qwertydude
08-21-2008, 12:42 PM
Yes the title is kinda weird but I usually do a test on all my polishes to determine how the abrasives behave. This is the first time I put my usual lineup in a head to head comparison. The test involves putting a small drop on a fresh cd-r and placing another fresh cd-r on top then rubbing back and forth. You can learn a lot about how a polish is literally constructed by doing this just by feeling how the polish starts and how it breaks down into a finer polishing agent.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/677/cdtestku7.jpg
Starting from the bottom is Turtle Wax premium polishing compound. This polish doesn`t get any respect here, but I like it. It`s abrasives aren`t as uniform as the megs lineup. I can feel a bigger particle here and there, and I can feel that the density of the particles is less, therefore they put lots of lubricating oils in it. Good because it gives a long work time in my experience. This broke down fairly quickly into a uniform and very fine grit, about 30 seconds. So it behaves like a good polish should, the bigger grits take out the scratch and the finer grits break down the bigger ones so in the end with it`s long working time you`re polishing to a very fine finish.
Going left is Meguiars #2 This is their Fine Cut cleaner. It has a dense and quite uniform feel to it`s grits. Grit size feels about the same as the TW minus the big particles, which helps reinforce my faith in the TWPPC. Rubbing back and forth I find it breaks down much slower than the other megs products in this test it took about 2 minutes to break down, perhaps it`s why it is not favored among autopia. I don`t much like it myself. Luckily it`s long lasting lubricating oils means it doesn`t just flash off before you`re done working with it, and you`ll need that feature because of the longer work time needed with #2.
Up top is # 9 most people say this has no cut to it. I beg to differ. It has a fairly fine cut to it, and lots of lubricating oils, which I believe buffer the abrasives quite well, which make it such a fine polish. Grit size is slightly smaller in feel to #2 and it breaks down in about 1 minute, I get great results using this even by hand. I can`t attest to the filling ability but can tell you that it leaves a great finish on cars that seems to last as long as the wax does so if it fills, it fills as good as a wax.
On the right is M105. Now this will be the most polarizing and unusual of all the polishes I test, M105. Already considered the biggest of the big guns and yet leaves a fine finish. In fact almost no damage was done to the cd and it damages the least of all polishes and compounds I have ever tested, or at least no damage was left from when I first applied it. What is unusual is that in terms of grit size that I can feel is that it has the finest grit size of all the polishes, yes the FINEST. Now my belief in how it works is that it is packed with this particular grit, hence kinda short on lubrication as evidenced by how quickly everyone says it flashes off. My experience concurs. But these ultrafine abrasives must also have a very good cut to them in order for it to work like it does, probably made of a harder material that doesn`t dull as quickly. The tiny size of the particles means they won`t scratch and don`t need as much lubrication to buffer them from gouging deep scratches, but the hardness and sharpness means they cut very well (albeit very finely) so it can remove and round off damage very quickly without leaving much if any swirls behind. This is truly something different and amazing.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/677/cdtestku7.jpg
Starting from the bottom is Turtle Wax premium polishing compound. This polish doesn`t get any respect here, but I like it. It`s abrasives aren`t as uniform as the megs lineup. I can feel a bigger particle here and there, and I can feel that the density of the particles is less, therefore they put lots of lubricating oils in it. Good because it gives a long work time in my experience. This broke down fairly quickly into a uniform and very fine grit, about 30 seconds. So it behaves like a good polish should, the bigger grits take out the scratch and the finer grits break down the bigger ones so in the end with it`s long working time you`re polishing to a very fine finish.
Going left is Meguiars #2 This is their Fine Cut cleaner. It has a dense and quite uniform feel to it`s grits. Grit size feels about the same as the TW minus the big particles, which helps reinforce my faith in the TWPPC. Rubbing back and forth I find it breaks down much slower than the other megs products in this test it took about 2 minutes to break down, perhaps it`s why it is not favored among autopia. I don`t much like it myself. Luckily it`s long lasting lubricating oils means it doesn`t just flash off before you`re done working with it, and you`ll need that feature because of the longer work time needed with #2.
Up top is # 9 most people say this has no cut to it. I beg to differ. It has a fairly fine cut to it, and lots of lubricating oils, which I believe buffer the abrasives quite well, which make it such a fine polish. Grit size is slightly smaller in feel to #2 and it breaks down in about 1 minute, I get great results using this even by hand. I can`t attest to the filling ability but can tell you that it leaves a great finish on cars that seems to last as long as the wax does so if it fills, it fills as good as a wax.
On the right is M105. Now this will be the most polarizing and unusual of all the polishes I test, M105. Already considered the biggest of the big guns and yet leaves a fine finish. In fact almost no damage was done to the cd and it damages the least of all polishes and compounds I have ever tested, or at least no damage was left from when I first applied it. What is unusual is that in terms of grit size that I can feel is that it has the finest grit size of all the polishes, yes the FINEST. Now my belief in how it works is that it is packed with this particular grit, hence kinda short on lubrication as evidenced by how quickly everyone says it flashes off. My experience concurs. But these ultrafine abrasives must also have a very good cut to them in order for it to work like it does, probably made of a harder material that doesn`t dull as quickly. The tiny size of the particles means they won`t scratch and don`t need as much lubrication to buffer them from gouging deep scratches, but the hardness and sharpness means they cut very well (albeit very finely) so it can remove and round off damage very quickly without leaving much if any swirls behind. This is truly something different and amazing.