I'm getting close to finishing up with my first detailing exercise using the PC.

My approach has been -
Wash
Clay
#83 with a white Lake Country Pad on the PC at #5 on the speed dial
#80 with a (different) white Lake Country Pad at #5 on the PC
#21
#26

What I learned is to finish up around sunset - it will look awesome!

Overall I'm happy with it. However, being black it still shows some swirls if certain light hits it the wrong way. Since I have to actually drive the truck I plan to live with them. My questions, for future reference are -

1) Can/Would the #83 remove all the swirls if used properly? Remember I'm only talking about swirls that are visible under specific conditions not ones that jump out at you from 15 feet away

1a) If the answer to 1) is no then what is the next step up the aggression ladder from #83 as far as meg's products go? I see scratchX mentioned but i get the impression that is for spot scratches, not entire panels.

1b) If the answer to 1) is yes please expand on properly in terms of pressure, speed, time etc.

2) Would a more aggressive pad make a visible difference with the 83?

3) How much product should it take for a 2'x2' area? Trying to get a general reference here - like a 4" circle or something, for example.

Thanks

 

I didn't have much luck with #83 and the PC. I think you would be better off with #80 a couple of times. That it is my .02 worth. You need a lot of patience trying to get rid of all swirls.

Kevin

 

#83 is a borderline rotary only product, in my opinion. While good results can be obtained using it with a PC, I very seldom do it anymore. I will usually make two passes with #80, like khindal mentioned.

hard to say if these are the correct products to remove all of your swirls sight unseen, but #80 is a good choice to remove light to moderate swirling.

 

My thoughts for what they're worth.....

- I don't like 83 with PC much either.
- 83 is the most aggressive Megs product for the PC
- ScratchX is less aggressive than 83. While the new formula is PC compatible, based on price per ounce vs 80 bought in a gallon, it doesn't make much sense to use SX on entire panels/vehicles. I like it for quick spot work by hand.
- Yes a more aggressive pad (cutting) would make a visible difference with 83, and probably any other product. You'll see the difference in the form of swirling. I wouldn't use anything more aggressive than a polishing pad on the PC. If you're looking for more polishing power, try out the 4" pads. Smaller pad area = more power.
- As for product usage, I'd say you're in the ball park, I usually use about a 4-5" circle on the pad. Depends slightly on the product, and conditions like temperature, etc.

 

I will third the motion about not really caring much for #83 on a PC. Simply put, the PC doesn't generate enough RPMs/heat to really break the diminishing abrasives in #83 down so that they can be effective. This is typically ampified on a dark paint color by seeing some micromarring and light hazing after working the product. This can typically be remedied by using a product like #80 (or similar) following the #83.

Like the others, I prefer a couple of passes with #80 as it's much easier to work with on a PC.

 

I agree with the others but you can do pretty well with 83 and PC with the right technique. Before I got a rotary I found that with 83 you don’t need as much pressure as you use with 80. You want the pad to spin faster and lighten the pressure even more on the final pass. Do only small sections at a time and after a couple sections clean the pad. 83 will load up really bad so I use snappy clean (or something similar) and rinse the pad out. Then I spin it dry on a rotary or a pc just start slowly.

The last vehicle I polished with 83/PC was a black PT Crusier and I almost had a LSP ready finish after the 83. It really helps to have 8 or 9 pads just for the 83 though. The humidity was low the day I did this one so the slightly damp pads worked great. I still went back over it with the 80 and Megs polishing pad but I did save some time because the paint was in very bad shape.

Good Luck.....

 

Thanks for all the replies. I feel better after hearing that maybe the 83 just wasn't the hot ticket for what I was trying to do. However, I didn't try the low pressure approach that Ticman mentions - I was tending more towards the high pressure approach. I did find the results to be better just taking it real slow with the #80.

That of course begs the question. What to do when there is a mark the #80 won't remove? Keep trying or use another product?

Thanks again!

 

I have a very similar problem on a few spots on my truck. Used Scratch X with Megs white pad, then tried a Lake white pad then went to the Red Megs pad using a combination of SX and PBSSR2.5. They helped but didn't get it out all the way. You cannot see them unless I show you where they are.

To fix them I was told to either use a Wool pad with a high speed but in the same breath I was told if I didn't have much experince working with a high speed and or a wool pad, I could seriously damange the paint.

So my plan is to use the Megs red pad with PB SSR3 and go super slow and highest DA speed until the product breaks down. Check the results and move on.

This is a great thread and its good to see all the great advice from the "real pros" around here.

JP