What sponges for cutting & polishing

Tafflad

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
544
Whenever I have a scratch in gelcoat I repair ASAP, and then I start the process of rubbing back ? with wet & dry paper ? starting with 400 grit, then working upwards through
800, 1200 and then 2400
Then I switch to using a cutting compound on a rotary sponge on polishing machine - Meguiars Ultra Cut 105 and then change to a lambs wool mop and Meguiars Ultra Finishing polish 205
Finishing with a treatment of Fleet wax.

My question in when applying the Meguiars products should I be using different colour sponge and mop ?
Anybody familiar with detailing ?
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,605
I have used the 3M product system with a Makita variable speed polisher and the 3M pads and clothes and loved the results. However, every system basically uses similar cutting polishes and buffing compounds. So pick one and go with it. But be careful not to run the polishes too fast, to hard or burn through... Other then that, it does work wonders!
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,930
Wool for compounding, white or yellow foam for polishing, dacron for waxing and buffing. That's just me, others may differ.
 

Tafflad

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
544
Just taking this a little further - when waxing you put wax on a dacron pad ? .......... then power wax over, leave dry & then wipe off with a cloth ? ..... is that about it?
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,930
Uhhmmm, I think this pretty much explains all the steps and materials..
 
Top