imported_Bence
04-02-2006, 10:08 AM
Yesterday I tried the FK polishes for the first time. In the end, I am very satisfied with the results, but this was my steepest learning curve...
17 is a beige creamy liquid, a ’micro polishing compound’ which is supposed to be gentle but effective and able to remove 1000-1200 wet & dry sanding marks.
I primed a white polishing pad on the DA with a healthy but thin circle around the perimeter, smeared the polish around a bit and go! I kicked it immediately to speed 6. After 20-30 short seconds, it started to dust. Aaaarrrggghh. I stopped and removed. It came off easily. Of course, it couldn’t remove heavier defects because it is a mild finishing polish but took out more fine scratches than I thought it would.
Next try with the usual follow-up-amounts (aka 2-4 drops): Same behavior with a little less dust. Despite the apparent dusting I kept it working longer. No difference, same removal. The surface is WET. However, the towel didn’t squeak. I went on to 330.
330 has the same color as the 303 glaze; a dark grey liquid. On paper, it has more bite and interestingly, it got a ’protection’ and ’durability’ rating from FK. But I am empirical, so I went to work. Same type pad, same speeds. 330 has significantly better lubricity, therefore the workability is looonger. Not quite Optimum but not bad. But – at the end – it dusted. It removed a bit more imperfections and it leaves some protection behind. No pronounced squeaking, just a little.
I stepped up to the 360. It is a ’fast cut medium heavy duty compound’ so I expected very good correction and maybe slight marring. Well, what’s positive, it finishes down to an absolutely perfect, LSP ready surface, but its behavior was strange and the most dissatisfying in my experience. Its working time is somewhere between the 17 and the 330 – also shorter than I’d like – and it started to... dust. That’s why I spritzed 425 on the buffing film while polishing. BAD decision! It started to stick, jump and hop immediately, gummed up and threw ugly and fairly big, clay-like chunks everywhere. It was extremely hard to remove. Remember: one little circle to prime and (in this case) 4 drops to go.
I had to wash the pad immediately. The panel squeaked, but quieter and in a more gentle way than it usually does.
I tried an orange pad with same effects and the freshly washed white, which worked better.
I sat down to think. I tried everything; lots of product, little product. Spritz with water and 425. Speed 5-6, and smear at 3, white pads, orange pad, slow and painfully slow arm speeds.
I was upset. A manufacturer, who has such an excellent product line simply cannot make that $#!tty polishes! I slapped on another white pad and did a reference panel with Optimum polish. Wonderful clarity, NO dust, easy application and removal – and a clean, loudly squeaking surface! That’s it!
I got even more nervous. The Hungarian language has colorful phrases which mention a person’s parents, genealogy, perceived genital state, etc., with brilliant complexity. Armed with that thoughts, I decided to try it again. In a true ’hookarez’ fashion I started to move the DA fast! Remember the Megs video when the detailer swings the polisher like a jedi weapon on the hood? Now, THAT was the trick!!! With all three polishes, you have to spread them out immediately and quickly, to cover the entire work area with the thinnest, most ````geneous film possible. In this way, the amounts are perfect, the film stays workable fairly long and they won’t dust!!! The DA could spend minutes buzzing happily on the surface, and the products finished down and blended in wonderfully. They are color guarded so a too thick residue will stain the towel. Even the surface has squeaked better but still a bit muted. A subsequent IPA wipedown didn’t reveal anything. Removal is very easy. The end result had the same clarity as OP, but wetter and darker. Fascinating look!
I was relieved because they produced an exceptional finish, but I have never experienced such finicky b!tch€$ in my life. One more thing: once you have mastered this learning curve, they work easily and predictably (yes, even with water and 425...), so they are definitely worth a look:
Flake
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish1.jpg
Straight after 360
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish2.jpg
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish3.jpg
Clarity
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish4.jpg
Wetness with 360+330+17
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish5.jpg
17 is a beige creamy liquid, a ’micro polishing compound’ which is supposed to be gentle but effective and able to remove 1000-1200 wet & dry sanding marks.
I primed a white polishing pad on the DA with a healthy but thin circle around the perimeter, smeared the polish around a bit and go! I kicked it immediately to speed 6. After 20-30 short seconds, it started to dust. Aaaarrrggghh. I stopped and removed. It came off easily. Of course, it couldn’t remove heavier defects because it is a mild finishing polish but took out more fine scratches than I thought it would.
Next try with the usual follow-up-amounts (aka 2-4 drops): Same behavior with a little less dust. Despite the apparent dusting I kept it working longer. No difference, same removal. The surface is WET. However, the towel didn’t squeak. I went on to 330.
330 has the same color as the 303 glaze; a dark grey liquid. On paper, it has more bite and interestingly, it got a ’protection’ and ’durability’ rating from FK. But I am empirical, so I went to work. Same type pad, same speeds. 330 has significantly better lubricity, therefore the workability is looonger. Not quite Optimum but not bad. But – at the end – it dusted. It removed a bit more imperfections and it leaves some protection behind. No pronounced squeaking, just a little.
I stepped up to the 360. It is a ’fast cut medium heavy duty compound’ so I expected very good correction and maybe slight marring. Well, what’s positive, it finishes down to an absolutely perfect, LSP ready surface, but its behavior was strange and the most dissatisfying in my experience. Its working time is somewhere between the 17 and the 330 – also shorter than I’d like – and it started to... dust. That’s why I spritzed 425 on the buffing film while polishing. BAD decision! It started to stick, jump and hop immediately, gummed up and threw ugly and fairly big, clay-like chunks everywhere. It was extremely hard to remove. Remember: one little circle to prime and (in this case) 4 drops to go.
I had to wash the pad immediately. The panel squeaked, but quieter and in a more gentle way than it usually does.
I tried an orange pad with same effects and the freshly washed white, which worked better.
I sat down to think. I tried everything; lots of product, little product. Spritz with water and 425. Speed 5-6, and smear at 3, white pads, orange pad, slow and painfully slow arm speeds.
I was upset. A manufacturer, who has such an excellent product line simply cannot make that $#!tty polishes! I slapped on another white pad and did a reference panel with Optimum polish. Wonderful clarity, NO dust, easy application and removal – and a clean, loudly squeaking surface! That’s it!
I got even more nervous. The Hungarian language has colorful phrases which mention a person’s parents, genealogy, perceived genital state, etc., with brilliant complexity. Armed with that thoughts, I decided to try it again. In a true ’hookarez’ fashion I started to move the DA fast! Remember the Megs video when the detailer swings the polisher like a jedi weapon on the hood? Now, THAT was the trick!!! With all three polishes, you have to spread them out immediately and quickly, to cover the entire work area with the thinnest, most ````geneous film possible. In this way, the amounts are perfect, the film stays workable fairly long and they won’t dust!!! The DA could spend minutes buzzing happily on the surface, and the products finished down and blended in wonderfully. They are color guarded so a too thick residue will stain the towel. Even the surface has squeaked better but still a bit muted. A subsequent IPA wipedown didn’t reveal anything. Removal is very easy. The end result had the same clarity as OP, but wetter and darker. Fascinating look!
I was relieved because they produced an exceptional finish, but I have never experienced such finicky b!tch€$ in my life. One more thing: once you have mastered this learning curve, they work easily and predictably (yes, even with water and 425...), so they are definitely worth a look:
Flake
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish1.jpg
Straight after 360
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish2.jpg
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish3.jpg
Clarity
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish4.jpg
Wetness with 360+330+17
http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/FKpolish5.jpg