The 10 @ 2 Technique for picking up a bead of product with a Flex 3401

[Mike Phillips]

The 10 @ 2 Technique for picking up a bead of product with a Flex 3401

The 10 @ 2 Technique for picking up a bead of product is a way you can grabbing your product on the fly with your Flex 3401 in a way that pulls the product under and into the face of the buffing pad instead of splattering it all over the place.

Some people take their pad and simply spread their product out over the paint with the buffer off and then after spreading it out turn the buffer on and start buffing, this works but can also throw splatter all over the place.

The 10 @ 2 Technique not only works but has a cool factor to it that shows anyone watching that you know how to pick up a bead of product like a Pro.

First of all, the term bead in detailing talk means a line or strip of product. Just want to make sure everyone understands that term.

To pick up your bead of product using the 10 @ 2 Technique, while holding the Flex 3401 in your hands, looking at the back of the buffing pad, pretend it's clock. The top is 12:00 O'clock and going clockwise you have the 1, 2, 3, etc. positions on the buffing pad that would correlate with a clock.

What you want to do is bring the rotary buffer up to speed and then lock the trigger into place so you don't have to hold it in the entire time you're buffing.

Next, place the buffing pad just in front of your bead of product at the 2 O'clock position.



The pad should be spinning but not in contact with the paint.

Lightly touch the buffing pad down so the 9 O'clock position is just making contact with the paint and the 2 O'clock position is raised off the paint about 10 degrees.

Now run the buffing pad over the bead of product from left to right drawing the bead in at the 10 O'clock position. (not the 9 O'clock or 11 O'clock posting but the 10 O'clock position).

Since the pad is rotating counterclockwise, the bead of product will be pulled into and under the pad instead of being thrown away from the pad as splatter.


As soon as you move the polisher past the last portion of the bead of product instantly move the raised portion of the buffing pad so that the entire pad is now flat against the paint and proceed to spread the product out over the area you're going to work.

After the product is spread out, then start working the product against the paint with slow overlapping passes.


Looking down at the back of the Flex 3401 - The Bead of product is to the left at about the 2 O'clock position




Touch the 9 O'clock position of the pad lightly down to the paint while tilting the opposite side up about 10 degrees and then moving the polisher from left to right, run the pad over your bead of product. Because the pad is rotating counterclockwise it will pull the bead of product under and into the pad instead of splattering it everywhere. After you run the pad past the end of the bead of product, lay the pad flat and start making your overlapping passes.





The technique for picking up a bead of product with the Flex 3401 is just the opposite of picking up a bead of product with a rotary buffer and the reason for this is because the rotary buffer rotates clockwise, (when you look down on it from behind the tool), while the Flex 3401 rotates counterclockwise.


To see how to pick up a bead of product with a rotary buffer, check out this thread...

The 10 @ 10 technique for picking up a bead of product with a rotary buffer

[dougaross]

Mike is there some inconsistency here? In one place motion is left to right and the other right to left picking up at 10 o'clock

[skipper1]

That is a very cool technique.

On another subject using the Flex 3401. Since everyone using a Flex seems to be having trouble using the new Meguiars microfiber discs, including myself. Mike, would you please do an instructional video on using the mf discs with the Flex 3401.

The first time I used them I used the polishing discs with D301 per Nick Chapman's suggestion. I still have not used the mf cutting disc on the Flex but plan to this weekend.

Here's what I found the first time using the Flex with the MF polishing disc. First primed the pad and used 3-4 pea sized drops and the speed was between 3 & 4. That was way too much product, too fast and caused the pad to really grab the surface and I was constantly fighting it.

The next week I did the same thing only I used 2 pea sized drops speed 2.5 to 3 and worked much better, but still not smooth like I think it should be.

I think if you could do an instructional video it might be very beneficial to all that own the Flex 3401, otherwise it's scaring everyone off from using the new discs.

[C. Charles Hahn]

That is a very cool technique.

On another subject using the Flex 3401. Since everyone using a Flex seems to be having trouble using the new Meguiars microfiber discs, including myself. Mike, would you please do an instructional video on using the mf discs with the Flex 3401.

The first time I used them I used the polishing discs with D301 per Nick Chapman's suggestion. I still have not used the mf cutting disc on the Flex but plan to this weekend.

Here's what I found the first time using the Flex with the MF polishing disc. First primed the pad and used 3-4 pea sized drops and the speed was between 3 & 4. That was way too much product, too fast and caused the pad to really grab the surface and I was constantly fighting it.

The next week I did the same thing only I used 2 pea sized drops speed 2.5 to 3 and worked much better, but still not smooth like I think it should be.

I think if you could do an instructional video it might be very beneficial to all that own the Flex 3401, otherwise it's scaring everyone off from using the new discs.

Or better yet, get Jason Rose to do a demo during the class this weekend. We'll be able to see it via the webcast

[Mike Phillips]

Mike is there some inconsistency here? In one place motion is left to right and the other right to left picking up at 10 o'clock

Just a typo... the principals are the same as the technique for using the rotary buffer so I copied and pasted the text from my first article and just missed this part, good eye; I'll fix it.

[Mike Phillips]

Or better yet, get Jason Rose to do a demo during the class this weekend. We'll be able to see it via the webcast

Well Joe, Renny and I will be doing the Flex class on Saturday, that's when we'll be showing the Flex rotaries and the Flex 3401...

How about I have Joe or Renny demo the technique?

[Mike Phillips]

That is a very cool technique.

On another subject using the Flex 3401. Since everyone using a Flex seems to be having trouble using the new Meguiars microfiber discs, including myself. Mike, would you please do an instructional video on using the mf discs with the Flex 3401.

Part of the problem is just the process, that is the microfiber pad, the compound and the action of the tool.

But we're looking for suggestions for new videos so I'll pass this on...

[Mike Phillips]

Mike is there some inconsistency here? In one place motion is left to right and the other right to left picking up at 10 o'clock

Fixed.

[C. Charles Hahn]

Well Joe, Renny and I will be doing the Flex class on Saturday, that's when we'll be showing the Flex rotaries and the Flex 3401...

How about I have Joe or Renny demo the technique?

Awesome... I'd love to see it no matter who does the demo!

[skipper1]

Well Joe, Renny and I will be doing the Flex class on Saturday, that's when we'll be showing the Flex rotaries and the Flex 3401...

How about I have Joe or Renny demo the technique?

Don't forget to bring your Meguiar's MF cutting discs.