Flex, speed 6, and polishing - is it ok?

Hey guys,

I was using my 3401 (see below thread) to polish a lincoln town car. I used speed 6, lc orange flat pad (6.5 inch) and SIP. The results were great after only a few passes. However, the surface was really hot. Am I doing more damage to the paint long term this way? Should I have just used the UDM on speed 6 or nice and slow on speed 5?

 

i have used the flex about 3 times now, all with menzerna polishes and lc ccs pads. i didnt feel like i need to crank it all the way up to 6. i worked twice on my soft honda clear and once on a bmw 335. hope this helps you.

-Sam

 

I usually run my full bore on 6 when working with Menzerna polishes. However, I've read here (or somewhere else) that people have been having good luck at speed 5 with Menz polishes. The last detail I did, I had Menz PowerGlos drying up on me a litte sooner than I would've like running it on speed 6. As for the heat, yes, it will heat up the paint quite a bit. A good reminder that the 3401 is capable of burning paint, so don't leave it one spot for more than a couple fo seconds.

 

i honestly dont like the flex at 6. seems like menzerna gets finicky. I like 5.5 better

 

I dont have a flex; I have a rotary. I generally only run it up to 4 or 5 when correcting. Foam pads will get hot. Thats why wool rocks for correcting, its just a PITA for cleanup after.

 

I used SIP on an orange X-groove pad at Flex speed 4...finished off nicely. I think I'm gonna try ramping it up to speed 5 now after reading all of your posts.

 

I do most polishing with the Flex at 4-5 and get great results..I use 6 on the final pass is all and I do not do this every time...I check a area and see what I have...if good I stop..if a little micro I hit it at 6 one time...

I found at speed 6 the polish flashes way to fast for me...but at 4-5 I have a better working time and can break polishes down just right and get the look I want...

Al

 

I've had really good luck between 4.5 and 5.5.

Tough to say, depends on a lot. Just gotta get a feel for it.

 

wow, hit the nail right on the head for me too with the thread. I thought that 6 just felt too fast, i wasn't comfortable with it yet, but between 4 and 5 felt just fine.

 

once a pad starts to get a bit saturated i find it hard to run the my flex at speed 6... it seems to send the pad off balance

 

Thread back from the dead... After a ton more work with the flex, for the heavy correcting, I'm still running between 5 and 5.5. I still don't like cranking it up all the way to 6...

edit: On my Flex DA.

 

When posting about this guys, make sure you mention whether you are using a Dual Action or Rotary. A newbie using a rotary at 6 would just be bad.

 

i normally work on 5-5.5, just don't like to go all the way up to 6!
for the 3401!

 

5 is my top speed

 

6 is my slowest speed.

 

I think the tasting of the products has taken its toll. Are you confusing the speeds on your bike to those on the Flex?!?! :

 

wow, probably should have read this before my detail last week. first time using the flex and i was doing all my work at speed 6....NO FRIGGEN WONDER my megs 83 was sometimes a bit finnicky. definately try going with 4.5-5 next time on the s2k, hopefully will yield better results (although my results were not too shabby anyways) flex 3401 here

 

6 is pretty high and it heats up the inside gearing of the flex as well. You'll notice little black specks coming out of the polisher from the heating of the plastic in the backing plate. 5 is the highest I go. It'll depend on what you're trying to do. I use LC orange pad and sip and do well on 5 or 5.5. If I'm finishing, I'll use LC white or black with 106fa on 4 or 5. I usaully start at 3 to spread the polish then kick it up the 5 to do the majority of the polishing. Hope this helps.

 

5 it is, 6 to finish, understood. DA

 

I've never had my Flex rotary at 6. My DA heats up WAY fast on 6! I haven't had thermal shutdown yet but, I've read where others have. Think 5 should really be about it!!

Andy