[psnt1ol]

Ok... It is a general guide to always use the least aggressive approach to get the job done. The amount of clear on your car is finite and every time you compound the car... you are taking layers off your car. Most vehicle paint film systems (127 - 178 µ) which comprise a Primer coat of 2Mils (50 µ) and a Colour coat of 1-2Mils (25 -50 µ) and Clear coat 2-3Mils (50 - 75 µ). To put it another way, normal paper is about 100 microns so the average new car has a total thickness of just over one sheet of paper.

I would recommend you try an approach that is less aggressive first prior to M105. Look into a medium polish like Menzerna SIP , BlackFire SRC, or my current favorite CarPro Fixer. CarPro Fixer is a polish that is pad dependent so you could elevate the aggressiveness by simply changing the pad to a more aggressive one.

For over the counter, try Meg Ultimate compound and Polish. It is much more forgiving on your first time out with a DA.

I hope this helps.... Good Luck.

[dhanni848]

Thank you very much for the info as always!!

Would it be ok for me to start with the M205 with a more abrasive pad an then go from there?

[psnt1ol]

Originally Posted by dhanni848

Thank you very much for the info as always!!

Would it be ok for me to start with the M205 with a more abrasive pad an then go from there?

That is a good start. Start with the polishing pad and if that is not enough....move up to a light cutting pad. If this still not coming out to your liking then you can start thinking about the compound.

To give you an idea of the correction power of M105.... here are some shots of a car I did a while back.

Before:




After:





Good Luck.

[dhanni848]

Thank you and that lambo is sick!!! You have helped out.

[dhanni848]

So I did a test on my trunk this Saturday. I did A clean/dry, clay bar, and M205 with just a finishing pad. I think I need to do my polishing pad and then the finishing pad and it would get the car looking great.

My only issue was that I did get some halogramming when I was done. It's not bad but is noticeable. How can I keep from getting this? Did I work the M205 too long?

[psnt1ol]

Originally Posted by dhanni848

So I did a test on my trunk this Saturday. I did A clean/dry, clay bar, and M205 with just a finishing pad. I think I need to do my polishing pad and then the finishing pad and it would get the car looking great.

My only issue was that I did get some halogramming when I was done. It's not bad but is noticeable. How can I keep from getting this? Did I work the M205 too long?

First of all.... did it remove the defects???? My feeling is that it didn't. Wipe down the panel with a IPA solution ( 1 : 10 distilled water) to remove the oil from the polish and you will see the true nature of the your panel.

If it didn't then go to the polishing pad and try again. How many passes did you make???? M205 is a SMAT product so you could stop any time you feel appropriate. I normally would do the last 2 passes at the end with no pressure and slightly faster arm movement to minimize the effect you are referring to.

Again... Good Luck.

[dhanni848]

Ok I will try that!

It got the swirls but not some of the finer scratches that I can't feel with a fingernail.

I did 8 passes left to right and 8 north and south alternating. Then I wiped really lightly with a MF towel. I had good pressure on the first couple passes, lightened up on the next 3, an almost none on the last 2.

[psnt1ol]

I didn't think it would be enough to take all the defects out.

If I am reading this right.... you did 16 sectional passes. Generally 6-8 would be enough. How long did it take you to do that many passes and how big was your working area? Is the product drying up on you?? Your arm speed should be around 1 sec per inch with firm pressure on the first 4-5 passes. The last 1-2 should be faster than that with almost no pressure.

Good Luck and remember to have fun doing it.

[dhanni848]

Working area was half of the trunk. It didn't seem to dry up at all. I went faster than 1" per sec though. I will give that a try. Have some time to possibly do the entire car Saturday morning so hopefully I can get at it.

Trust me I have too much fun cleaning my car

[psnt1ol]

Originally Posted by dhanni848

Working area was half of the trunk. It didn't seem to dry up at all. I went faster than 1" per sec though. I will give that a try. Have some time to possibly do the entire car Saturday morning so hopefully I can get at it.

Trust me I have too much fun cleaning my car

For corrections, you want a smaller work area while polishing could be slightly larger. Try to do 1/3 of the trunk and see how it comes out. If the product is drying up on you, a squirt of distilled water with a sprayer on the pad will reactivate it.

With your machine, this is a time consuming process. You are probably looking at a 5-6 hours process (possibly more if you are doing a multi-steps correction) with this is being your first time out. This is what I would recommend to make it more palatable. Once you define the appropriate approach (which product, which pad, how many passes per section,etc) for the entire car and validate it through your test spots, do "start to finish" a panel at a time. You would correct and polish then apply your LSP a panel at a time. This way you could work on your car in sessions through the week or weeks rather than doing a all-or-nothing marathon.

Like always.....Have fun and good luck.

[Detailers Domain]

Originally Posted by dhanni848

Hello all. I have been detailing my vehicles forever and love doing it. I am planning on getting a better polisher this week (http://www.harborfreight.com/power-t...her-69924.html) and would like a good wax that will remove some deeper swirls. I will be getting the different stages of pads so that it sands a little. As you can see I am going to harbor freight so I don't have a lot of extra money. I would like some solid polish/wax and sealant without spending a ton of money. Thanks in advance!

do you have a photo of the car you are working on?

close ups on the imperfections etc.

I would consider a Griots Random Orbital

[Likwid]

I also use the Harbor Freight DA polisher and m105/m205 and have had great results. The key is to be very patient. Don't be surprised if it takes a week to complete the entire car instead of just a day. I still have not completed my entire car, and I started a couple weeks ago.

[ricerider187]

Originally Posted by Likwid

I also use the Harbor Freight DA polisher and m105/m205 and have had great results. The key is to be very patient. Don't be surprised if it takes a week to complete the entire car instead of just a day. I still have not completed my entire car, and I started a couple weeks ago.

what about 6" backing pad and 6.5" polishing / cutting pads?

I also want to buy the HF DA --- only 48$ now

[MetsFan]

For those of you getting the HF DA, here's a 5" backing plate for it for $10. It just came back in stock on Amazon and cheaper too:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1