You change your mind quite a bit? How much experience do you have polishing paint & how competent are you with a rotary buffer?
3 and 4 applications of a polish that is strong enough to remove 2500 grit scratches didn’t cut as much as 1 step with UF? With a PC too? Sounds like you got some great filling. You’re not only baking, but eating your own BS cake.
Explain what your process is to identify filling?
1st off, this has not only been discussed at length and experimented with by several Body Shops(who use the 3M system day-in, day-out), but also with their Reps. Out of all the Body Shop guys I talk to, hardly any have watched 3M’s video. That tells me something about how these videos don’t always fall into the lap of the real end user they market. Many of these same people think that going from compound to UF with good results is ok. Heck, I’ve even seen BS go from Compound (wool) to Machine Polish (black & blue) and think the finish is final. They think this because it is possible to do it with temporary results. The only thing they care about is reducing time and steps with maximum results. Bottom line, it’s a 3 step system and was designed that way (with a rotary) for a reason. I.E. 3 steps required to make sure that the final finish is swirl free. UF was created to fill the gap (so to speak) that their glazes and polishes left off with prior. I don’t know anyone that uses it to correct anything other than that; especially as an ala carte correction application with a PC.
As far as false advertising, I find it interesting that 3M advertises UF for dark colored paints (per their video). But if the buffer swirls are in dark colored paint, they’re in light colors too. Is that false? If they are so concerned about prescribing a perfect recipe, why not advocate their 3 steps for all finishes? Maybe because they realize that most Body Shops only care about marginal results. They are basically saying that you only need to do 2 steps on light colors, but 3 on darks? Shouldn’t make a difference when the only paint you’re buffing is clear. Not knocking UF or 3M in any way, I like, use and recommend their products regularly.
Instead of focusing your witch hunt effort on presumption, why not try out my findings and report back. I have seen, talked about and had UF fill swirls on fresh paint on several occasions. I’ve seen the come backs at body shops and asked the detailer what steps he did that made the car pass final QC. I know and would be willing to bet that I can go from 3M compound to UF, wipe it with solvent and have no buffer swirls return on-site. Can you? Really try doing it and maybe you won’t be such a skeptic. Until then, your opinion means nothing when it’s based on total presumption. Oh, and when you really try it, do it with a Rotary buffer. Just like the 3M video suggests and how these products are designed to be used with.
