| JonWeatherhead |
Ok, I just ordered the sonus SFX polisher kit with PC. And I am leaning towards going the Zaino route (you guys have been pretty convincing). I have read up on which color pads to use with which products but am not finding much info if your going to use the Zaino lines. Their applications page doesn't really talk about using a PC. So what is the process?
I just bought a used 02' MDX. White with some light swirls and finger nail scratches around the door handles. Here is what I was thinking of doing but need help filing in the blanks.
1. Wash with blue dawn.
2. Blow dry.
3. Clay bar wi Z-7 mix as lube.
4. Wash with Z-7, blow dry, towel whats left.
5. apply Z-1 with _______ colored pad, without wiping it off.
6. apply Z-5 with _______ colored pad, let dry, take off with MF towel.
7. apply Z-6 with _______, then wipe off with MF towel.(repeat step 6 and 7 until no more swirl marks or tiny scratches).
8 apply Z-2 Pro with _______ colored pad, let dry, wipe off with MF towel.
I think I have the process right (though I'm not sure). I just don't know what colored pads to use. ,
BY THE WAY: Anyone seen any good pics of what a zaino finish looks like on a white vehicle? I'm sure it won't look as good as black but I would love to see how good it can look if polished right.
Thanks in advance guys. |
|
|
| Fabvsix |
| It wouldn't hurt to call Sal Zaino and get his opinion as Z5 works best with dark colors to remove spider webs etc.....not too sure about white however.....Call him..... |
|
|
| JoganJani |
This is how I had used it in the past.
The products and tools
- Porter Cable 7424 dual action (random-orbit) polisher (PC)
Sonus DAS Pads and bonnet
--- Green foam pad to remove minor swirl marks (light cutting pad used with Z-PC) and
--- Blue foam pad for polishing (to apply Z2) and
--- Buffing Bonnet to remove polish
Zaino product line
--- Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover
--- Z18 Clay Bar,
--- ZFX Flash Cure Accelerator Additive
--- Z-2 Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes
--- Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray
--- Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal
--- Z-12 Clear-View Glass Polish
--- Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss
- Dawn dish washer soap, if you are using Z-PC, then dawn wash is not needed and your regular car shampoo can be used.
- 3M masking tape
- Stoner Tarminator
- Never Dull to polish exhaust tips.
Washing Accessories:
- Two 5 gallon buckets; one for wheels and one for paint surface, wheel and tire brushes,
- 100% cotton towels
--- small one for washing
--- small one for buffing in between coats with Z6 and Z8 at the end
--- beach size for drying
--- California WaterBlade
Procedure
Wash, clean, clay and dry
- Rinse and use bug and tar remover (Tarminator) to get rid of bugs, tar and sap.
- Wash with dawn and water and rinse. DO NOT dry car as yet.
- Mix water with Z7 (or any lubricator came with your clay bar system) in a spray bottle and then spray on 6" x 6" area and clay bar to lubricate and move clay bar on it till all the contamination are picked up and the area is as slick as it can be. You will know this when the clay moves smoothly on the surface. Do all the car with this process checking for cleanliness of clay bar in between. If the clay is dirty knead it in a ball and flatten it again to get a clean surface.
- Wash car again with water and dawn. You can use any car washing soap you want which goes with your polishing system.
Note: Dawn is not good for every wash. I've used dawn only three times in two years before I do full detail.
- use waterblade to get most of the water off the car
- Dry with the leaf blower and bloat with cotton towel. It helps with leaf blower to blow water from out of behind mirror, license plates, grill, trunk and doors. Use 100% white cotton towels to dry remaining water left behind. Do not let water evaporate at all since it will leave water marks.
- I store car in garage after this process to dry fully.
Cutting Polish to remove swirls
- move around the car to see for problem areas with minor scratches and swirls
- put a green light cutting (orange if more swirls and oxidation is spotted) pad on the PC backing plate
- apply Z-PC in a circular ring 1" from the outside edge or in star shape up to the edge
- dab on the paint surface at the various spots in 2' X 2' area
- put the PC on the surface and start with 4K RPM
- apply very little or no pressure just to control the PC
- move with a swift motion all over the selected area with 50% overlapping the previous pass do this till you work the product you applied on the pad. Do all the pass back and forth and up and down. This is needed to get rid of swirls. and this motion can only be done with the dual action polisher not with hand.
Polishing
- prepare z2 or z5 with ZFX and shake well for 3 mins then keep aside till you get your pad / PC
- shake polish again and apply Z2 or (Z5 your choice) to pad and apply evenly. I applied one coat with the Blue buffing pad and applied evenly on the paint surface with PC.
- wait 30 mins
- buff with towel or MF bonnet on PC
- spray Z6 and wipe with cotton towel folding in between wipes
- do the polishing process again
I applied one coat with PC and then applied one with hand to get in between tight areas. I will apply another coat tomorrow morning so it will be ready for winter rains.
Tips:
- never let your hose brush on the paint surface
- I rinse my wash towel every time with jet nozzle before I dip it back in soapy water to get any dirt off of it rather the bucket.
- I never rotate my towels while wiping on surface. ONLY back and forth on hood, top, trunk and up and down on sides
- while using WaterBlade keep a beach size dry towel on shoulder and wipe blade on it after every stroke on the paint
- Dry fully before applying any polish wax. I use leaf blower to get the water out of all nooks and crannies and blot with beach size 100% cotton towel and garage it overnight to dry before I start polishing/waxing in the morning.
- while working with electric equipment, make sure that you do not let wire rub or touch on the car surface put it around your hand and shoulder.
- never start the PC unless it's touching fully to the paint surface
- always start with low RPMs till the product is applied evenly to the surface and then increase the speed to work the product in
- only use one product with one pad and put it in Ziploc bag, no washing is necessary unless it is very dirty. The caked product on the pad can be brushed with a soft brush |
|
|
| SullyC5er |
quote:
Originally posted by Fabvsix
It wouldn't hurt to call Sal Zaino and get his opinion as Z5 works best with dark colors to remove spider webs etc.....not too sure about white however.....Call him.....
Sal is a good guy!!! |
|
|
| jhue |
The convention adopted by most pad manufacturers is that black pads are finessing pads and red pads are finishing pads. Lake Country follows this convention. Since you aren't applying any glaze, you won't be using black pads. So if you must apply by machine, red would be the correct pad. Personally, I would not apply any last-step product by hand, but hey, knock yourself out.
Pad cutting power from high to low goes lambswool->yellow->orange->green->white->red->black
Some mfgs use blue instead of red, and grey instead of black.
My preference for swirls is to remove them rather than try to hide them. Besides, any respectable detailer always polishes the vehicle after claying it. For light swirls I'd use Menzerna FPII or the Blackfire ceramic clearcoat polish (which is the same as Menzerna P106FF), applied (by machine of course) with a white pad. |
|
|
| G. COLTON |
I know that PC does not stand for Politically Correct in this context.
Just what does it stand for.
What ever happened to the standard convention of spelling out the full name of something the first time it was used and then initials after that?
G |
|
|
| jhue |
quote:
Originally posted by G. COLTON
Just what does it stand for.
It's a secret code, inserted to "piss off Colton", hence the initials "PC".
It refers to a Porter Cable random-orbit polisher. Porter Cable makes a rotary polisher too, but it's not very good. Makita, Hitachi (I have this one) and other mfgs make far better rotary polishers. |
|
|
|
