First polishing experience with the Flex 3401

Hi,

I'm very new to the detailing world and just bought a Flex 3401 (dual action). Here's the paint under 2x 250w bulbs:




Here's what I bought:
1x Flex 3401
2x Grit Guard Bucket Insert
1x Riccardo Clay Lubricant
2x Lake Country CCS 6.5" Blue
2x Lake Country CCS 6.5" Orange
2x Lake Country CCS 6.5" White
10x Tornado Buffing Towel
2x 100% Sheepskin Mitt
1x Poorboy's Super Slick & Suds Wash
2x Snappy Clean Foam Pad Cleaner
Trim tape

1x Riccardo Clay
1x Menzerna SIP
1x Menzerna Nano
1x Poorboy's EX-P
1x Poorboy's Natty Blue

I was wondering...
1) With the SIP, what speed/pad should I start with? My initial plan was speed 5 and white pad, followed by speed 5 and orange pad if it doesn't work, followed by speed 6 and orange pad with slightly more pressure if it doesn't work.
2) With the Nano, what speed/pad should I start with? My initial plan was speed 5 and white pad.
3) What about the sealant & wax? With the 3401 or by hand?
4) I saw some videos on youtube with the PC, they suggest making reallllly slow movements up-down-left-right to ensure that the polish breaks down. Since the 3401 is different, I guess the rule is also different? What's the optimal movement speed for each phase?

Thank you!
Regards,
Yan

 

I'm at the same stage as you, just ordered my stuff and don't know how to start - so I'm waiting to heat what ppl reply.

Anyhow, I read some where that speed 2.5 or 3 on the FLEX is similar to speed 5 on the PC. So I was going to following the youTube references that say to run the PC at 5 or 6 to work the polish in moving 1 inch per second w/ 50% overlap. Since I'll be using the FLEX I'll just use setting 3 instead, once I get comfortable I might move up to a higher speed.

btw: I'm going to test things out on my Jeep first b/f moving to my BMW.

 

Here's what I found about the 3401...

I'm worried about speed 6 being too aggressive.

 

here's a reference to the thread containing the chart I was talking about

http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/f17/flex-vs-pc-table-1100.html

Max speed on the PC is 6, OPM of 6000, the Flex at 3.5 has an OPM of about 6000.

Max speed on the Flex is 6, OPM of 9600

My biggest worry is going at a high speed and drying out the polish too much. Despite that recommendation you found, I'm still gonna stay at 3.5 until I feel comfortable.

 

I agree that slower is better to learn, but eventually I think speed 6 should be used to make full use of the potential. Even if the polish breaks down much faster at speed 5 or 6, it doesn't mean you did wrong.

Most people agree that using the full potential (speed/power) of the 3401 gives a deeper / glossier finish than a perfectly exploited PC with the same products/pads.

 

For your reference, these are the notes I gathered from searching multiple web sites. btw: The recommendation you found suggesting two passes of nano w/ two different pads is the first I've heard doing that.

Your finish is a bit more marred then mine, you might want to use a more aggressive pad w/ the SIP like the yellow pad then the orange I plan to use.

I'm gonna error on the non-aggressive side (pads, speed, etc) - worst that can happen is after using SIP the first pass I find I didn't get much of the marring off, then I'll repeat w/ a more aggressive pad and speed. And by then I will have learned how to handle the Flex better.

5.5 Low Profile Orange Light Cutting Pads
use w/ menzerna SIP
nickel dime polish for 18 x 18 inch section
blot / rub polish from pad onto surface b4 turning on buffer to avoid splattering
start Flex at level 1 and move quickly
then up it to 3 or 4 and moving 1 inch per second over lapping 50%
just b4 poilish breaks down drop to 1 and do one last pass to minimize hazeing
3 – 5 mins until broken down
as polish breaks down lighten up the pressure and increase movement
remove w/ microfiber towel

CCS White 6.5 Inch Polishing Foam Pads
use w/ menzerna 106FF
blot / rub polish from pad onto surface b4 turning on buffer to avoid splattering
start flex at level 1 and move quickly
then up it to 3 or 4 and moving 1 inch per second over lapping 50%
just b4 poilish breaks down drop to 1 and do one last pass to minimize hazeing
3 – 5 mins until broken down
when almost broken down lighten pressure to shine
all scratches, spider webs should be gone
remove w/ microfiber towel

CCS Blue 6.5 Inch Finessing Foam Pad
use w/ jetseal 109 (sealant)
speed 1 or 2
no pressure, just weight of machine to spread wax
do not work in
remove w/ MF towel

CCS Blue 6.5 Inch Finessing Foam Pad
use w/ wax (some recommend waxing by hand)
speed 1 or 2
no pressure, just weight of machine to spread wax
do not work in
remove w/ MF towel or with MF bonnet over wool bonnet and flex

 

I did my first test tonight on a small section... WOW, the Flex really rockz. :worship2:

1) Clay. I'm not too convinced of this step, the paint felt the same before and after. I'm not sure if I did it properly.
2) SIP. I started with the white pad at speed 4.5. The results weren't very good, still 30% scratches remaining.
3) SIP try #2. I used the orange pad at speed 6, with a bit more polish. WOW! 0% scratch remaining.
4) Nano polish. I used the white pad at speed 6 with a decent amount of polish. It came out really nice.

Here's the result before the sealant and the wax:


Not bad for a first polishing experience ever!

Some questions...
1) Is there a video on how-to clay?
2) I don't have pad cleaner yet. What's the best "home solution" to clean pads?

Thank you.

 

very nice result there. :applause:.

 

Great job on the paint correction!

 

Xcessiv, that is sweet - congrats !!

YouTube - How to Clay Bar

I'm not a big fan of claying either. I took the advice to cut the bar into 6 pieces using one piece each for the hood, roof, trunk and 2 pieces for each side. Work a piece into the size of a small pancake, place it on your finger tips and rub. If you find your finger going through the clay then you are pushing / rubbing too hard.

Someone advised me to use regular dish detergent in a bucket and let them soak for a while, just go light w/ the soap, rinse them well and let them air dry. I think this is ok for the pads you are using for polish, but don't think its good for pads used for sealant and wax.

Couple of questions for you:

- how long did it take for the polish to break down at speed 4.5 and then at 6 ?
- how fast did you move the flax - 1 inch per second ?

 

Hot damn, great job correcting those swirls!

 

wow good job.. blacks are always a good thing.. about claying.. what type of lube are you using? dont be cheap on spraying lube...i always wash the car after claying and trust me, big difference on texture.. so silky smooth...

 

Looks great

 

Yesterday, I ordered some Micro-Restore Microfiber Detergent (32oz), which apparently works well with pads. I'll give it a try.

At speed 4.5, I had less polish so it took around 2 minutes for a 1 x 1' area.
At speed 6, I had around 1.5 to 2 dimes of polish on a already primed pad so it also took 2 minutes for the same surface.

I first moved the Flex 1 inch per second for 2-3 passes and slowly increased the speed. At the end, just before breaking down the polish, it was around 2 to 3 inches per second.

The polish breaks down really easily with the flex, it takes 4-5 seconds with a micro fiber.

 

I'm using the Riccardo clay and Riccardo lube from eshine.ca, Riccardo was a recommended brand.

I'll give it another try! My first clay test gave a "flat black" paint finish and felt about as smooth as before. So it looked even worse hehehe.

 

One more question. Can I:
- polish this weekend
- leave the car in a garage 1 week
- then seal / wax 1 week later?

Will the job be as good or if I should avoid leaving the car polished without any protection?

 

I would think you would be OK doing that.....Just be sure you wash it before you start your LSP.

 

that is perfectly fine.. like he said...wash it.. if you have foam gun let the sud sit there for 5 min and rinse softly...and while you are drying it use QD to lubricate your MF to reduce any potential swirls or defect which i highly doubt but I like to the be in the safe side and not worry about it.

about claying, if your paint doesnt have rough finish ,, no need to clay, you can even feel it by your palm others recommend a zip bag on your hand. You dont have to clay the whole car, just pick rough spots like lower body panels and usually hood also.. I used CG clay with CG lube and it work beautiful.. you can see my post and i picked up lots of dirt from it.....

 

I'm surprised so many ppl recommend washing after polishing, but i'll defer to those w/ more experience.

i would be nervous about washing an unprotected car. you're bound to create a few scratches and some water spots that will then be sealed under your sealant / wax.

 

Many detailers wash cars post polishing to remove polish oils and dust and to make LSP adhere better. If proper washing technique was done (air drying/MF waffle weave/filter/QD), there shouldnt be any problem. I let the hose flow freely, air dry hard spots, qd spray while drying and its perfect to none.