PB DAS-6 Hard Paint Polishing Kit

Our DAS-6 Hard Paint Polishing Kit offers all of the essential products you need to polish hard paint safely and effectively in conjunction with the ever popular Kestrel DAS-6 Dual Action Machine Polisher. Hard paint is usually found exclusively on German cars and tends to be difficult to correct, even if the defects present are relatively light. In recent years, the uptake of ceramic nano-particle and scratch-resistant clearcoat technologies by many German car manufacturers has resulted in the paint on these cars becoming even harder and thus even more difficult to correct. Based on our own professional experience, we have assembled the DAS-6 Hard Paint Polishing Kit using products that we know to be safe and highly effective on hard paint types - you can therefore rest assured that you will be working with proven products that are best suited to the task in hand. If you wish to purchase a machine polishing kit but are unsure about how hard your paint is, please review the look up table in the pdf document linked below...

How hard is my paint?

The Kestrel DAS-6 Dual Action Machine Polisher offers a highly affordable, low risk route to gaining significantly better polishing results. Dual action machine polishers like the Kestrel DAS-6 work differently to traditional rotary polishers in that the polishing head oscillates randomly about a fixed point as the polishing head spins (hence the term dual action). This means that friction is vastly reduced at any given point of contact, limiting the effective work rate and greatly reducing the risk of burning the finish or removing too much paint. Therefore, dual action polishers are ideal for car care enthusiasts who want to be able to safely correct their paint without the fear of inflicting further damage. For more detailed information on polishing methods, please read our illustrated guides entitled "What Does Polishing Do?" and "What Polish Should I Use?".

Although polishing with a dual action machine polisher is a relatively straightforward process, there are various important practical points to consider that are too numerous and involved to go into in detail about here. Therefore, if you require more detailed information about dual action machine polishers and how to use them safely and effectively, please take the time to read both the instructions supplied with the machine and our illustrated please read our illustrated guides entitled "What Does Polishing Do?" and "What Polish Should I Use?".

To correct swirl marks and other light to moderate defects (fine scratches and etching) on your car, we recommend conducting a two stage process starting with Menzerna RD3.02 in conjunction with Menzerna Polishing Pads (135 mm pads on a 125 mm backing plate for larger flatter areas, and 80 mm spot pads on a 75 mm backing plate for smaller more awkward areas). Working at around 4000-5000 orbits per minute (speed 4-5 on most dual action machine polishers) using light to moderate pressure should enable you to correct around 95% of the defects present in just 1-2 attempts per panel. To get an even higher level of correction, or to tackle any remaining deeper defects, you could switch to using Menzerna Compounding Pads (135 mm pads on a 125 mm backing plate for larger flatter areas, and 80 mm spot pads on a 75 mm backing plate for smaller more awkward areas). These offer even more cutting power, but are more awkward to use, as they are very firm and unyielding. With the correction stage done, we recommend following up with Menzerna 85RE in conjunction with Menzerna mm Finishing Pads (135 mm pads on a 125 mm backing plate for larger flatter areas, and 80 mm spot pads on a 75 mm backing plate for smaller more awkward areas). Working at around 4000-5000 orbits per minute (speed 4-5 on most dual action machine polishers) using light pressure should enable you to produce an ultra-sharp high gloss finish, which you should then protect using either a good quality sealant or wax.

General usage notes for machine polishing pads:

(i) always select the least aggressive pad you think you will need to achieve the desired result, and step up one grade at a time if more cut is required (ii) always ensure that you centre each pad properly on the backing plate (this can take several attempts to get right, but is vital if the machine is to remain perfectly balanced during use); (iii) always use an appropriate sized pad for the backing plate you are using (the pad should always protrude past the edge of the backing plate, never the other way around); (iv) always ensure that spent polish residue on the face of the pad is brushed off regularly during use using the supplied Meguiar’s Triple Duty Detailing Brush (failure to follow this advice can lead to micromarring of the finish, so don’t be lazy!); (v) after use, soak each pad in a bucket of the supplied Lake Country Snappy Pad Cleaner solution for 15 minutes and then rinse under fresh running water (using your fingertips to massage out any remaining polish residue) and allow to dry naturally, and; (vi) whilst not in use, store in a dry, dust-free environment (lidded plastic storage boxes are ideal in this respect).