Optimum Polish - Less than Optimum.... - Page 2

Bence · 03-13-07, 01:41

Very strange. I'm able to finish down even with OHC to an LSP-ready level on light colors...

This is the typical amount you need on a primed pad:

xinkid · 03-13-07, 01:43

Bence, for how big an area?

Bence · 03-13-07, 01:53

2×2 normally (quarter of a big hood, third of a smaller hood, or an upper half of a door).

tdekany · 03-13-07, 01:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by xinkid

Bence, for how big an area?

for me - door/half a hood/trunk etc... Bence may have a different method.

Bence · 03-13-07, 02:00

Yes, for example when we take Tamás' Jetta as an example, the shown amount will go a half hood easily, but the hood on that VW is relatively small. And he is able to finish the OHC down to LSP-ready too.

I was thinking Escalade when I wrote "big hood", so set your scale accordingly. BTW, on permeable, old finishes, the paint may absorb a bit more, so you have to use a tiny bit more. I think that it is easy to fine tune the needed amounts.

Driven-528e · 03-13-07, 06:43

I've had good results finishing with OP when I use a finishing pad (black LC) on a rotary. So far, I've had none of the hazing issues you've come across. Give it another couple tries... if that doesnt work, maybe going back to Menzerna is the best solution.

Scottwax · 03-13-07, 06:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimm

I have good success putting 4-5 pea or slightly larger sized blobs on the pad.

Same here. Noticably better cut and finish when I used less.

Accumulator · 03-13-07, 07:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bence

Very strange. I'm able to finish down even with OHC to an LSP-ready level on light colors...

Bence- Not surprised that you get a better finish with [given products] than I do

Not only do you have more experience with them, but you're more highly skilled than I am too.

I don't want to slam OP, it's just that I like a nice steep learing curve, steeper than I encountered with this product. If somebody wants to chalk it up to my needing fairly idiot-proof products, well, OK. Fortunately I have stuff I can turn to if the OP doesn't perform for me, but I'll continue to play around with it and see what it's good for besides increasing the working time of other products.

ShineMGood · 03-13-07, 07:39

Hmmm I thought the Optimum polishes/compounds were the easy ones....bought them for my new cyclo for use with the cyclo pads. Maybe I should use the 3M PF III line that I have instead. Oh well, gotta try them sometime.

Setec Astronomy · 03-13-07, 07:46

I think you're selling yourself a little short, Accumulator. To paraphrase a bit of what others have said about the Optimum compounds and polishes in the past, and combine that with some of my own experience, I'd say the primary function of the Optimums is less compound/polish and more lubricant, letting the pad do the work (particularly with the older versions of the OHC and OC). If you use too much, the pad just floats on a layer of the product and doesn't do any work (or break the product down). I think Bence was the first one to explain this and others have intoned, as I will, that you use virtually nothing once the pad is primed. You'll notice the Optimums have a very solventy smell, moreso than any other polish I have used, and I think that is the key, that the solvent is the key ingredient more than the abrasives. I'm not sure if I'm making sense, but what I'm trying to say as opposed to other polishes, where you are primarily trying to deliver abrasives to the surface, the Optimums are trying to lubricate the interface and let the pad do the work, so you use much less than traditional products.

Anthony Orosco · 03-13-07, 08:10

The first and foremost primary reason of Optimum Polish and Hyper Compound is for then to fill wide range of use which we tried to demonstrate in our wetsanding video I posted up.

Yes Optimum was designed for the rotary first and this is where it really works best but it can be used with an orbital also.

SuperBuick

Sorry for your troubles so far. As others have noted using too much Optimum can leave you with a cushioned buffing barrier of sorts that may not allow the product to work as designed. Try cutting back a bit, about a quarter size for half a hood and work in well. I use OP on all my cars and I do a lot of black Porsches but never had OP leave me with micro-marring.....and if I have it always comes down to my error not the products.

I wish I did more Vettes with Optimum as I'm sure there is a variable to it but sadly I don't.

Anthony

Frito Bandito · 03-13-07, 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottwax

Same here. Noticably better cut and finish when I used less.

Do you find the same to be true with Poli-Seal or does it typically take a little more product since its an all-in-one product?