da polisher

[Hezz]

looking to get one of these - never had one before

 

basic aim is to get that extra shine out of the car - saw this and thought wow!

 

any advice from the guys in the know whats the best bits to get

[MikeM]

I have the same machine but the sonus kit and polishes. I was told the menzerna polishes are a little hard to use if its your first time machine polishing. Don't forget to wash, clay and wash your car again before using the polisher. Oh and mask up your black trim Seal it all with a decent wax

 

Make sure you start at a low speed before building up speed.

 

Just what i've found out

Edited January 6, 2010 by MikeM

[Hezz]

cheers fella hopefully simonez can stick a bit more info on too

[MikeM]

No worries, also when applying the product to the pad, apply 3 small pea sized amounts in a triangle shape (if that makes sense) the rub the product over the panel before setting off at low speed.

[Tez162003]

first thing, well done for wanting to buy a DA rather than a rotary, much easier to learn with. And less chance of damaging the paint,

 

As for the sonus products, i cant comment, im a Menzerna boy (yes its said menz is affected easily buy the weather/ heat but i find it reasonably consistant)

 

I wont tell you how to do everything on here, but a few tips for you,

 

- when it comes to product, less is more, as you dont want to much there otherwise you wont be able to break it down easily.

- make sure you alway start with the least abrasive pad and polish combo and do a pass or 2, if it dont get sufficient results step up the polish one grade, then pad etc.

- As stated already, make sure the paintwork in fully prepped

- Load the pad, dab arount a 1 - 2 sq ft panel at a time then work it around the panel on low speed (approx 800 - 1000 rpm) then once spread work up speed until about (2000 - 2500rpm) then break down the polish, and then slow speed down for finishing to avoid marring the paintwork etc

 

loads more i could say but theres a start, good luck

[Hezz]

cheers - and bonus the sonus kit is £20 cheaper

[MikeM]

cheers - and bonus the sonus kit is £20 cheaper

 

Small part of the reason i went for it! Plus it has good reviews. SFX-2 smells nice too, bit like coconuts lol

 

What clay etc you using?

[Hezz]

What clay etc you using?

i wasnt going to

[Tez162003]

What clay etc you using?

i wasnt going to

 

for the love of god! learn to prep the paintwork first, otherwise your gunna cause some serious damage to the paint, just imagine the polishing pad pulling out the contaminents in the paint and spinning round on the pad against the paint, you will end up with some serious scratches that may not polish out

[MikeM]

What clay etc you using?

i wasnt going to

 

Lol you need too really to get it nice and smooth. When i used it for the first time i used Meguiars quick clay. Come with quick detailer for lube and clay bar. Strange at first to rub it on the car but the results are amazing!

 

Before:

 

http://www.evo-host.co.uk/getimg/22557.jpg

 

After:

 

http://www.evo-host.co.uk/getimg/22558.jpg

 

And that was just the bonnet

[Hezz]

hmmm fair point chaps but in my defence i'm getting this primarily to polish my gti which i think the paintwork is pretty clean (i've owned it for just over 9 years and polished it alot over that time )

 

best be off to cmc for some clay too will have to learn how to do that now too

[MikeM]

hmmm fair point chaps but in my defence i'm getting this primarily to polish my gti which i think the paintwork is pretty clean (i've owned it for just over 9 years and polished it alot over that time )

 

best be off to cmc for some clay too will have to learn how to do that now too

 

Claying is real easy mate. Just wash the car and dry then spray on some lube (i had meguiars quick detailer) and gently run the clay over the car. Then wash again. Some people leave the car wet after the first wash to use as extra lube for the clay.

 

I will be doing my red gti soon (once the snow stops) and the sonus stuff is good on red. But i won't be using the SFX-1 that comes with it.

[Trig]

Its worth considering the Meguiar's G220 machine too, its a bit lighter and more reliable than the DAS. The weight makes a difference when you are going round a full car.

 

There are alot of different polishes and pads out there, different combinations will give you different results, but Im guessing you aren't too concerned with getting perfect correction of your paintwork, just that bit extra, so look to pick up a finishing pad for whichever machine you buy.

 

After looking at the CYC page, the DAS really is quite cheap. I would probably get the Megiuars kit, but ignore the cutting pad as it isnt the greatest, but their finishing pad is really good and the 2 Megs polishes are better than the Sonus ones. The Menzerna polishes are better still, but their pads are really firm and they break up if your technique doesnt suit the pad. I have some of the Sonus spot pads, but I find them too soft and deep, so I mostly use 3M, but CYC dont stock them.

 

You wont need to polish the car every couple of months, probably only once a year, but you will need to protect your good work, so pick up a wax. Im a big fan of Dodo Juice waxes, but as a starter, you will do well with the Meguiar's #16 paste wax, its cheap and brilliant.

 

But the first thing you need to do is clay the car, you might think it is clean, but you will be surprised at the contaminents that stick to the paintwork and wont come off when washing and polishing. I really like the Meguiars clay that comes as part of the quik clay kit, its a nice clay to work with, not too aggressive, not too mild, and it comes with a bottle of quick detailer to use as the lubricant.

[LiamGTR]

Anyone want to clean my car?

[MikeM]

Anyone want to clean my car?

 

I would do it if you was closer