Upgrading my home AV receiver

[Preachers Sheets]

The yellow pad and 3M FI-II rubbing compound works but takes too long, is there anything stronger that 3M makes, any other brand you guys suggest.



The thing is, I am getting into detailing for money and I can`t afford to spend 4-6 hours of just removing swirls, I would still have to layer the All In One, then the Glaze, do the tires, the windows, carpets etc.....

[MikeLS]

Wow, for 3M PI-2 RC-FC not to take out most of the swirls, they must be pretty bad. There are other options though. 3M also makes a Medium and Heavy Cut Compound for serious defects. http://www.3m.com/market/automotive/product4.html (`http://www.3m.com/market/automotive/product4.html`)

Meguiar`s also makes similar products. They have Medium and Heavy Cut Cleaners. All of these must be used by buffer for best results.

You can find these products locally, or there are other brands you may try that can be ordered online like AutoMagic.

[BradE]

If the swirls are that bad it will require the surface to be "leveled". Which means using the wool pad. Find something to practice on first, then take a couple passes with the FC compound on the wool pad and that should help the problem. :up



You will still have to polish down further to remove any compounding marks left by the wool pad and the compound.

[mhaber]

I agree with previous comments. I personally won`t go above 3M FI-II because my car is new. I prefer to take longer, do several applications, than to go with heavier cutting compound. I also found that a terry cloth applicator worked better than a foam since I didn`t trust myself using a wool pad.

[Preachers Sheets]

The car I am doing is a 1998 Chevy Express van, it`s my dad`s.



It has never been detailed and when it was washed he used the brush in the spray bays.



Do this help in suggesting a specific product? I don`t mind spending one day prepping and the next just giving it a wash and sealing but I don`t want to spend all day to see I have alot more polishing to do.



Your also saying use a terry bonnet over a foam pad... does it work better (as in more aggresive)?

[mhaber]

Yes, I found the terry cloth bonnet to be slightly more abrasive than the foam pad when using the SMR. As I said, I`ve never gone above the FI-II in abrasiveness so hopefully someone else will give you advice.



I`ve never used a wool bonnet but I`ve seen photos of the damage they can cause at least with a high speed buffer. I like the 3M products and the medium and heavy cut products should be available at a local auto supply. Remember, after you go up in abrasiveness, you then have to polish out the swirls you get by moving back down ending with SMR and IHG if you choose this route. Then apply the wax/sealant. I suggest you work with one section at a time to perfect your technique. I learned a lot and got more confident as I went along section by section.



Good luck.

[mhaber]

joed1228,

I see your a "master detailer" so hope my previous comments aren`t viewed as talking down to you. I learned all this the hard way by making all the mistakes first. I did find that when I started by working one section at a time--doing all the swirl removal then applying the glaze and finally sealant--I could tell if the final product was what I wanted. It took me several re-workings of the first section I chose to figure out exactly how much abrasiveness to use and how much polishing repair work was needed to remove the damage I `d caused in getting through the swirl layers. Once I got my techinque down, the rest of the car went quicker. FYI, I use Zaino too and I find it applies well over 3M products even though they say to strip all products first.

[Andre']

I would use the wool bonnet and not the terry one, the wool bonnets work very well with abrasives. The terry pad can caus bad swirlmarks and scratches, and yes a wool pad can caus scratching and swirling, but so can a foam pad if it is used with a bad technique.



3M`s Perfect-it Fine cut compound is a bit more abrasive than FI2.

[Chuckmotor]

I`ve been thinking about using the 3M Fine Rubbing Compound when I do my "spring cleaning" in a few weeks, possibly with a wool bonnet. I am just worried that this will be too risky, especially for a clear coated car. I have used FI-II with great success on some cars but on my car, it doesn`t seem to respond very well. The swirls simply won`t go away. I am also worried about getting lots of "hollogramming" or "3D swirls." Any suggestions for preventing those?

[BradE]

The best thing you can do with wool pads is don`t apply much pressure, let the machine work under it own weight. Go slow with the OPM. If you use a wool pad at higher speeds it create heat very quickly and burn. Keep the pad as "flat" as possible so you don`t get uneven cuts from the pad.

[Chuckmotor]

Thanks, ShowRoom. Is Perfect-It II Fine Cut Rubbing Compound too abrasive to use with a wool pad on a clear coat?

[BradE]

No it`s not too abrasive. As long as you operate the machine at a nice low speed and pay attention you will be fine.:up

[Andre']

Well you can`t burn paint with the PC they do not create much heat, you can remove paint with an abrasive, but you can`t burn it. When using abrasives with the PC, the faster and longer you work the polish, the finer the abrasives become, leaving a finer finish. :cool:

[imported_JeffBruce]

Some people say to put the wool pad at a 30 degree angle and you can control it better, this is on a rotory, on the PC i use it flat all the time...

jeff

[Preachers Sheets]

I think I am going to get the medium cut 3M polish and try it out. Seems like it will save me alot of time on cars that are 5+ years old, never ben detailed and swirled to kingdom come.



I was thinking of the panel by panel method but I didn`t really see any benefit in it, you guys are saying it helps so I might as well give it a shot.



P.S. I am not a master detailer, I am a master learner. :bounce