How long do you work a polish with a PC?

**StLB5** · 10-14-2002, 09:05 AM

I`ve got about 10 hours logged on my new PC so I`m still a big time noob on it. I`ve been using 3M FI-II and SMR, and I`m about to try PI-II RCFC. The SMR seems really easy to work with and it does seem to buff itself out relatively quickly once it starts to dry a bit and then it cleans up really easy with a couple wipes of the MF. The FI-II however has been a PITA! I work a 2X2 area for a couple or three minutes and it starts to dry. When I pass back over a section with the PC it looks wet and then dry quickly. I went as far as to keep "working" it until a section just barely looked wet after a pass and almost insantly dried. I try to wipe the section off with a MF and it is really hard. It leaves an oily look and I can`t really see if I`ve gotten all the swirl. Before I MF, the section is completely covered with the FI-II and doesn`t seem to buff out at all on its own. Do I need to work it even more? When do you stop working it? How dry is too dry, when will I start to harm the paint/pad? Will the PI-II be about the same as the FI-II as far as ease of use? Thanks.

**PGA2B** · 10-14-2002, 10:52 AM

I got this off a thread on this forum hope it helps. I did the same thing this weekend and follow these instructions.

"Al - I use about 4 nickel diameter drops of FI-II on a cutting pad for an area the size of 1/4 hood, half a coupe door, a whole sedan door - about as much as I like to work at once. PC on 6. Put it on the panel and turn on the PC. Rapidly distribute the material to the entire section you plan to work. Now go back and start working it - begin with firm pressure at least 10 lbs. You should hear the PC motor slow down, maybe by 25%. Maintain this pressure and move slowly (no more than an inch per second, preferably less) over the surface, overlapping the previous pass by half a pad diameter. I usually go in one direction across the entire surface, then change to 90 degrees to that - just to help me see where I`ve been. On Richard`s car I probably did this for 10 minutes or more for the first FI-II pass. The material begins to dry out, and you start to get an accumulation of white powder. Work it some more. When it is really dry, reduce the pressure - if the PC is on your hood, back off to 1/2 of what you were using so there is a small load on the motor, make some more passes. Then more with no pressure, just the weight of the PC. Then still more while you support half the weight. By this time the material is almost gone, and as you move you often leave behind areas that look fully buffed out. You can move the PC faster on these last stages - maybe 3 inches per second. Do NOT add more FI-II - you`ll just ruin all the breaking-down and polishing you did.

Stop, buff off and inspect. I find FI-II residue is "sticky" - so I use lots of detail spray to aid in wiping it off. If you still have a lot of SCRATCHES left, use 4 more dollops and repeat the entire process above. If you have any HAZE left (Haze is caused by scratches too fine to see with the naked eye) then you didn`t work it hard enough. I do find that there is sometimes a slight un-evenness to the look, with sections looking SLIGHTLY hazy - don`t worry, this will go away when you follow it up w/ SMR. Every car I`ve done has been a little different. Best case, when you`re done with the FI-II it is ready to wax. But I think SMR or at least a non-abraisve polish like some of the Meguiar`s products will help even out the look."

**StLB5** · 10-14-2002, 10:57 AM

hmm, that sounds like it will load up the pad pretty quick with dried polish. How many times should I expect to the change pads?

**shaf** · 10-14-2002, 02:55 PM

Heh heh, I have a copy of that above post to Alboston on my computer! Thank carguy for that technique. :xyxthumbs

One thing I`ve read about when using the PC is that you can take a paintbrush and run it over the pad with the PC on to remove some of the caking.

Another helpful tip I`ve heard is to NEVER lift off the pad from the car at high speed. Apparently it starts spinning (rotary-style) like crazy and can cause damage.

**porterdog** · 10-15-2002, 08:20 AM

C`mon, get real!. My experience matches those above- takes a long time to break down, gummy tenacious residue, and maybe leaves uneven hazing.

I don`t like FI II!

What else is there that`s more agressive than SMR but easier to use? I`ve got FCRC, which is a breeze, but according to a recent thread the final finish isn`t as good as you get with FI II.

Suggestions?

Robert

**StLB5** · 10-15-2002, 08:30 AM

After an assault of e-mails to BradB yesterday, he suggested using a slower speed on the PC. He told me that the higher speeds tend to dry out the product prematurely. And you know nothing associated with the word premature is ever good. Last night I washed the car and went to work with the PI-II RCFC. The slower speed helped a lot. I worked the PC until the first sign of dusting and then wiped it clean. Fresh MF`s seemed to wipe it clean fairly easily, but when I`d use the same on to wipe down the next section, it took a little longer. I tried using a mister bottle of H2O and Alcohol (the rubbing kind

) and it took the dried PI off, but smeared all to hell. The PI didn`t seem to get any more of the scratches that the FI missed so I only did a couple of sections and then switched to the SMR. The hood is completely done and ready for some Z. Hopefully I can hit the rest of the car tonight with the SMR since it goes so much faster than the FI or PI.

**corvettez** · 10-15-2002, 08:51 AM

I like the 3M Perfect it 111 Machine Glaze, (pn 05937) over the Finesse it 11, the Pi 111 seems much easier to work. The Fi 11 needed to be followed up and left hazing, the Pi 111 did neither and left a nice haze free gloss after minimal buffing. I like the FCRC too and have had good luck with that by itself and as a first pass before the Pi 111

**shaf** · 10-15-2002, 01:57 PM

Originally posted by porterdog

C`mon, get real!. My experience matches those above- takes a long time to break down, gummy tenacious residue, and maybe leaves uneven hazing.

I don`t like FI II!

What else is there that`s more agressive than SMR but easier to use? I`ve got FCRC, which is a breeze, but according to a recent thread the final finish isn`t as good as you get with FI II.

Suggestions?

Robert

Yeah one thing that steered me away from buying FI II was the huge working time it apparently needs.

I`ve heard that Meguiar`s DACP is the ticket for more aggressiveness than SMR, but it breaks down easy and leaves a good SMR-like finish once broken down and worked in. The DACP bottle kind of hints at this too. The only negative is that I don`t think it`s "filler-less". Can`t wait to try it though!

:bounce