Compounding question

[Andy M.]

Hi all,
I have recently been reading the Autopia guide to detailing:
you can find it here: http://www.autopia.org/ It seems like compounding is mentioned alot here. I use the DA with #80 and #83 along with clay for cleaning paint finishes. I'm wondering am I missing a step? Would it be better to try a compound and check the results? Of course I go by the philosophy,"Always use the least agressive product first". Is there a compound that you can use with the DA? What does everyone think about compounding, and were the results better, worse or indifferent?

Andy
101impala

[Mike Phillips]

I've never read this book for professional reasons, but in the Meguiar's line, we don't recommend our compounds for application with a dual action polisher, only the rotary buffer.

[Andy M.]

Hi Mike,
I just stumbled upon it browsing their site. It really seems to be geared for someone who is just starting out. I'm always willing to learn and hear someone elses opinion. I'm still a dedicated Meg's user. I was just trying to hear a few other peoples opinions. Thanks for the quik reply.
Andy

[Murr1525]

Generally speaking, since I am not sure of the exact article you are referencing, it seems that a compound is going to be used to remove heavy sanding marks with a rotary buffer. This is usualy done by leaving finer and finer compounding marks behind. However, true compounds arent usualy needed, and esp for clearcoats can make things harder if used wrong.

Even Meguiars rotary products for removing sanding marks arent true compounds, that is the abrasives break down, leaving almost no marks behind.

While it can be good to learn to use a rotary, and compounds, etc, it is not for a beginner, and even for an expert isnt often applicable outside of a body shop.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by 101impala
Hi Mike,
I just stumbled upon it browsing their site. It really seems to be geared for someone who is just starting out. I'm always willing to learn and hear someone else's opinion. I'm still a dedicated Meg's user. I was just trying to hear a few other peoples opinions. Thanks for the quick reply.
Andy

Definitely give it a read, and remember that sometimes you have drill down and find out what the author means by certain words such as words like compounds and polishes.

They don't always mean the same thing as Meguiar's terms.

[Accumulator]

There are compounds and then there are *compounds*. It's really impossible to generalize based on the product names even within one manufacturer's lineup, let alone between different companies. Some compounds work fine by hand/PC/etc. while others (most?) require a rotary.

One of my favorite non-Meguiar's products is called a "compound" but it's really *very* mild, perfectly safe for any finish I can imagine and it works fine by hand/PC. When it got phased out due to VOC regulations, the replacement for it, also called a compound, turned out to be something that does require a rotary and IMO it's awfully harsh even for that. Just have to consider the individual product under discussion.