I just picked up a new PC, but after reading though all the post I can stand, I'm still no closer to knowing how to pick a good pad/compound setup. As I understand it, the agresiveness depends on the balance between these two components. I am also a little lost as to how many different pads and compounds i need, as far as i can tell, a heavy/polish/finishing compounds and buffing wheels should be sufficient, but as i look through various sites there are all sorts of kits with upwards of 6 pads...

This will be the first time it will be polished, so I'm looking to get rid of some of the orange peel from the factory as well as a few light scratches. On the same note, will I need to use the heaviest compound/pad to get ride of the orange peel, or will the medium/polishing agressiveness work? (in other words, do i need to cover the entire care in the tuffest compound?)

Looking for any guidance the community can provide.

Thanks

 

welcome to our board!! its your board now- we welcome new folks here!

as for your post...

got pics?

cure for real orange peel is cut and buff (wetsand), not just a polish solution...
some good info here
http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/101...range-peel.html

swirls and light scratches are polish solutions.

 

It all depends on the product you buy. Not all compounds will use the same pad. Autogeek and Properautocare will tell you which pad to use with the right product:

http://autogeek.net/menzerna-powergloss-compound.html

http://properautocare.com/blscreclfipo.html

As far as orange peel, you might have to wetsand.

 

The type of polish and pad would depend on the condition of the finish. There are many good quality brands of polish that can be found online. I started out on Pinnacle XMT polish. I have a boatload of pads ranging from 6 1/2 inch, to 5 1/2 inch and as small as 4 inches. They range from the Grey and Blue finishing pads, to White for polishing, to Orange for light cutting and the Yellow cutting pad from Lake Country.

The type of pad and polish would depend on the type of defects on the finish. If this is your first time buffing with a machine, don't plan on removing any serious defects anytime soon.

Depending on the polish/pad combo you use, you could wind up gouging the paint. Plan on some basic polishing, then eventually, you will hone your polishing skills.

As far as removing orange peel, this is something that can ONLY be done by a true professional and involves wet sanding. Also, todays factory paint is WAY too thin to be removing any orange peel.

 

http://autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/index.php

http://www.autogeekonline.net/


This will keep you busy for a long, long time

 

I have never had to deal with orange peel.

As far as polishing compounds, I use poorboy's world and one from meguiars (until it runs out).

As far as pads, I have 4 different kinds, heavy cut, medium cut, light cut (white), and grey for applying sealants.

Your buffer isn't only meant for scratch removal/ paint correction. You car use it to apply/remove waxes, sealants, and glazes as well.

I know it sounds like a lot of info, but once you get the hang of it, having a PC will make detailing easier on your hands/elbows/etc.

Good luck

 

as for pads, my favs are edge- they quick connect and you can turn them over...

pad info from our sponor (note that his sale for us ends tomorrow)

http://www.detailersdomain.com/index.asp?P...CATS&Category=9

make sure that you get the pads for the right machine- i made the mistake of wrong pads when i ordered my first edges...

 

Thanks for all the information!

The sites linked really filled in some knowledge gaps

Since I couldn't get ahold of any pads/compound today, I went ahead and got some other detailing pains out of the way. I pulled all the wheels and cleaned them inside and out (what a differance, really makes the wheels pop) which was a HUGE chore... a couple years of road grime didn't give in without a fight.

Being as the wheels where off, I detailed the wheel wells (It really is amazing just how much dirt can cake in there) and also freshed up the wheel well undercoating, which again had a stunning visual effect. After all that, it got a good wash/clay/wax, as well as leather treatment, interior detail, and rainx.

An all day event to say the least.

My girlfriend now has probable cause to have me commited!

Can't wait to see her reaction when finally get the PC up and running.

 

got pics??

if you can get some pics of either your process or your clean car and post em up, all you gotta do then is pm me so we can badge you as one of us!!

 

my gf actually called the insane asylum... it was very hard to explain why I was out in the garage all day in my underwear with a power tool buzzing, but in the end it all worked out. lol. JK of course.

welcome to the board, i'm new too, but learning very quickly. these guys are great!