Dissapointed..

[Evenflow]

Well I took my first shot at polishing about a half hour ago.



I sprayed my LC pad with QD a few times, then went for the Optimum Polish. Well, it wouldn`t even come out of the bottle because this **** is sooo chunky. I shook it for atleast a half hour, and all that came out of it were globs so I used this with the PC. From what I can see, its really not doing any paint correction. I still have swirls, webs, and scratches.



Think I might trade in my Optimum for the SSR line.



Also I clayed before I began to polish, none of the clay is on the vehicle but the lube is. Is that safe to leave on?

[DocHoliday]

IMO you do not need to prime the pad and just me, but I like the SSRs over the Opti line.

[4details2win]

I found that the polish only removed FINE swilrs and scratches. The Optimum Compound with a more agressive pad does a MUCH better job of removing the swirls.

[Evenflow]

I think I might need to step it up to the compound then..



Im using an orange LC cutting pad though.

[a.k.a. Patrick]

Polish is (as said) for very fine wash or drying induced swirls.....

Compound forthe more neglected wash/dry induced problems....

Hyper compound for the more serious defects.....

[JasonD]

Before automatically jumping to a more aggressive polish, please tell us how you used the OP. How big of an area did you polish at a time? How long did you work the polish, or did you *work* it at all? What speed(s) did you use on your PC? Always look at your process first. You might be surprised what can happen with just a few tweaks.

[David703]

I`ve used OP and it really doesn`t seem to do much at all for averge swirls. You should step up to Optimum compound. I know everyone sayes that you should only use the least aggressive product and pad, but its been my experience that more aggressive means quicker. I usually use Power Gloss with a rotory. It leaves some light marring but that is easily and quickly taken care of. I also have the SSRI line. Again, I wouldnt even bother with anything under the 2.5. But beware, that the SSRI line has some fillers. So if you want to completely remove the swirls I would look at mezernas or Optimum Compound line or other products that don`t have any fillers.



And read what JDookie said, which is all true. If you don`t use the product right, I will never work. Good luck.

[Evenflow]

I couldnt get the OP of the bottle worth a damn. It came out in CHUNKS even after shaking it for a half hour, AND trying to put it in a bottle with a bigger nozzle.



From what I did get out, I spread it on the car in just about a 2`x2` area. Set it to speed 3 spread around a bit, then bumped it up to speed 6. Made a few passes, until it looked like it was all gone then I wiped it off. It left a very nice shine, but the swirls and blemishes were still there.



I really think I need a more aggressive/user friendly product here. Polishing is the only thing keeping me from the end.

[J.J.]

From my expereince, they don`t really come any more user friendly than OP. The SSR line is fine, but I would use the OP over SSR any day. This is simply my opinion though and I use a rotary, so there isn`t really anything that the OP can`t take out with a little finesse. Also, I`ve never experienced the "chunks" thing. That`s wierd.



JJ

[4details2win]

That sounds like your using the buffer and polish correctly. Use the cutting pad and Optimum Compound and you will have a smile on your face after you wipe the worked area. I had the same problem your having when using the OP. I used a light polish pad, didn`t do much, then used a more agressive pad with OP not much different, then used an even more agressive pad (orange excel pad) with OP and that still wasn`t sufficient so I used the compound with orange pad and was plesantly surprised at how well it removed water spots, swirls and blemishes.

[Evenflow]

So I need some OC then?



Im using a Lc Orange cutting pad



Will the OC be chunky like the OP?

[strat81]

While I`ve never used Optimum polish, I can tell you that certain polishes need to be worked in using quite a bit of pressure on the PC. I`ve read on the Meguiar`s forum that if you can see the pad spinning you`re not using enough pressure. I also prefer to make two applications of a mild product than risk going overboard with a single application of an aggressive product. Good luck!



Edit: Another thing, maybe your product is fubar. Sometimes stuff sits on the shelf too long or gets left out in the sun or freezing cold.

[Evenflow]

Here are the pics as promised. As you can see, the left side is the side that was polished. There was still quite a bit of swirling, and many fine scratches can still be seen in the clear.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v124/pmdemas/DetailProb/Swirl6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v124/pmdemas/DetailProb/Swirl5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v124/pmdemas/DetailProb/Swirl3.jpg



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v124/pmdemas/DetailProb/Comparison.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v124/pmdemas/DetailProb/Sideswirl.jpg



I have a chance to return the OP, and in return get SSR2, and SSR1. Just wondering if this would be a wise move. Or should I stick with the OP and keep trying? I really dont see the point in sticking with the OP seeing as I cannot even get the stuff out of the bottle.

[jdhutchin]

Yeah, if the polish is coming out in chunks, it`s probably no good anymore. Pitch the bottle, clean the pad well, and get a new bottle of polish, or a more agressive compound as it seems that`s what you might need.

[Evenflow]

So should I sell the bottle and pick up some Optimum Compound, or SSR1&2?