PC use and polish, compund, glaze options

7echo · 09-17-05, 04:47

I have gathered tons of info from this site and am learning more all the time.
A few weeks ago I started out with a PC on my newly SS painted truck. Lots of practice on that set me up to do my old civic. Now I want to work on a little nicer vehicle. '96 Volvo 960 sedan in emerald green metallic(a dark green) The car is in pretty good shape. I have 2 pad options-a 3m compounding pad and 2 megs yellow pads with the built in arbor. I have, mostly from experimenting on my truck, several products available-
megs # 4, 7, and 9. 3M PI-III 5937 mg, 5933 rc, and 5941 fg. 3M FI-II mp. I am a rookie so I plan on starting safe and maybe sneaking up on the finish so I don't make things worse.(i started on the truck with FI-II MP and had to 'sneak up' all the way to the megs heavy cut-lots of work, but i learned alot) So, I have read that some products break down and you can skip grits, so to speak. On wood we never skip grits, but that is a different world. Please give me your process ideas with my available products. One more question-the bumpers are plastic-any different mathods/materials?
Thanks for your time and comments!

Accumulator · 09-17-05, 06:54

Not familiar with the 3M pads, sorry. I'd use the 05933 followed by 05937. I'd try to do it all with the yellow Meg's pads but see if the 05933 will work to your satisfaction with it (might need the compounding pad to remove the marring). I always use 4" pads for marring removal by PC, but see how it goes. I always got a ready-to-wax finish on Volvo clear with the 05937 but you could follow it with the #9 if you want.

FWIW, the 05933/05937 combo is my go-to approach. On my "good" car I follow it with something milder, but most of the time those two are about all I need.

7echo · 09-17-05, 07:48

OK, just did a section of roof and it is looking good. Do you work the product until it dries and dusts away, buff between products, or wash between the different products, or what? It seems like it would be much easier to work until it dries and flys.
Thanks for the advice.

Accumulator · 09-17-05, 02:49

Stop and remove while it's still a little wet/not quite dry. Buff off the residue with a plush MF. Use QD if any gets stuck anyplace.

The problem with buffing until dry (which some people do with no problems) is that the dry product can cause light ("micro") marring. Part of the learning curve is to get a feel for when the abrasives have broken down and the product is ready to remove...it's a little tricky to know when to stop if you don't go all the way to dry.

Note that with Meguiar's products, the official line is "remove while wet, don't let anything dry except a LSP".