Best Cutting Compound for Audi Paint?

[Guest 2]

As above, I bought a MegsG220 along with 3M Fast Cut Plus, Ultrafina and Extra Fine Compound using Hex Logic pads.

I set to work (the car has been clayed, de-ironed, tfr'd etc) this morning with the Orange cut pad and the Fast Cut Plus and though it did remove some light swirls it didn't remove them all which I'm a bit disappointed about (only done the bonnet) as my wrists are now broken!

Maybe my technique is wrong, but if there anything out there suited to hard Audi paint?

Thanks!

[belfastmark]

Hi Chris.
I am no expert on machine polishing for starters, though I have heard of something called a 3M 3 stage compound.
I think it is fine cut, medium cut and full cut. I think you start of with the fine cut and if that doesn't do the job, then you move to medium cut and so on. As with all compounds, you should be using a paint depth gauge incase you have to use the heavier stuff.
Sorri I couldn't help more.
Good luck !

[Dan J]

How long did you work the polish for and how big was your working area? Fast cut plus is the more aggressive of the three you have and if not worked fully can cause polish marring where theres still bits of abrasive being pushed about and not broken down properly,

its always better to start with the least aggressive polish as belfastmark said and work your way up if needed. The orange hex pad is for medium to heavy compounding which will leave with the finish you are describing, what other pads do you have?
extra fine should tackle the light swirls and finish down to a reasonable level then finish with ultrafina.

As you have found Audi paint is hard and needs a good polish with a nice working time enabling you to get the correction out of it,it needs working in smallish areas at a time and using a DA will take you a while and quite a few passes to get a reasonable level of correction as they aren't as quick and effective as a rotory at getting good enhancement out of Audi paint.
polishes like menzerna,scholl,mirka polarshine work well on vag paints,BMW,merc, they have a longer working time and finish down very nicely without creating loads of dust.

[Brodster]

Just to let you know 3M stuff is full of fillers so its defeating the object really. I have found Menzerna 500 or Megs 105 to be the best cutting compund with a good cutting pad. The new Rupes Bigfoot DA has 4 brilliant pads and using the green pad with Sonax Cut-it is perfect and then round that off with white pad and Sonax Perfect Finish. This combo is recommended by Mr Rupes USA - Mr Todd Cooperider who is one of the best detailers in the world and it works.