3M questions. am i crazy?

M

mhsu408

New member
i read around the forums and was thinking about applying these in the following steps:



1) Apply "3M Perfect It Fine Cut Rubbing Compound" with the PC yellow pad. Buff out.

2) Apply "3M Finesse it II" with the PC yellow pad. Buff out.

3) Apply "3M SMR for light cars" with the PC white pad. Buff out.

4) Apply "3M Imperial Hand Glaze" by hand. Buff out.





What do you guys think about this? I know it sounds crazy, but will each step actually benefit my car. I don't want to do a step if it is no use. Suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks!
 
if you truly need step 1, you can skip step 2. And if you do 2 right, 4 won't help. You could also go 3-2 and stop. Main thing is to use the proper technique - every time you add any compound to the pad, make sure you work it until it is completely down to polish. Don't use more unless you're willing to go that far again or you'll get haze.



I've used both 1 and 2, and i just used the FCRC on the Porsche for the 1st time,. There is VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE between FCRC and FI-II - so don't be afraid of FCRC. Use it OR FI-II first, then proceed to SMR. Use FI-II unless you know you need FCRC.
 
I have a few questions about your post



When you say "make sure you work it until it is completely down to polish" what do you mean? How would i know when the 3M is applied all the way down to the polish. What indicators are there?



So you're saying a brilliant shine can be achieved by only using 3M SMR and 3M FI-II?



Also, do i apply the SMR first or the FI-II first?
 
mhsu408 said:
I have a few questions about your post



When you say "make sure you work it until it is completely down to polish" what do you mean? How would i know when the 3M is applied all the way down to the polish. What indicators are there?



So you're saying a brilliant shine can be achieved by only using 3M SMR and 3M FI-II?



Also, do i apply the SMR first or the FI-II first?
Click to expand...



When you work any of the products you mentioned, excluding IHG, you work them until they are nearly dry. When you start with the product, it will look like what came out of the bottle and be very wet. As you continue to work it, it will begin to dry and haze. Keep on a goin' and you will start to see the paint showing through with a nice gloss. You want to work it until it is almost gone, and then wipe the remaining residue off.



FI-II and SMR are close if not the same in aggressiveness, but many feel the FI-II is more aggressive so start with it first. 3M fine cut is not normally needed unless the situation is severe. I would guess that you could use the FI-II then SMR and top with your fav wax.
 
Yep - laynlow has it right. These products have "diminishing abrasives" about which much has been written on this board. Its kind of like having 120 grit sandpaper that automatically becomes 220, then 400, then 600 (only finer.) Straight out of the bottle the abrasive particles are larger - good for removing visible scratches, but replacing them with finer ones that appear as "haze'. (you have to have good light and probably a dark color to even see this.) But as you work the product the abrasives break down into finer and finer particles which will in fact polish out this haze and leave a nice gloss. It takes a LOT of working - i.e., orbital on 6, lots of time, some pressure, etc.



Unlike FI-II, SMR has some fillers which will help fill in any uneveness - although if you plan to start with FI-II or FCRC i actually recommend Meguiar's swirl remover 2.0, which is gentler and has more fillers. it is sufficient to bring back a full gloss if there is any hazing left over from the first step, and far less chance of adding any haze itself (which 3M SMR can do. )



You can't really go too far - when in doubt work it more. it should be quite thin and dry, and you should see a lot of dust buildup (I actually think this is a combination of the residue and bits of the foam pad as it wears.)
 
in what situation would Perfect it Fine cut be necessary? And if i do use the Perfect it Fine Cut, what steps should go after (do i jump straight to the SMR, the hand glass, or what?)?
 
The fine cut would normally be used when backing down the aggressiveness ladder after wet sanding ect. For example if I used heavy cut, I would then use medium cut to remove the scratches left by the heavy cut. Then I would use fine cut and so on.



FI-II is called a finishing material because it polishes out the scratches left by a true compound like fine cut. After you use it, you’re finished. ;) (Except for wax)



IF you do use fine cut, you will use the FI-II next to remove the swirls left by the fine cut. At that point you could use the SMR or simply protect the finish with your favorite wax.
 
I got a somewhat similar question, in my case I used a buffer with medium pressure and applied 3m fine cut compound. After that incident I applied 3M SMR w/ a machine and foam bonnet twice, then followed by hand with IHG twice, then wax. This was back in November. Now I still notice swirls and hairline scrathes in my car, however the IHG fills several of them and makes them almost invisible, does a very incredible job filling the marks and making the car shine. I'm wondering, if the next time I detail, if I use the FI-II, followed with the SMR, then the IHG and wax, will this further reduce the amount of swirls I have, or should i just stick with the SMR followed by IHG. Cause honestly, if I didnt have the IHG, my car would looked SOO swirled, especially the hood. I owe everything to it, lol.
 
Fryd_Up said:
I got a somewhat similar question, in my case I used a buffer with medium pressure and applied 3m fine cut compound. After that incident I applied 3M SMR w/ a machine and foam bonnet twice, then followed by hand with IHG twice, then wax. This was back in November. Now I still notice swirls and hairline scrathes in my car, however the IHG fills several of them and makes them almost invisible, does a very incredible job filling the marks and making the car shine. I'm wondering, if the next time I detail, if I use the FI-II, followed with the SMR, then the IHG and wax, will this further reduce the amount of swirls I have, or should i just stick with the SMR followed by IHG. Cause honestly, if I didnt have the IHG, my car would looked SOO swirled, especially the hood. I owe everything to it, lol.
Click to expand...



Either one should further reduce/eliminate the swirls. I would use the FI-II first, because as carguy stated it has less fillers than SMR. You should be better able to gauge its effectiveness if fillers are not hiding your swirls.
 
Fryd_Up -



Sounds like you need to learn how to avoid getting swirls in the 1st place. I don't think the SMR or IHG put them in. The compounds in those products are fine enough that they will leave haze, not swirls. Don't laugh - it took me a year and a half of keeping my black porsche pretty before I really learned what I now know:



Swirls are easy to remove. They are much harder to avoid in the first place. The enemy is dust, which begins landing on your car at the front while you're still drying the back. Any time you rub dust around on the car (e.g., any time you rub the car with anything) you are introducing these scratches. Worse, the layer can be so thin you will not see it unless you find perfect lighting conditions. You might be scratching with dust even as you're buffing with compound.



My recipe has improved greatly as of late with after proving to my own satisfaction that the "California Car Duster ' safely removes dust without scratching. I dust the black car every time I pull into the garage, and then I can safely use detail spray and a microfiber towel to remove oily fingerprints, smudges, etc. In this way I have been able to reduce the frequency of washing dramatically.



SO - dust your car frequently. Never, never wipe on it - even to dust, unless you've removed as much dust as you can with the CWB first. Minimize rubbing when buffing or drying as well. NOTHING rubs my paint except microfiber wipes and foam pads for compound application. Here's a hint on drying as well.



You won't eliminate getting swirls entirely, but you will reduce them a lot - so your next compounding session should last you a lot longer.
 
Thanks for your help and suggestions, I appreciate it. Next paycheck I'm getting some new supplies and I'll look into getting the Cali. Duster and the MF towels. I'll try out that drying method you suggested next wash as well. :)
 
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