# Which pads and polish to use



## anyideas (Jan 17, 2010)

Hi All

I am new to machine polishing and have just ordered a dual action polisher, I plan to practice on a couple of panels bought at a local scrap yard.

I have a Nissan Navara and reading some threads on here it seems the paint on these is quite thin. Could anybody please advise me on which pads to use and perhaps some suggestions on polish too? 

Thanks.


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## anyideas (Jan 17, 2010)

Sorry I should have posted this in the right section..


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

I may sound like a broken record here, but my recommendations for starting pads and polishes would be as follows:

Polish wise, I would be looking to go for the Menzerna range of polishes as for me they give the most easily accessible cutting and finishing on a DA polisher. The two main ones I would recommend are: 106FA Final Finish, and 85RD3.02 Intensive Polish and as an option to be used in extreme cases as a last resort, S100 Power Gloss. The S100 should be used with extrreme care, only if needed and ideally a thickness gauge should be on hand to assess removal rates of the other polishes and the thicknesses on the car to start with before using it.

Pad wise, my personal choice for the DA now is the Chemical Guys Hexlogic range as they come in an ideal size (5.5") and have a good balance between stiffness and softness, and available cutting actions (a balance other pad ranges, such as Menzerna IMO, fail to strike). Alternatively, there are the Sonus SFX pads which are a lovely set of foams but a little big comapred to the hexlogic. You want to get yourself a finishing, polishing and cutting pad (couple of each of you can). From Hexlogic, thats black finishing, white polishing and yellow cutting. The black finishing can be used with 106FA for very light correction and refining the finish after more aggerssive correction. The white polishing can be used with either the 106FA for light to moderate correction or with the 85RD3.02 for more severe correction. The yellow cutting pad can be used with the 85RD3.02 for moderate to heavy correction, and as a very last resort with S100 Power Gloss for heavy to severe correction.

As an extra: Don't assume paint hardnesses - its a nice idea in theory to do this, but to me it is terrible and fundamentally flawed practice. Treat every car the same, always assess the paint finish and learn the car without any preconceptions, stick to this and you will not be caught out by a car that surprises you because every man and his dog said the paint was hard, when in actual fact the one in front of _you_ had soft paint


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## Jasonlew (Nov 1, 2009)

hi dave have you ever tried out lake countrys ccs pads ? when i bought my PC it came bundled with these pads i have 4 polishing (2 orange 2 yellow ) one white one Black and one blue and i also have meguiars 105 and 205 

sorry for hijacking your post anyideas but i am also a noob

Thanks in advance


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

Dave KG said:


> I may sound like a broken record here, but my recommendations for starting pads and polishes would be as follows:
> 
> Polish wise, I would be looking to go for the Menzerna range of polishes as for me they give the most easily accessible cutting and finishing on a DA polisher. The two main ones I would recommend are: 106FA Final Finish, and 85RD3.02 Intensive Polish and as an option to be used in extreme cases as a last resort, S100 Power Gloss. The S100 should be used with extrreme care, only if needed and ideally a thickness gauge should be on hand to assess removal rates of the other polishes and the thicknesses on the car to start with before using it.
> 
> Pad wise, my personal choice for the DA now is the Chemical Guys Hexlogic range as they come in an ideal size (5.5") and have a good balance between stiffness and softness, and available cutting actions (a balance other pad ranges, such as Menzerna IMO, fail to strike). Alternatively, there are the Sonus SFX pads which are a lovely set of foams but a little big comapred to the hexlogic. You want to get yourself a finishing, polishing and cutting pad (couple of each of you can). From Hexlogic, thats black finishing, white polishing and yellow cutting. The black finishing can be used with 106FA for very light correction and refining the finish after more aggerssive correction. The white polishing can be used with either the 106FA for light to moderate correction or with the 85RD3.02 for more severe correction. The yellow cutting pad can be used with the 85RD3.02 for moderate to heavy correction, and as a very last resort with S100 Power Gloss for heavy to severe correction.


nice one
i was going to try 3M, but undecided yet.

looking at pads, so i'm either going to opt with 3M polish and corresponding coloured pads.

will be using this on the Megs DA.

but looking for sources of: (are these the one as mentioned, also is it best for 5.5")
Hexlogic
black finishing, 
http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/Hex_Logic_Buffing_Pads_Premium_Pad_Construction_p/bufx_106hex5.htm

white polishing and 
http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/POLISHING_PAD_FOAM_BUFFING_PAD_p/bufx_104hex5.htm

yellow cutting
http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/HEX_LOGIC_Car_Buffing_Pads_Car_Wash_Equipment_Au_p/bufx_101hex5.htm


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

where else sells these, as i hoped to get some menz or 3m polish too


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

if using 3m polish, would chemical guys pads be better option than the 3m?

3m polish:
Fast Cut Plus (50417) - Excellent Medium to Heavy Cut abilities, fast, effective swirl and scratch removal
Extra Fine Compound (80349) - Excellent finishing capabilities with enough bite to remove minor defects
Ultrafina SE (50383) - The lightest abrasive of the three, leaves a perfect finish ready for sealants and waxes, ideal for hologram removal.

say if using:
From Hexlogic, thats black finishing, white polishing and yellow cutting


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

The reason I recommend the Hexlogic pads over the 3M is that on hte DA I find the blue finishing and yellow polishing 3M pads to be a wee bit soft... you apply typical pressure for use with a DA and the pads compress too much for my liking under this where as the Hexlogic pads rtetain their shape far better without going to the silly extreme of the stiff Menzerna pads. 

The ones in the links are the ones that I use most out of the Hexlogic range. They are lasting well in my fleet of pads too, used both on DA and rotary and generally those who use the Hex pads on my machine polishing days speak highly of them too for ease of use for a newbie.

They will work perfectly well with the 3M polishes, or any other polish that I have used with them (Menzerna, Meguiars, Chemical Guys...)


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Jasonlew said:


> hi dave have you ever tried out lake countrys ccs pads ? when i bought my PC it came bundled with these pads i have 4 polishing (2 orange 2 yellow ) one white one Black and one blue and i also have meguiars 105 and 205
> 
> sorry for hijacking your post anyideas but i am also a noob
> 
> Thanks in advance


Yes, I have used them. The foams are nice, but I'm not a huge fan of the CCS design - unlike the Hexlogic and waffle designs also around, I find the little CCS holes can trap some polishes. The pads are fine, and do work well but I don't often use them compared to other pads that I have - in fact, its been a while since I last had them out to be honest.

However, if your PC has come with them, keep them and try them - they are not bad pads, they do work and will deliver good results and the foam itself is a good and has a good balance between stiffness under compression without being overly stiff, and maintaining a good degree of bite where required. Give them a go, see how you get on - if after time you find you don't like them or want to try something new, then I would suggest a switch to the Hexlogic pads or the Sonus SFX flat faced pads.


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

daveKG, thanks. 
think i'll be going for these 3 pads to my collection and main use. i found the menz quite rigid and the megs old ones too soft. i have the g220 with the original fixings, so would you recommend the 5.5" being a good size?

now need to decide on polish LOL


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

i assume with the hex-logic and 3M combination:

From Hexlogic, 

thats black finishing, Ultrafina SE (50383)

white polishing & Extra Fine Compound (80349)

yellow cutting & Fast Cut Plus (50417)

could I use the black pad for use with say black wow PB & wet wet mirror CG ?

i need to shift scratches i have from someone using a car brush and hose method on my car ;-(


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## Jasonlew (Nov 1, 2009)

thanks Dave i will give them a go and in time i will give the hex a logic pads and the sonus pads a try my only regret is that the 3m polishes you guys get over there seems to be different from what is available in the U.S and as such it would require buying from the U.K


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

p1tse said:


> daveKG, thanks.
> think i'll be going for these 3 pads to my collection and main use. i found the menz quite rigid and the megs old ones too soft. i have the g220 with the original fixings, so would you recommend the 5.5" being a good size?
> 
> now need to decide on polish LOL


5.5" are the ideal size for use with a G220, make sure you have the 5" backing plate as bigger 6" plates would be too big - just take a sec to measure it 



p1tse said:


> i assume with the hex-logic and 3M combination:
> 
> From Hexlogic,
> 
> ...


In a manner of speaking, that is the pad use but you can also use Ultrafina on the white polishing pad for example for a little extra bite without stepping up the polish aggression... Yellow top is, for me, the 3M weak link, I'd be tempted to replace that with Menzerna Intensive Polish personally - a little better cut but equivalent finishing ability.



Jasonlew said:


> thanks Dave i will give them a go and in time i will give the hex a logic pads and the sonus pads a try my only regret is that the 3m polishes you guys get over there seems to be different from what is available in the U.S and as such it would require buying from the U.K


Yes it does seem they are different... however, you have other polish manufacturers to choose from and you can get a good range of Menzerna polishes in the US for example.


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## anyideas (Jan 17, 2010)

Hi Dave

thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to post up some results of my first attempt.


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## Jasonlew (Nov 1, 2009)

thank you Dave i have just read that CG are about to launch their polishes in the us and i have noticed that autogeek sells the full line up of menz so i guess i will make do untill i can afford to buy the 3m from the uk to try out as soon as i get time i will also do like anyideas and post my work


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## The Beast (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi Dave,

What pads would you advice for a rotary? Also are flat pads better than for example the CSS from lake country or the CG hexlogic? Does flat pads provide more surface contacts?

Any recommendation on both type?

Thanks!


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

The Beast said:


> Hi Dave,
> 
> What pads would you advice for a rotary? Also are flat pads better than for example the CSS from lake country or the CG hexlogic? Does flat pads provide more surface contacts?
> 
> ...


On the rotary, my personal favourite pad ranges are the 3M and Hexlogic - neither of which are flat. The 3M Polishing and finsihing pads surface will be essentially flay under pressure but will have high and low densirty regions owing to the egg-box style of the pad. The Hexlogic design has shallower hrooves running through it which for meI find run the coolest of my pads and on some types of sticky paint can be an advantage.

The 5.5" sizes of the Hexlogic and 3M pads appeal to me as they mould round conoutrs of many panels very well and suit many contoured panels better than the larger 7" pads do.

Choosing between the 3M and Hexlogic comes down to personal preference - both are very good and work very well. 3M finishing and polishing pads are softer than equivalent Hexlogic pads, which makes them a little easier to mould round contours. But the slightly stiffer Hexlogic pads offer a little more bute and are still suitably soft to be easiyl moulded and the cutting pad (yellow) from Hexlogic is to me a superior pad to the 3M compounding pad. If it was me I would pick and choose the best pads from both ranges and end up with something like: 3M blue finishing, 3M yellow polishing, Hexlogic white polishing, Hexlogic green heavy polishing and Hexlogic yellow cutting.


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

thanks. going to be ordering :
From Hexlogic, thats black finishing, white polishing and yellow cutting

can you post sample pictures of swirled/scratched cars on when to use polishing or cutting pad?


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## Porta (Jan 3, 2007)

I realy like the green hexlogic


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## Dillinger (Jan 7, 2008)

Thanks for all that Great Advice Dave, I think you may need your own section on the forums where we can all ask you questions lol


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## Black Widow (Apr 6, 2009)

Dave's Hotline ;-)


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

Porta said:


> I realy like the green hexlogic


trying to keep my kit to a minimal. so black, white and yellow.

hmm green, where does that fall inbetween? also what polish and polisher do you use?


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

just found out the green falls between the white and yellow, not being so harsh.

need to decide if i need/require the yellow or green more, with my 3M sample polishes on my blue VAG


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

it's been so long since buying my products i don't even remember what i have lol. 

i have hex logic black (finishing), white (polishing) and green (cutting) pads

going to start with white hex logic pad on the car.

i have 3m samples, ultrafine, extra fine, fine and fine cut plus.

anyone know the difference between extra fine and fine? i assume the abbrasive from light would be ultrafine, extra fine and fine. 

once i've done that i will use the black pad with ultra fine for sure and top it up with black wow.


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## Brian. (Sep 21, 2009)

It's been a helpful thread this. After much deliberation i've went from wanting: sonus pads > menzerna pads and now the CG hex logic pads seem like the ideal choice! 

I'm thinking about getting only 2 pads just to learn the ropes with along with a menzerna samples kit. What i'm trying to tackle in the long run is to remove some very light swirls but also tackling a light lacquer scratch or two after a few scrap panel practice runs.

Ideally i want the orange and white pads but seems that people favour the green one highly in this thread? Am I going with the right choices here? So far i've just been judging from the blurbs on the website to link up what i need to use them for 

http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/category_s/51.htm


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

yeah, i was the same until i was reading recommendations.

so went for hex logic. think you're best to add a black finishing one, to give it the final finish gloss

i was going yellow, then read green, so just went with that, as i think it's less harsh/cutting

so with the hex logic combo and menz sample kit, think it will be a good one. i chose 3m, as wanted to try something different, and red good reviews on them too


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## Brian. (Sep 21, 2009)

Cool might go for green and black then. I suppose what's really going to remove the scratches/swirls is the polish!  

I was thinking about a 3M samples pack funnily enough too. Just heard so many good things about the Menz stuff.


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

gave the car a quick go over with white pad and 3m extra fine and fine, some marks were removed but the hologram type ones will be removed by dual action, it will need a rotary. 

tried the green pad and fine cut plus on some heavier scratches. it hit some well, but needs another pass to cut it more, however it needs topping up with the white pad with extra fine for a bit more shine.

black i hope will give it more shine with ultra fine


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

well it was a quick going over, but some good results.

heavier scratches will need some more cut, while the scratches which is caught by angles and light will need another going over. blackwow will probably mask it, but think a rotary will be needed


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## Brian. (Sep 21, 2009)

NOICE results pal. Can't wait to get my stuff soon. Shame my lock-up doesn't have a power supply! :|


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