3M Ultrafina pad... Educate ME! [Archive] - Autopia Forum - Auto Detailing & Car Care Discussion Forum

E300Diesel

12-18-2008, 09:39 AM

Hey guys/gals....

I`ve been reading in recent and various posts regarding the use of the 3M Ultrafina (blue finishing) pad usage.... I know that Todd TH0001 uses this in all of his artisan level work.

I am opening this thread to shed some light on why is this pad so coveted by many a experienced detailers on this forum. As a newbie I have quite a ways to go as far as knowledge and technique. I myself have a blue LC CCS 6.5" pad that I have used and will use more extensively via my Makita to "burnish" or "jewel" the surface to restore maximum gloss. Is the Ultrafina finer of a pad regarding it`s composition and construction than others?

Thanks!

Thomas Dekany

12-18-2008, 04:14 PM

Hey guys/gals....

I`ve been reading in recent and various posts regarding the use of the 3M Ultrafina (blue finishing) pad usage.... I know that Todd TH0001 uses this in all of his artisan level work.

I am opening this thread to shed some light on why is this pad so coveted by many a experienced detailers on this forum. As a newbie I have quite a ways to go as far as knowledge and technique. I myself have a blue LC CCS 6.5" pad that I have used and will use more extensively via my Makita to "burnish" or "jewel" the surface to restore maximum gloss. Is the Ultrafina finer of a pad regarding it`s composition and construction than others?

Thanks!

UF will work with the blue/red/gold just fine.

SuperBee364

12-19-2008, 12:03 PM

I tried both versions of the US Ultrafina pad. They are both eight inch pads, one of which is "dished out" where the backing plate goes, the other is just a standard waffle weave flat pad. They are great finishing pads, for sure. But I hate big pads. So I switched to my six inch red Edge 2000 waffle weaves, and could tell zero difference in the way Ultrafina performed. I ended up giving my UF pads to a friend.

I`ve used UF with many different pads....LC`s, Megs Soft buff, Soft Buff 2.0, 3M`s, Edge. All of them seemed to produce an equivalent finish, but some would load up and sling much faster. You want a squishy pad (like the 3m, Edge red, LC red) if you want to minimize sling. And with UF, who *doesn``t* want to minimize sling?

Greg Nichols

12-19-2008, 12:37 PM

^^^

SuperBee gave me the pads and I LOVE THEM. I`ve used a blue LC and Red LC and I still think the UF pads are better. I don`t know the PPI of the UF but it seems to high. I don`t get as MUCH sling with them as I do with the blue and red.

I know you can get smaller UF pads if you want.

Merry Christmas,

GREG

Thomas Dekany

12-19-2008, 02:15 PM

I don`t understand how you guys get sling from UF.:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Pats300zx

12-19-2008, 02:23 PM

I don`t understand how you guys get sling from UF.:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Thomas...I was always under the impression that if you got sling with UF you were using it properly. At least that is what I saw on the 3M UF video.

salty

12-19-2008, 02:31 PM

Thats what the video shows. It also seems to be a guideline on how much to use. Never had any problems when it doesn`t sling but made sure there was a film on the paint. It also doesn`t sling until the RPM are higher, like 1800.

imported_DetailDan

12-19-2008, 08:10 PM

To me, UF seems to work a little better if you use a bit more.

E300Diesel

12-19-2008, 09:39 PM

Ok..... It`s gonna sound stupid, but from reading some of these posts I am understanding that there is an UF pad and an actual product (i.e. polish) ?

SoCalB6

12-20-2008, 02:25 AM

^ Yes, correct

imported_DieselMDX

12-20-2008, 03:23 AM

I have used them and love them on my flex

SuperBee364

12-20-2008, 10:44 AM

^^^

SuperBee gave me the pads and I LOVE THEM. I`ve used a blue LC and Red LC and I still think the UF pads are better. I don`t know the PPI of the UF but it seems to high. I don`t get as MUCH sling with them as I do with the blue and red.

I know you can get smaller UF pads if you want.

Merry Christmas,

GREG

Yeah, but you gotta get them from the UK; they aren`t available here in the US. Phil got a secret stash of them last spring, but he sold through them fast. I think you had to know a secret hand shake to get them from him, too.

imported_DetailDan

12-20-2008, 11:20 AM

I think PakShak has the 6" pad.

Eliot Ness

12-20-2008, 11:31 AM

I think PakShak has the 6" pad.Yes, Ranney has both the 6" blue UF pad, the 6" grey/black, and the coveted 5" 3M backing plates:

3M Automotive Products (http://www.pakshak.com/3m-automotive-products.html)

They aren`t cheap, but as Supe mentioned that stuff has to come from the UK.

I talked to some 3M reps this past August and they indicated that 3M is considering selling the 6" pads in the U.S., but it wasn`t something that was going to happen very soon.

E300Diesel

12-20-2008, 11:41 AM

Yes, Ranney has both the 6" blue UF pad, the 6" grey/black, and the coveted 5" 3M backing plates:

3M Automotive Products (http://www.pakshak.com/3m-automotive-products.html)

They aren`t cheap, but as Supe mentioned that stuff has to come from the UK.

I talked to some 3M reps this past August and they indicated that 3M is considering selling the 6" pads in the U.S., but it wasn`t something that was going to happen very soon.

Thanks for that link. It`s all coming together now.... Polish and pad :-)

How does the 3M Perfect-it III Ultrafina SE Polish #50383 compare to Menzerna`s Micro Polish PO 87MC?