From the beginning. Cut, buff

**Skip99** · 10-14-2014, 09:50 AM

New paint, base clear...wet sanded with 800,1000,..up to 2500,
Ive always used a rotary makita, usually a compound first followed by polish. They have always tirned out nice.
Ive used wizards turbo cut on a white 3m pad recently, followed by wizards polish on a black pad.

I am now looking for better finishes, mostly. Black paint.
I just bought a flex 3401 ,and some different pads and polishes,
M205 and chem guys v36.
Huge difference!
But its mostly due to the flex polisher. Not a lot off diference in the wizards polish, pthe 205 or the v36.

So, now ive got a lot of mis matched stuff. Id like to try menzerna, and from what ive read, probably the hybrid pads.

So, what about my first rotary cut? What do you suggest? The
fg400 ? Still on a white pad? Its a 7 inch, or any other suggestion?
And what polishes? Just 2 or 3?
Fg400 and one of the ip?
Also...what about something to really bring out the black? Ive used meguiars 7? And a wizards show shine..these are mostly applied by hand

Mike Phillips · 10-14-2014, 10:02 AM

Good choice....

Here's a simple plan...

After final sanding,

Cut with rotary buffer, wool cutting pad and Menzerna FG 400
Polish and remove holograms with Flex 3401, Lake Country Hybrid White Foam Polishing Pad.

Should be ready for LSP after 30 days air cure.

If you really want to maximize gloss, clarity and perfection, then do a second machine polishing step with a black Lake Country Hybrid Finishing pad and either SF 4000 and SF 4500

Then after 30 days air cure seal paint.

The above is a very simple approach that will tackle just about any fresh paint job and deliver show car results.

I tend to like to do my final polishing with a less powerful DA like a Porter Cable but the Flex 3401 will work.

And welcome to AGO!

**Skip99** · 10-14-2014, 10:12 AM

Thanks, i prefer a foam pad for first cut, any reccomendation?
Hook and loop pads..
What is lsp?
This paint has air dried for about two monthes, does itstill need to cure after final polish ?

So white and black are the only hybrids i need? No orange? Or blue? I figured i would need it for first cut? Or is it the fg400 that does the work now?

Seal paint with what? Ive really never used anything other than meguiars

And really? No medium polish? Seems lik a big jump

**Tato** · 10-14-2014, 10:34 AM

Great tips you got from Mike.

To add, if you like using foam pads I'd suggest you to step up your sanding to at least #3000, preferably #5000.

Not that an aggressive foam pad will not remove #2500 grit, but it'll take much more effort, more passes, increasing the risk of overheating the work area.

If you are not in a real hurry / time constraint, the sanding refining worth every millisecond you spend at it.

Although I like the Blue Hybrid pad and see it's role in polishing, I'd highly recommend you to go for the Orange, White and Black.

Also, depending on your car's design, you should take a look at LC 4" backing plate for the Flex (comes in a changeable backing plate kit), and the 5" Hybrids, again, orange, white and black.

When I place an hybrid pads order, I may get 5-6 orange, 5-6 white, 2-3 black.

Fact is, switching to a clean pad often is good practice, as it is cleaning your pad on the fly after each section.

Pad 'changing' during work also preserves all your pads instead of trashing one after another because of overuse.

Torn pads are not as great as 'like-new' pads.

Go for FG400 and SF4000 from Menzerna,

LSP = Last Step Product, generally the last product you'll use, and can add some protection to your finish, like wax, sealant or coating.

No big jump from FG400 to SF4000 (use it with white pad), it has a decent cut for a finishing polish (4/10 scale), and the finish you will leave using the Hybrid Orange and FG400 will be almost (using the term you just learned) LSP-ready.

Hope that helps,

Kind Regards.

**Skip99** · 10-14-2014, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Tato

Great tips you got from Mike.

To add, if you like using foam pads I'd suggest you to step up your sanding to at least #3000, preferably #5000.

Not that an aggressive foam pad will not remove #2500 grit, but it'll take much more effort, more passes, increasing the risk of overheating the work area.

If you are not in a real hurry / time constraint, the sanding refining worth every millisecond you spend at it.

Although I like the Blue Hybrid pad and see it's role in polishing, I'd highly recommend you to go for the Orange, White and Black.

Also, depending on your car's design, you should take a look at LC 4" backing plate for the Flex (comes in a changeable backing plate kit), and the 5" Hybrids, again, orange, white and black.

When I place an hybrid pads order, I may get 5-6 orange, 5-6 white, 2-3 black.

Fact is, switching to a clean pad often is good practice, as it is cleaning your pad on the fly after each section.

Pad 'changing' during work also preserves all your pads instead of trashing one after another because of overuse.

Torn pads are not as great as 'like-new' pads.

Go for FG400 and SF4000 from Menzerna,

LSP = Last Step Product, generally the last product you'll use, and can add some protection to your finish, like wax, sealant or coating.

No big jump from FG400 to SF4000 (use it with white pad), it has a decent cut for a finishing polish (4/10 scale), and the finish you will leave using the Hybrid Orange and FG400 will be almost (using the term you just learned) LSP-ready.

Hope that helps,

Kind Regards.

Thanks, helps a lot. What would be the best combo for the first cut then, if i stay with foam...orange hybrid and fg400?

**Tato** · 10-14-2014, 01:09 PM

Welcome, feel free to ask if you need more info.

Orange Hybrid and FG400 is a very capable combination.

However, you'll have to work product correctly in order to get the expected results.

My suggestion if for you to spread it over the area (not too large, at least for the test spot), work it with FIRM (but not heavy) pressure keeping the pad compressed flat on the surface.

The arm speed should be slow - and you will do overlapping passes (~50% of your last pass) - side to side, then up / down. You will likely do 4-5 passes this way, then release the pressure and using only the weight of the machine, continue slowly (but not too slow now), and do more 2 passes this way (one time side to side, other up / down). This will help towards finishing your work.

Stop and wipe down residue (which should be a breeze to remove). Inspect your results using a swirl finder light.

I'd suggest for you to start with speed as low as ~3-3.5, but that doesn't necessarily means you cannot / will not need work the product at higher speeds.

After doing the test area with the settings I'm proposing, you'll do fine adjustments in work area size, number of passes, polisher speed, arm speed, pressure, product quantity, etc.

If you wish, after working FG400 and orange pad, you can re-do the section using FG400 on white pad. In the end, you can use SF4000 on black/gray finishing pad.

Otherwise you can go from FG400 on orange directly to SF4000 on white or even gray... everything will depend on the test spot, and how you'll 'solve the equation' before proceeding to work the whole car.

Let us know,

Kind Regards.

**fly07sti** · 10-14-2014, 08:35 PM

FG400 w/ orange hybrid can finish down very well. If there is a little haze left over, SF4000 on a white or black hybrid pad will maximize your shine by removing any haze left from compounding. And if you are really trying to get every last ounce of shine, use SF4500 on gold LC pad to jewel your paint.

Mike Phillips · 10-14-2014, 09:22 PM