What's up w/ Poli-Seal?

mikenap · 10-23-09, 04:48

How do you use this stuff? I've read to use sparingly and the instructions also say to only use enough to keep the pad lubricated across the paint. Check. Then it says to wipe off any excess. Huh? Excess? Even when I use a decent amount of PS, I almost never see anything on the paint. When my PC powers down I'll see some drops of the lubricating agent right under the pad but nowhere else.

I'm guessing since it's such a light polish that it doesn't matter if it breaks down fully, or maybe the sealant component keeps it from breaking down. I'm pretty lost here. After using it, the beading is pretty obvious, so I definitely got it onto the car somehow. But as far as using it as a final polish or something like that, am I doing something wrong? I've even seen it correct minor swirls on soft black paint, but I never actually saw the Poli-Seal.

Am I nuts? Is this just what to expect with PS? I know it's popular here, and it's definitely easy to use but to me it seems like a mystery polish. Does stuff but you never see it. What the heck, people?

toyotaguy · 10-23-09, 04:58

it breaks down relatively fast...abotu 3-4 passes and you are done! when you wipe it off, you are leaving behind a sealant wax. its not a final polish. its an AIO. if you want a final polish look into menzerna FPII or 85rd

mikenap · 10-23-09, 05:32

Ok, but if it's not a "final polish" it has to have some polishing qualities. I've seen it take out minor swirls before, even after an IPA wipe. And I'm a bit confused about the term AIO. I've heard D151 referred to as an AIO, and it definitely is an abrasive polish. KAIO is another AIO, and it's supposedly just a chemical cleaner. I'm guessing PS has to be in the first category, and a lot of guys use it as a one-step. So if it's got some polishing ability, and it's very light on abrasives, why can't it be used as a final polish? I appreciate the reply Toyotaguy, and I'm not trying to be argumentative, just trying to clarify it for myself. Thanks.

yakky · 10-23-09, 06:46

I think some of the polishing ability comes from the pad itself. It definitely does not have the abrasive power of megs #66, but it does have some good cleaning ability. IMO its best for a well cared for vehicle that needs just a bit of freshening.

mblgjr · 10-23-09, 11:30

Sounds like you're using it correctly.

Best used with a white or blue LC pad.

I called Opt. about it when it first came out. It is an AIO type product and has 1/2 the cut of the original Opt. Polish according to the Dr.

integritydetail · 10-24-09, 10:32

It's called an AIO because it 1. Cleans, 2. Corrects, and 3. Protects in one step. Mineral spirits clean and remove some bonded contaiminants and oxidation, light abrasives and pad choice correct minor swirling, and a sealant/wax combo is left behind to protect. It can be used as a LSP (Last Step Product), but is not the equivalent of a Final of Finishing Polish that would need to be followed by a LSP. I may have misread you, but it sounded like maybe you were getting Finishing Polish and LSP mixed up.

salty · 10-24-09, 01:01

Could it be used as a final polish, say instead of UF, after a cut, polish.

I am revisiting Poly-seal after a couple years away, but just have been using it as an AIO with a OS topper. Looks good and is fast.

froboy272 · 10-24-09, 02:44

is this meant to be used to clean kick plates and glass and such like Klasse does?

mikenap · 10-24-09, 03:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by integritydetail

It's called an AIO because it 1. Cleans, 2. Corrects, and 3. Protects in one step. Mineral spirits clean and remove some bonded contaiminants and oxidation, light abrasives and pad choice correct minor swirling, and a sealant/wax combo is left behind to protect. It can be used as a LSP (Last Step Product), but is not the equivalent of a Final of Finishing Polish that would need to be followed by a LSP. I may have misread you, but it sounded like maybe you were getting Finishing Polish and LSP mixed up.

Thanks for the reply. I'm familiar with what an AIO is, but it seems like there are abrasive AIOs (D151, M66, PS) and chemical AIOs (Klasse). Since PS is an abrasive AIO, albeit a light one, why isn't it able to serve as a final polish and LSP in this sense? Take as an example the guys who use it as a one-step polish on cars in good shape. If it does light correction on well-maintained cars while adding a sealant, it seems as if it should do fine as a final polish following heavier steps, while leaving a sealant/wax behind. What am I missing here?

wfedwar · 10-24-09, 04:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikenap

Thanks for the reply. I'm familiar with what an AIO is, but it seems like there are abrasive AIOs (D151, M66, PS) and chemical AIOs (Klasse). Since PS is an abrasive AIO, albeit a light one, why isn't it able to serve as a final polish and LSP in this sense? Take as an example the guys who use it as a one-step polish on cars in good shape. If it does light correction on well-maintained cars while adding a sealant, it seems as if it should do fine as a final polish following heavier steps, while leaving a sealant/wax behind. What am I missing here?

You're not missing anything. I use Prime Strong as a maintenance polish all the time. I suspect I could follow SIP with Prime Strong, and skip a finishing polish. I haven't tried that one yet. I'm unsure how Prime Strong and Poly-Seal compare (and it's very annoying that they have the same initials, too!).

Darkstar752 · 10-24-09, 04:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikenap

Thanks for the reply. I'm familiar with what an AIO is, but it seems like there are abrasive AIOs (D151, M66, PS) and chemical AIOs (Klasse). Since PS is an abrasive AIO, albeit a light one, why isn't it able to serve as a final polish and LSP in this sense? Take as an example the guys who use it as a one-step polish on cars in good shape. If it does light correction on well-maintained cars while adding a sealant, it seems as if it should do fine as a final polish following heavier steps, while leaving a sealant/wax behind. What am I missing here?

Because generally it's used for customers who ONLY want an AIO and don't want to pay for more, a true one-step. Since it contains abrasives and cleaners and such it doesn't last as long as a true sealant, and you'll want a strong, good looking sealant if the customer is paying for a multi-step correction. That's basically my interpretation of it.

Bence · 10-24-09, 05:05

Guys, just to quote myself, there is one fundamental user mistake when using Poli-Seal!

Everyone is expecting a visible film and residue. No, OPS is not supposed to work like that.

It is designed to be traceless, so it won't leave residue; in fact it works almost invisibly. It doesn't dry up, flash off when you can’t see it on the surface; in fact, it is still there, you just have to trust in the product. You may use a bit more of it to ensure a good buffing film between the paint and your pad - but don't expect residue. As the film wears out the product will be slightly draggy.

If you have residue, you are definitely using too much. The max you can see with the correct amounts is a faint trace behind the pad, which clears up and flashes off immediately.
And no, it doesn't have INTENTIONAL fillers. It fills when you use it by hand – therefore you can’t utilize its abrasives; but when you use it with a rotary or a high speed DA, it will correct nicely (obviously pad-dependent). It is basically a multipurpose finishing polish, which establishes a synthetic, crosslinking sealant film on the surface and deepens the final look with its carnauba load. It will add depth, shine and great slickness.

As all Optimum polishes, it is sensitive to overapplication. Usually the lubes in Opt products are hugely stable, but using higher viscosity oils to provide reliable lubrication means that the buffing film will be thicker. And when you apply too much, the lube film will be thicker than the respective grit size of the given polish. When the abrasives are unable to strike through this film, the polishing ability will be greatly reduced, and the results will be disappointing. Optimum polishes don’t like to skate over their own lubes. Therefore always use less.

Theoretically, the simplified Optimum route is the following: you polish with Optimum Polish and leave the residue on the surface. Properly worked OP leaves a transparent residue in its final state. Then you go over the OP residue directly with Poli-Seal as it can absorb and pick it up. And because OPS works invisibly, with almost nothing to remove, it provides a good base for the OOS. You apply the OOS and leave.

So, once again: Poli-Seal can be used directly on the top of the Optimum polish residue and it will absorb it = no cleanup.

Poli-Seal itself won't leave anything behind = no cleanup.

Durability is around 1-3 months, but of course you can top it with OOS/OCW/OID = no cleanup.