DA polishing-KB Method

[ww2717]

Hello Scott:

How do you think that the KBM would work using M-101 in place of M-105. Do you think that you would be able to level paint significantly faster. I talked to KB and he told me that detailers were using M-101 to get out 500 grit scratches.

[johandcdk]

You are moving the polisher WAY too fast. You are also loosing the lubricants of the M105 to quickly that way. The correct speed (according to the KBM) would be 1-1½ inch per second!

[Scottwax]

@johandcdk Took the defects out, didn't I? #105 stayed wet the entire time I polished that panel. I also have to make sure the video isn't so long I can't upload the whole thing so I have to work more quickly than I normally would. On the really bad parts, I did slow down and go over them several times.

[johandcdk]

@Scottwax I'm not in doubt that the #105 did the job. It would take out swirls almost whatever method you apply. The question is, how well did it remove the swirls? Kevin Brown himself (and indeed a lot of other detailers at detailingworld) recommends a much slower pace with the DA machine. Around 1-2 inches per second max. I do understand that this is your own understanding of the KB method, but in my opinion it's quite far from what Kevin understands from it himself.

[johandcdk]

@johandcdk His method is about working the #105 very slowly and re-lubricating using water or quick detail spray to prolong the working time. I have tried it, and it is specifically recommended on very hard clearcoats like on VW, Audi, Mercedes. What brand is your car? And how well did you correct the swirls? If you have a soft paint, maybe what you did in this video is enough, but on my car (10 yr old VW), the above method would certainly not give enough correction.

[Scottwax]

@johandcdk That is a customer's car, a jet black BMW 335. I have before and after shots of it on my website, scottwax.com in my portfolio under before and after, first two pictures are of this car. On an Audi or VW, I probably would just use my rotary due to the additional hardness of the paint. Jet black BMW paint is uber soft.

[Scottwax]

@johandcdk As soft as that paint was, I didn't have to slow down as much as I normally would have. Plus in the interest in not making the video too long, I kind of had to speed things up. In this case, being very soft paint, it was ideal for showing what I understood at the time to be the KB method and showing how it removes defects. Now I mostly use the new microfiber DA pads Meguiars and Optimum have, same results, less time. Usually.

[intheboost]

Great vid, thanks. I am looking forward to trying this method.

BTW, you sound exactly like Zach Galifianakis. Please upload a video of you saying "Tigers love pepper, they hate cinnamon."

[MRwieduwilt]

how much pressure are you applying?

[Scottwax]

@MRwieduwilt

Not sure the exact amount, apply enough to slightly bog the DA polisher, then let up just enough for the polisher to speed back up and use that pressure.

[TechWithLukasz]

hey scottwax, im a member of autopia, and from what I learned there (for using a DA) is that you should got at 1-2 inches per second, in this video you were moving quite fast, why is that?

[Scottwax]

Mostly so it wouldn't be a really long video! Plus, jet black BMW paint is pretty soft so the speed I was using was sufficient to remove the swirls. On harder paints you have no choice but to go very slow.

[Scottwax]

I realize that, and anyone using this method should do a few test spots because M105 does have a tendency to haze when used with a DA polisher. In fact, on most paints I switch back to the rotary and use M205 to remove the hazing.

[jamesjdm]

@Scottwax

You can use m205 with a DA just and get great results as well also w/o switching to a rotary. I use m105 on a DA and follow up with 205 to take out the hazing and on all but the hardest paints it comes out great.

[RobDTom]

@MeguiarsInc

Yet Meguiars would be selling a lot less m105 if people were not using the KBM with a DA polisher.

[tyau1234]

Great video. Some skeptics on MOL suggest that the polishing oil are filling in the swirls.

[Scottwax]

I don't think anything can fill as much as it took to correct this car. I did a write-up on autopia, look in the pro detailer's before and after forum for "horrific 335". In one before shot, the halogens weren't even visible in the finish.

[tyau1234]

5 star!

[dschribs]

How much time do you think it would have taken you to polish the entire car had you used a "standard" polish - in other words - one with diminishing abrasives versus 105? Do you think just using 105 saves you alot of time?

[Scottwax]

I don't even use diminishing abrasive polishes for correction (not sure what abrasives 3M's Ultrafina has) so I really don't have an answer for that. I didn't just use #105, I followed with #205 and Clearkote's Pink Moose. #105 is a huge time saver, especially with a rotary because it cuts very fast with minimal hologramming.

[dschribs]

When you say "this step" - you mean 3 hours to polish th entire car with 105 correct??

[dheathx]

Thanks for the video scottwax. How much pressure would you say you were applying? Do you have problems with the pad gumming up after priming for the KBM?

[Scottwax]

Not sure how much pressure but I was really pushing down. The harder cutting pads allow you to apply more pressure before they bog the G110.

I run the pad over a damp MF towel every other section or so to keep build-up to a minimum.

[dheathx]

what do you mean "run the pad over a damn mf towel?"

put a towel a down, turn the polisher on and let it spin on the towel? Or wipe the pad with a towel while its off? or....?

[Scottwax]

I hold a damp towel and run the pad over it with the buffer on.

[Scottwax]

This step took nearly 3 hours, the driver's side doors and both rear fenders were particularly bad and needed to be gone over as many as 4 times. Whether or not I could have done the compounding with my rotary and saved any time-maybe. I would have had to tape off the car and that jet black BMW paint is quite soft and tends to hologram pretty badly, I've had trouble in the past with Meguiars #205 leaving light holograms, on pretty much any other paint, #205 doesn't leave holograms.