not "cutting" it

Aekon said:
accumulator, about the flex 3401, thats also an orbital like the PC, correct? is it that much better than the PC that it works as well as a rotary? you said you hadnt picked up a rotary since getting your flex. i like the safety that comes with the orbitals... as a noob im less worried about burning and such.
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The diff with the Flex 3401 is that both motions, the oscillation *and* the rotation, are powered. Most such polishers (e.g., the PCs) do not have *driven* rotation, but rather freewheeling; pressure can interfere with that and then the machine merely "jiggles" because all you have going on is the oscillation.



Yeah, that makes *all* the difference and the Flex is in a whole 'nother league compared to the PC/Cyclo/etc.



No, the Flex isn't quite the same as the rotary and the rotary has some abilities that the Flex won't match. But none of that has mattered to me and I haven't needed the added capability of the rotaries. With the vehicles I work on, the Flex is plenty capable and to be honest I simply don't like using my rotaries so I won't reach for one unless it's the only way to get the job done properly.



It's not like I'm putting my rotaries up for sale, but they really are just gathering dust since I got the Flex.
 
If you're still open for suggestions - I like Menzerna:

Get Power Gloss, SIP, IP and FFII and you'll be set, more expensive than a sample of 105 from ADS, but I doubt you'll be needing anything else and you'll have a product for just about all situations. Oh, use LC 4" pads - orange for correction and white for polishing. Works for me.
 
thanks for the input guys.



i was thinkin of tryin the menzerna, but apparently the 105 still cuts better. since cut seems to be my problem, i think ill try that first. its also a bit cheaper than the menzerna, at least where i get it from anyway.



i with id know about the flex before i bought the PC. so far its been a good machine, but the flex sounds better. sometimes if im pushing hard i wonder if the PC is still spinning or just vibrating, but i always figured it was just an optical illusion.... though i guess its possible that it ISNT spinning? thats kinda crappy.
 
Aekon- Use a Sharpie/etc. to make a mark on the pad, somewhere that you can see when it's in use. Try to keep that mark rotating.
 
The M105 will definitely cut. Just remember, it doesn't use diminishing abrasives like Menz, so the technique will be different. I've been struggling with it drying up VERY quickly so I've really only been using it strictly for small spot treatments. I've had great success with Menz. Ease of use is outstanding.
 
is there anything that can be done to reduce the dusting aspect of the 105? maybe mix it with a dab of another compound that doesnt dust?
 
Meguiar's doesn't recommend mixing products or using a wetting-agent but if you decide to then they suggest to use M34 Final Detail which is a body Shop Safe quick detailer sans extra ingredients used in non-body shop safe quick detailers.





:)
 
KG21 said:
The M105..doesn't use diminishing abrasives like Menz, so the technique will be different. I've been struggling with it drying up VERY quickly so I've really only been using it strictly for small spot treatments..
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I wonder if you're priming the pad sufficiently :think:



I find the M105/M205 twins to be about the most user-friendly products of their kind *ever*, they just *work* for me.



Aekon said:
is there anything that can be done to reduce the dusting aspect of the 105? maybe mix it with a dab of another compound that doesnt dust?
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People (myself included) used to mix OCP with Hi-Temp Extreme Cut to increase the work time. Some had thought it might help with the (H-T EC's) dusting too, but it didn't really work out that way, at least for me; IME the product that dusts will dust no matter what you add to it.



I fear that adding stuff to these products, esp. a diminishing-abrasive product, to M105/M205 would make things unpredictable.



..of course they would suggest their own product [like #34], haha
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Heh heh, I'm as cynical as the next guy about stuff like this, but #34 is about the "cleanest" QD I can think of, and it works well for a lot of things that other QDs would mess up. About the only time I use #34 is when I'm doing correction, and I use a lot of it. IMO it's something worth having around just for things like this.



I've used it to reactivate M105, with good results, but I can see a lot of potential problems and it might be in the "don't try this at home, kids" category.
 
how do you prime your pads accumulator? i was working with a 4" LC yellow pad, and i just used it out-of-the-box, as it were, and after a couple hrs, it was starting to rip.



i was then told i had been using it wrong, and i shoulda moistened it 1st, and also probably not pressed so hard on it.
 
interesting. i usualy just put some on the pad, dab it arcoss the work surface till its evenly distributed, then turn the machine on low and spread it.
 
Yeah, I do it the same way Kevin Brown does it. I often even prime this way with diminishing-abrasive products, I just don't use a much product.
 
so i finaly got some 105/205 and that made all the difference. i couldnt believe it. as i stated at the beginning that i had worked on an Infiniti SUV and couldnt touch the clear... well that changed with the 105!



since it was my friends truck i was trying to make it perfect, so i only did a few passes of the 105 with a yellow pad, but i was amazed how well just 2 light passes worked.



i also put a peice of tape on the backplate to monitor how fast it was actualy spinning, and was appualed to find that with even LIGHT pressure, the PC almost stops spinning completely. i can only image how much easier working with a FLEX would be.



but, i feel a bit more confident now, knowing that i have the right tools to make the PC a bit more aggressive. ill be interested for the next car i do to compare it to my previous times. i usualy come in at around 5.5 to 6hrs to do a car (usualy subarus), so if i can get it down under that, then maybe i could actualy start doing 2 cars a day!



thanks everyone for their product recommendations and suggestions!
 
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