Sonus SFX-1 or 3m perfect it II compund?

[u8myburger]

im planning on buying SFX-1 restore polish but i already have a bottle of 3m perfect it II compound. is it worth getting the bottle of SFX-1 or is it practically the same exact thing as the 3m product i already have? if i do stay with 3m perfect it will it work with SFX-2 enhance polish? and when i do compound a panel, how long do i need to work the compound into the panel with a porter cable? and at what speed is good? thanks

[dneedsmuscles]

im planning on buying SFX-1 restore polish but i already have a bottle of 3m perfect it II compound. is it worth getting the bottle of SFX-1 or is it practically the same exact thing as the 3m product i already have? if i do stay with 3m perfect it will it work with SFX-2 enhance polish? and when i do compound a panel, how long do i need to work the compound into the panel with a porter cable? and at what speed is good? thanks



3m is great to use for the price but it breaks down fairly quickly. Sonus products can be pricy but worth it when it comes to the amount of working time they have. sfx-2 and 3m worked for me fine in combination. Working the compound is a very general question....what kind of compound are you using, what kind of car/paint, and what speed is your PC set at?

[u8myburger]

3m is great to use for the price but it breaks down fairly quickly. Sonus products can be pricy but worth it when it comes to the amount of working time they have. sfx-2 and 3m worked for me fine in combination. Working the compound is a very general question....what kind of compound are you using, what kind of car/paint, and what speed is your PC set at?



hm okay, lets say ill be using the 3m compound, on a 1995 300zx. i believe the paint is still factory paint and the question about the PC speed is what are my safe zones in terms of speed settings (ie, do i only want to use it on #1 setting or do i need to set it at 3.5 to get some real results from it)



IF i do get SFX-1 would i still follow the same technique as the 3m product?

[imported_Picus]

I haven`t used perfect it or finesse it for a long time - but I use SFX-1 a lot. The process I use with it is put a couple dabs on the pad (2-3, dime sized), put them on the paint then work in at speed 3 (slowly, with some pressure). As the product is breaking down kick the speed up to 6 and continue to work it in slowly with some pressure. SFX-1 has been very good to me in terms of taking out moderate swirls and marring, it also very rarely leaves a haze which is nice. I do like to follow it up with a less aggressive polish/pad combo though.

[imported_DennisH]

I haven`t used perfect it or finesse it for a long time - but I use SFX-1 a lot. The process I use with it is put a couple dabs on the pad (2-3, dime sized), put them on the paint then work in at speed 3 (slowly, with some pressure). As the product is breaking down kick the speed up to 6 and continue to work it in slowly with some pressure. SFX-1 has been very good to me in terms of taking out moderate swirls and marring, it also very rarely leaves a haze which is nice. I do like to follow it up with a less aggressive polish/pad combo though.



What color pad do you use? I`m going to try either PB2.5 or SFX-1 tonight and I plan to use a Cyclo yellow pad. I have already used IP and yellow and need something with a little more cut.

[imported_Picus]

I use a yellow LC pad or Megs purple, so medium cut on a PC. I have run across some marring it won`t take out and have to bust out the rotary but for the most part it seems to do the trick. Good luck.

[former86camaro]

I would consider alternatives to the SFX line. I have had horrible experience with it, but that is just me and a few of my buddies who have tried it. Others have faired much better.

[imported_animes2k]

I would consider alternatives to the SFX line. I have had horrible experience with it, but that is just me and a few of my buddies who have tried it. Others have faired much better.



When did you last try it? I believe it was last summer that David reformulated the SFX lineup and I had great results with it by hand, PC and rotary (see the black s2000 featured on autopia`s "perfect shine" how-to).

[dneedsmuscles]

When did you last try it? I believe it was last summer that David reformulated the SFX lineup and I had great results with it by hand, PC and rotary (see the black s2000 featured on autopia`s "perfect shine" how-to).





I agree. The SFX line has been good to me. Actually wish that most compunds and polishes were as easy to use as the SFX line. I`ve used poorboys/Optimum/3m/Meg,etc and I am always impressed when I resort back to Sonus. The work time is great and it`s easy to wipe off. I just wish they carried something a bit more aggressive...maybe they do and I haven`t seen it yet...maybe like an SFX-0 :idea

[imported_Picus]

I kind of wish they had an SFX-0 too. SFX-1 is a pretty aggressive cut, and maybe it`s just that I use it primarily with a PC, but I think it`d be nice to have a diamond-cut version from the SFX series. I like them a lot too.

[VWdriver]

I just got SFX1 and 2 and I`ve never used a PC before. How long should I work these products in for? I read 2-4 minutes for your typical polish. Do I just stop when you can barely see the polish?

[former86camaro]

I know it was under 1 year old, could be 6 months I am not sure on the dates. Even if it is reformunlated and improved I feel I wasted the money on the SFX 1, 2, 3 why would I risk it again. I am not poor, but if you get food poisoining from a restaurant how quick are you to go back to that place and try again and SFX left a sour not user friendly taste in my mouth.



Based on your resposnses I must have gotten a real bad batch. Easy to wipe off was not the case. I went super thin, Zaino thin and it was still horrible to remove.

[imported_Picus]

Thin? Er, you weren`t letting it dry on the paint like a sealant, were you?

[former86camaro]

worked it in till dusting, worked it in panel then removed any excess just never could get it to work for me. Posted before asking questions about it, followed the replies, just no matter what I tried I never got it to work. Finally I said it is taking up space so I tossed almost full bottles right into the trash. I was so unhappy with it I would not even dare give it away.

[SVTContour]

im planning on buying SFX-1 restore polish but i already have a bottle of 3m perfect it II compound. is it worth getting the bottle of SFX-1 or is it practically the same exact thing as the 3m product i already have? if i do stay with 3m perfect it will it work with SFX-2 enhance polish? and when i do compound a panel, how long do i need to work the compound into the panel with a porter cable? and at what speed is good? thanks



I got good results with 3m PI II Fine Cut with a SFX-1 pad, followed by SFX-2 on a SFX-2 pad, all on about 5 on the PC, working each panel for about 2-3 minutes until the polish was almost gone. This was on a 2000 Ford Contour with light swirls and acid rain etching. ALL the swirls came out, and about 75% of the water etching.



Thing about the 3M the dust is carcinogenic (sp?), i.e. it can cause cancer, so wear a mask. I learned about this fact AFTER using it. :doh