Good question and sorry about the long reply. :ihih::lol: I dry clean them with a firm brush after I and done a section to remove spent compound and polish. This helps them from getting caked up with dry spent product that clogs the pads, before I add more and polish and compound. After a 2 maybe 3 panels I'd I am doing bumpers I replace the pad with a new one and soak the dirty one in a bucket of cleaner below until I am done the car I am working on. For a MINI use about 4-5 MF cutting pads and 4 Rupes Yellow polishing pads. The cleaner the pad the better the results. Yellow Rupes pads for 1 MINI (Polishing). 2nd step Roof, rear hatch and rear bumper = 1 pad Each side = 2 pads (1 per side) Hood , front bumper = 1 pad Meguiar's. MF DA cutting pads (Cutting) 1st step. https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-DMC5-Microfiber-Cutting-Disc/dp/B004VG0N38/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491143221&sr=8-1&keywords=meguiars+microfiber+cutting+pad For how many I use depends on the car but a good rule is double the yellow pad numbers above because they clog up faster than foam pads and they are cutting not polishing. FYI - if you don't clean your pads frequently while polishing you will see what I call "pigtails" in the finished paint. This is from hardened product or dirt stuck to the pad while using the machine on the paint. Dirty pads kill a nice finish, clean / brunch your pads every time you are adding more product. Chemical Guys CWS_201_16 Microfiber Wash Cleaning Detergent Concentrate (16 oz) https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-CWS-201-16-Microfiber-Concentrate/dp/B001TJXWH4/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&qid=1491141798&sr=8-33&keywords=chemical+guys After I am done with the machine cutting and polishing I take the pads to the driveway and use a hose and scrub, ring them out and rinse them. I let them air dry on a rack in the garage or in the sun on the deck. (No Washer and Dryer) I use the same process for MF cutting and polishing pads.
Thanks! And no need to apologize for a long response. I will never complain about someone taking the time to educate me. Glad to hear about dry brushing them between panels. If not, I was calculating about 7 pads for one session and then figuring I may need that amount for the 5 different types of pads. That would rack up to about $450 in pads... On the other hand that makes the cost of the Duetto polisher seem not so bad in comparison. And to babble more...I'm still waffling between Griots or Duetto. I'd hate to invest in Griots to only decide later I want to upgrade. On the other hand, considering the current shape of the paint on my MINIs, the Griots may do such a great job I'll never care about upgrading. Edit: The Duetto does have the attachment for wet sanding. And I have a lot of rock chips that'll need some attention. I guess that's something to consider as well.
The Rupes Duetto is the tops and the Griots is very close 2nd. Either one will work great. As for sanding with the Duetto, Nope, I would not do it ever with a machine unless I was prepping something for paint. I always wet sand paint by hand and check my work along the way with a quick wipe from a squeegee to check the progress of my work. All anyone needs is wet sand paper (3000 grit) , a foam sanding block to keep everything level. Just cut the paper to wrap around the block , dunk it in a bucket of soapy water with your sponge and go to it. I keep an sponge in the buck to wet the area then start sanding. I keep a spray bottle of soapy water in one hand and spray the area as I am sanding when it gets a little dry. This allows me to keep sanding without reaching back in the bucket for the sponge over and over when working on a roof or something high. Also dunk or wipe the paper often to make sure I don't have anything stuck to the paper which could be making marks on the paint. Slow and steady is the key and always checking your progress along the way.
Ordered a Porter Cable yesterday from WalMart, sorry Autogeek. Comes as part of a kit. They had a special 20% discount over the weekend. $124, + free shipping. Will do as a "starter".
I have a Harbor Freight dual action polisher. It has the same speed control as the Griots polisher for a fraction of the price of the Griots polisher. It's on sale right now for $70.
Make sure you get a quality backing plate for your DA's. Don't use the one with the white pad comes with the Portal Cable 7424 XP DA. The one I use is the Griots is below and it works for all foam and MF pads. It is strong and last forever. http://www.remtechdetailingsolutions.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/Backingplate5inchsuperpremiumChe-2.jpg http://www.detailedimage.com/Lake-Country-M7/Backing-Plate-for-Porter-Cable-7424-P56/125-mm-S2/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BQVF8J0/ref=twister_B01J2QVTI4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
What do you do for any tight spots... do you just work by hand, or do you use a smaller pad/backing plate?
Received my Porter Cable 7424 kit from Autogeek yesterday, and it included 5 Lake Country pads. 2 red, and 1 each of white, blue, and orange.
Hi guys. I am having a problem with the kamikaze miyabi coating... Not going well, its pretty thick and seems to set in like 3 seconds so I literally have no possible way to wipe off and buff. Feels like I am rubbing the panel with an elastic band instead of a micro fibre cloth when I try to buff it. Any suggestions/solutions I could try?
Hi Uros, Sorry I did not see your post as I am on vacation in Florida until Friday. From reading your post is sounds like you are either putting on too little or applying to very large sections or working in very hot conditions. Make sure you are applying is a cool dry area and not applying to a hot panel in the sun. The coating will dry really fast in the heat and on a hot panel. Also make sure if you are working in high heat conditions you make your application area smaller. You can’t apply to an entire hood or even half a hood you have to work is smaller sections like 14X14 or 12x12. Example, for my MINI R53 hood I break it up into 6 sections or 9 sections when it is really hot out and by hot I mean 80 degrees and above. Here is a link on how to apply. Here is another video of a guy coating a Blue MINI. *Note* he is in a low humidity Air Conditioned shop. That is why he can appply to large areas and let is dry for such a looooong time before wiping down the area he coated.
Okay, I love the the stuff going on here. However, I don't have the time and/or patience to do this work myself. How do I find a local detailer/shop that uses these products? I know it won't be a "cheap" detail but sounds like it would be worth the $$$ for the quality products and the man hours needed to do it correctly.
Look up Auto Detailer’s in your area and ask them what coatings they use. Stay away from shops CQuartz and other lower end products. Look for a shop that uses Gyeon Products or Kamikaze. My best advice is contact Todd at Esoteric in Ohio and see who he has trained and certified in your area. He trains Detailer’s all over the country. Todd, owner of Esoteric, is a very high end Detailer’s and runs a 2 day Detailer’s academy that trains shops employees and certifies them with Gyeon and Kamikaze. https://www.esotericcarcare.com/contact-us/ Here is the Esoteric YouTube channel with lots of great information and reviews of the products they use and sell. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC_VTADI0mH-WIq25oZWmQEg
@Dave.0 I have a bit of prior experience coating so I did make sure to prep correctly and apply in good conditions. My best guess so far is that the solvent may have evaporated in transit or before leaving me with something that is just too thick... so no idea if possible to salvage but I'd prefer if anyone knows of a way to do this instead of having to hassle with returning etc. I tried applying in very small sections and I mean its possible but thats gonna be hell for the whole car and I think no way I'll be able to cover it properly doing 6x6 inch sections or something
I can’t speak for @Dave.0 and this is his realm. However, It sounds like you are doing small sections and I assume the panels are cool per his previous comments. Maybe it would help if you posted a few pics or even a quick little video of you applying so he can see what’s happening. I have a feeling it will be hard to diagnose without “seeing” it.. Again, not my area of expertise... so could be wrong.
I recently picked up this kit when it was on sale on Autogeek. Just need to find the time and money to hand it off to my detail guy. I’m printing this thread out to give him for direction on using the products. I have zero experience with them personally. I’m going strictly on Dave’s recommendation. Wish I could get it done before the IMSA race this weekend, but that’s not gonna happen.
Who,did you buy Kamikaze from? If it was from Todd at Esoteric they are very understanding and will help you out the best they can. Give them a call.