Recommend me a pad please

[dubber36]

I'm using Menzerna RO 3.02 on my Red Mk6 and getting good results using my Kestral DAS-6 and an Orange Menz pad, but it does seem very hard work. Each section needing 2-3 passes to get completely swirl free.

Would a different pad make it easier, or should I just man up and use a rotary?

[shepgti]

I've just started a new job as a valeter and use a rotary polisher with variable speed and it is excellent for light work and more stubborn areas too.

[dubber36]

Valeter or Detailer? There is a difference. A big one.

[Dan J]

If you haven't used a rotory beforehand its a totally different beast to a DA, a DA can take more passes than a rotory to get swirl free results couple with good technique,
Are you breaking the polish down fully during your sets? What size roughly are your working areas?

What's the big difference between a valeter and detailer then?

Detailing is a posh name for a valeter lol, I really hate this valeter detailer split crap,
I was trained to a very high standard in valeting and paint correction/finishing in the mid 90's and now have my own business after many painfull years working along side monkeys with no passion for the job and very poor training which seems to be the norm now days.
I can correct paint as good as any pro "detailer" currently on the circuit.

Lake country pads are better in my opinion or look into the hex logic pads from chemical guys

[dubber36]

I am working the polish until it has virtually disappeared with hardly any residue left to buff off. A rough idea of the size of area I am working at a time is a quarter of a door.

How I see the whole valeter / detailer thing is that generally valeters fall within the description you give  "after many painful years working along side monkeys with no passion for the job and very poor training which seems to be the norm now days." Generally working at car dealerships and having to "valet" as many cars as they can in a day, in between washing service customers cars with a brush. I've got a mate who works at a Vauxhall dealership and he gets very frustrated at not been given the time to do the job the way he would like to. There are also "valeters" who's customer base is people that think £40 for a wash, wax and vac is too much. They also have to do 3-4 cars a day to make it worth while, so their standards aren't going to that high either.

Thanks for the pad advice. 

[Dan J]

I am working the polish until it has virtually disappeared with hardly any residue left to buff off. A rough idea of the size of area I am working at a time is a quarter of a door.

How I see the whole valeter / detailer thing is that generally valeters fall within the description you give  "after many painful years working along side monkeys with no passion for the job and very poor training which seems to be the norm now days." Generally working at car dealerships and having to "valet" as many cars as they can in a day, in between washing service customers cars with a brush. I've got a mate who works at a Vauxhall dealership and he gets very frustrated at not been given the time to do the job the way he would like to. There are also "valeters" who's customer base is people that think £40 for a wash, wax and vac is too much. They also have to do 3-4 cars a day to make it worth while, so their standards aren't going to that high either.

Thanks for the pad advice. 

There are pros out there that have been trained as valeters at a dealership like myself and produce cracking work.
Thankfully I wasn't trained at a dealership with bad ethics but have worked in dealerships where quantity is more important than quality, it's Definatly got worse as times gone on, we had a stack of cars to do every day but the standards were very high and we split ourselves across the work load and were given good time to do paint correction jobs and deep clean interiors.

No probs on the pad advice

[Mr Blue]

Big fan of 3M pads on a rotary. I used an alternative (Elite car care pad) I was very impressed with the finish and quality of them.

Also like Scholl Concepts pads on a DA.  I always use the Rotary and sometimes finish off with a DA. Quicker results for me.

CarPro Eraser is great for checking the correction because you could just be masking the problem.

[shepgti]

i do agree there is a difference between valeting and pro detailing..

i would valet the vans (using the polisher for minor scratches and imperfections) at work but i would take alot more care and time with my own car which would be seen as detailing.

either way i would use a rotary so my comments on using a rotary stand.