a few times then go back another 3,4 times of a certain number of passes. I'm making this confusing. Once going over it 3,4 times or 3 x 3

[Robbiek]

I've been using 105 205 and I'm trying optimum products. Optimum II didn't dust st all which is nice. The problem is 205 and optimum polish say they correct a little. Either porter cable isn't strong enough or im not working long enough but it doesn't appear to do anything but make a nice shine. The car had some minor scratches and water marks. Didn't touch any of it. Just got a nice shine. I thought 105 was just for serious correction

I used m205 with a mf cutting pad it worked really well for me but on my black car i did notice some marring so i used hex logic white pad and ammo Jewelers polish it came out great

[frankprozzoly]

I'm going to try that. That's exactly why I got the microfiber pads. I figured they would cut better

[Setec Astronomy]

The car had some minor scratches and water marks. Didn't touch any of it. Just got a nice shine. I thought 105 was just for serious correction

Usually scratches and water marks would be considered serious correction. Make sure they aren't too deep before you try to take them out all the way.

[dooyaunastan]

What kind of car are we talking about here? There's a post where a user achieves incredible correction with M205 and (I believe) an Orange flat pad on the PC. The catch? He was working on a red Honda Accord, and the paint was soft enough to where it worked as well it did. You wouldn't have the same type of luck with harder clear coats.

[cardaddy]

Frank,

Megs 205 will provide great correction on a lot of different paints, (just not super hard paint). The thing is you need to first prime the pad well, then use 3 pea sized drops per 20~22"x20~22" section. That pad may indeed need to be an orange CCS or flat to start with.

By "section pass" that would be passing the pad over each square section, overlapping by 50% with each pass, until the entire section has been gone over. IOW's, starting at bottom left you would go L to R, R to L, moving upwards until you got to the top. That'd be a SINGLE section pass.

Working with Megs 205 keep in mind it's a SMAT based product and it'll cut hard from the get-go. It also doesn't need to be worked down a full 6~8 (section) passes like a DAT (aka Menzerna) product does. Reason being, SMAT products cut the same with each pass, just that spent product, abraded paint, trash on the surface etc. all builds up around each individual abrasive particle. Those particles will start to build up both on the surface, and especially in the pad. Generally you'll be better off with a SMAT product if you do no more than 4~5 section passes, wipe it down, inspect the progress, THEN if you need more cut/correction clean your pad, reapply 3 small drops and go back over the section.

Conversely, DAT products decrease in size (and cut) with each pass (BUT.... they tend to finish down a bit slicker). On many occasions you can work those products 4~5 passes, pull the pad away (machine turned off), spritz the pad with just a scoche of distilled water, use the same machine speed or just a touch faster (but a little faster arm speed) and then go back and do 3~4 more section passes BEFORE wiping off that product.

[spiralout462]

Tony, you should be a teacher when you "retire" . I so admire your patience when writing and explaining things.