rtbiscuit Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I have just purchased a kestrel DAS 6 DA polisher, i know how to use it and what fluids polishes etc that i'm using, but i've hit a stumbling block. my DA will come with a 6" plate, but i'm struggling to work out what size bads to buy for it. this may sound silly, but all the megs ones i've seen are 7" and lots of the pads are resessed, so i don't know if the measurements they give are for the outer diameter or the size of plate they'll fit, i need 3 pads and at 10 quid a pop they aren't cheap so i want to get it right first time. any ideas or suggestions. also i;m looking at the megs pads, and the dodo pads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I can't remember but I'll check in the morning if you haven't found out by then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 They'll fit just fine Rich. Most pads are pretty much a standard size. I keep meaning to invest in the 3M Hex pads as they are meant to be VERY good! I'd also invest in a couple of 'spot pads' and a 1 inch backing plate. Very handy for tighter spots and areas that need a little more attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Pads will usually be one inch bigger than the backing plate. 7" pads for 6" backing plate, 6" pad for 5" backing plate, etc. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 Pads will usually be one inch bigger than the backing plate.7" pads for 6" backing plate, 6" pad for 5" backing plate, etc. etc. ah ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 plan is: - snow foam - wash - dry - clay - dodo lime and prime light (polishing pad) - meguiars ultimate compound (polishing pad) - poor boys black hole glaze (finishing pad) - dodo purple haze pro (apply by hand) - dodo red mist (apply by hand) not sure if i should use a polish pad or a finishing pad for the paint cleaner stage like lime and prime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Changed the order a little for you. That's how I'd do it. I tend to use quite a soft bad for LPL. - snow foam - wash - clay - wash - dry - meguiars ultimate compound (polishing pad) - dodo lime prime light ( light polishing pad) - poor boys black hole glaze (finishing pad) - dodo purple haze pro (apply by hand) - dodo red mist (apply by hand) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RisingPower Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 plan is: - snow foam - wash - dry - clay - dodo lime and prime light (polishing pad) - meguiars ultimate compound (polishing pad) - poor boys black hole glaze (finishing pad) - dodo purple haze pro (apply by hand) - dodo red mist (apply by hand) not sure if i should use a polish pad or a finishing pad for the paint cleaner stage like lime and prime. I wouldn't bother with lime prime light tbh if you're using megs ultimate compound, it's a waste of time. Lime prime light has no corrective agents, it's just good for pre wax Also, don't use wax then red mist immediately, wax needs time to cure, like 24 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 I wouldn't bother with lime prime light tbh if you're using megs ultimate compound, it's a waste of time. Lime prime light has no corrective agents, it's just good for pre wax Also, don't use wax then red mist immediately, wax needs time to cure, like 24 hours. only reason was to use it as a paint cleaner, when i was on the megs seminar they used a paint cleaner before any wax, not to polish but to remove all and any contaminants that the clay may have missed. as for the red mist ontop of wax, i thought this as well, but a pro valet/ detailer on here was doing it at i think the last big meet in wales, and when i asked, he said you can use it straight after waxing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubapics Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 If you are going to use the megs pads then you need to use a 5" disc. Not the 6" one like I did when I got my DA with 5 and 6" discs or you will end up cutting the pads to bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 If you are going to use the megs pads then you need to use a 5" disc. Not the 6" one like I did when I got my DA with 5 and 6" discs or you will end up cutting the pads to bits. really? its a 7" pad it needs an inch space all round? so does that mean i need to find an 8" pad for a 6" backing plate? on i4 detailing they say a 6" backing plate is good for pads from 6"-8" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Rich, I bought the DAS6 a couple of weeks ago. I used the Megs polishing (yellow) and finishing (black) pads. They fit perfectly fine. With regards to the products and order, I have done a write-up on the following thread: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=48935&start=0 With regards to the pads, these are the ones I purchased: http://www.autostyling4u.com/soft-buff- ... p-340.html By the way, how much did the polisher cost you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RisingPower Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Also, don't use wax then red mist immediately, wax needs time to cure, like 24 hours. only reason was to use it as a paint cleaner, when i was on the megs seminar they used a paint cleaner before any wax, not to polish but to remove all and any contaminants that the clay may have missed. as for the red mist ontop of wax, i thought this as well, but a pro valet/ detailer on here was doing it at i think the last big meet in wales, and when i asked, he said you can use it straight after waxing. Mmm, but any contaminants would have been removed by the polish. Point of claying before polishing I believe was to remove anything which could inflict marring. Hmm, just, I heard that it could possibly melt waxes if they haven't cured first? Iunno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 Rich, I bought the DAS6 a couple of weeks ago. I used the Megs polishing (yellow) and finishing (black) pads. They fit perfectly fine. With regards to the products and order, I have done a write-up on the following thread: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=48935&start=0 With regards to the pads, these are the ones I purchased: http://www.autostyling4u.com/soft-buff- ... p-340.html By the way, how much did the polisher cost you? i read your write up a few days ago, i'm a fairly competant detailer, i'm bringing in a machine as the next step as i'm bored of getting a sore arm as for yuor machine you don't state what size backing plate you used with the pads? as for mine i got it for 75.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 Mmm, but any contaminants would have been removed by the polish. Point of claying before polishing I believe was to remove anything which could inflict marring. Hmm, just, I heard that it could possibly melt waxes if they haven't cured first? Iunno. i'm no pro i just go on what the manufacturer was saying, they used megs paint cleaner, but lime and prime is also a paint cleaner. i suppose it bepend son how anal a cleaner you are. i have a load of it sat doing nothing so i suppose it wont hurt to use it up. nothing ventured nothing gained. as for the RM, i tend to leave it about an hour before going over, as its just a sealant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Rich, I bought the DAS6 a couple of weeks ago. I used the Megs polishing (yellow) and finishing (black) pads. They fit perfectly fine. With regards to the products and order, I have done a write-up on the following thread: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=48935&start=0 With regards to the pads, these are the ones I purchased: http://www.autostyling4u.com/soft-buff- ... p-340.html By the way, how much did the polisher cost you? i read your write up a few days ago, i'm a fairly competant detailer, i'm bringing in a machine as the next step as i'm bored of getting a sore arm as for yuor machine you don't state what size backing plate you used with the pads? as for mine i got it for 75.00 Its a 7" pad. Yeah a machine does make life much easier! I'm still in the process of learning detailing methods (still a novice), so you may not agree with my methods listed in that thread. So we paid a similar price for our polishers, I picked mine up for £69.95 including delivery on a bank holiday weekend special offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubapics Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 If you are going to use the megs pads then you need to use a 5" disc. Not the 6" one like I did when I got my DA with 5 and 6" discs or you will end up cutting the pads to bits. really? its a 7" pad it needs an inch space all round? so does that mean i need to find an 8" pad for a 6" backing plate? on i4 detailing they say a 6" backing plate is good for pads from 6"-8" All depends on the pad really. The megs have a lip on them and the disc can cut into them if it is too big as I found out. I did some searching about this and found someone else with the same problem and the recommended suggestion was to use a smaller disc. I gave it a go and that solved my problems. There's no way I will attempt a 6" disc with a 7" megs soft buff pad again. Too expensive. Why do you want to use the black hole glaze? That's for filling swirl/scratches. Isn't the idea of use a machine polisher to remove the swirl marks in the first place? Seems a bit of a waste. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 a DA wont get out every single blemish, so the black hole glaze is to help finish the job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I think the black hole really adds something to the finish. Sure it has fillers however it's also a glaze. My personal opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Yep Black Hole/White Diamond adds depth to the shine, whilst hiding imperfections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 If you are going to use the megs pads then you need to use a 5" disc. Not the 6" one like I did when I got my DA with 5 and 6" discs or you will end up cutting the pads to bits. really? its a 7" pad it needs an inch space all round? so does that mean i need to find an 8" pad for a 6" backing plate? on i4 detailing they say a 6" backing plate is good for pads from 6"-8" All depends on the pad really. The megs have a lip on them and the disc can cut into them if it is too big as I found out. I did some searching about this and found someone else with the same problem and the recommended suggestion was to use a smaller disc. I gave it a go and that solved my problems. There's no way I will attempt a 6" disc with a 7" megs soft buff pad again. Too expensive. Why do you want to use the black hole glaze? That's for filling swirl/scratches. Isn't the idea of use a machine polisher to remove the swirl marks in the first place? Seems a bit of a waste. Jim @ scubapics Errrr, I have a Kestrel with 6" plate and am using the Megs 7" pads with no problem whatsoever, even had the polisher up to speed 5 and no sign of the pad shredding breaking or otherwise. The backing plate sits perfectly in the 6" recess the megs pads have. Perhaps you are applying too much pressure? @ rtbiscuit Be careful with the Megs Ultimate Compound, I've used it before and it can be abrasive. Pick an unseen part of the body work first and rub some by hand rather than with the machine first. Only vehicle I have used the Ultimate Compound on is an Audi (read german hard paint, unlike jap cars) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 cheers BM, it was the ultimate compound they were using on the zed at the megs day and it worked well, what else do you reccomend for a polish to use on something like soft jap paint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I think you got it covered tbh. Only other ones I use are Meguiar's #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish Meguiar's #80 Speed Glaze Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James B Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Think I'm gonna get one of thes ein the next month. Is there an experienced DA using member in the south east that would want to show me whats what for the process when I get one? I mini members workshop if you will.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RisingPower Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I think you got it covered tbh.Only other ones I use are Meguiar's #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish Meguiar's #80 Speed Glaze +1 They're my current favourites on the 350z Menz was ok, but I could never get it leaving the finish the megs seem to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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