HT Extreme Cut...thoughts

R

RAG

New member
I've now finished my "sample" pint of EC+ and I'm still as impressed with this stuff as I was the first time I tried it - it seems to offer more cut than PG and yet finishes down even better...this is impressive considering PG greater exceeds all other compounds in this regard. Howerver, like PG, this polish needs some "additive" (like OP or RMG) to improve its "working properties", as it tends to dry up rapidly.



Without a doubt, going from EC to 106FF allows me to accomplish the same amount of defect removal in 2 steps as would otherwise take me three steps with Meguiars or other polish lines.



I'm curious how many other preople have tried this marvel of a compound?
 
RAG - I will be trying EC tomorrow for the first time. I am excited; I respect the opinion of guys like you and Sean and hearing both your thoughts leaves me with little doubt I will like it. I'll definitely post my impressions when I am done. :)
 
Picus said:
RAG - I will be trying EC tomorrow for the first time. I am excited; I respect the opinion of guys like you and Sean and hearing both your thoughts leaves me with little doubt I will like it. I'll definitely post my impressions when I am done. :)
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Excellent. Please do.



HTEC seems to be a little more manageable (via rotary) when a porous pad is used, as the closed cell pads like the orage ones and the white LC VC polishing pad I usually like to use for light compounding seems to "grip" the paint too much, making it want to grab and hop around. The Yellow P2s or yellow LC VC work well, though the pads themselves limit how well you'll be able to finish down. If you want to use a polishing pad (sacrificing a little cut for "finishibility"), the green LC VC worked good for me yesterday...and I know others have had good luck with the Meguiars yellow softbuff. And if you really want some cut, this is the best polish I've ever used with lambs wool (doesn't seem to gunk up the pad).
 
I'm using it with wool right now. Just came up for a quick bite to eat. This G35 is in pretty rough shape but so far EC is impressing me. More later.
 
Worked well for me yesterday on '00 GM b/c paint. I can see using a more open pad with the rotary, but I was using my orange as I had some nasty stuff to deal with (ended up leaving a bit, call me chicken I don't think I have that much clear left).



I also tried mixing it with 1Z Ultra, just put them both on the pad. This worked well and gave me a *long* work time, though the added aggressivness from the Ultra only lasted for a little while. This EC/Ultra mix also worked well by Cyclo and even by PC, but note that I only tried it with 4" pads on the latter.
 
I'm going to post my thoughts over in another thread with pics of the car I worked on. Cliff Notes: I like it a lot; definitely needs to be tweaked for workability though.
 
I love the product, just as RAG posted--it allows me to accomplish in two steps what would otherwise need three with other compounds.



I always use it with Meguiars polishing pads, I can't make it work with the orange pads, nor Meguiars cutting pads.



Accumulator, we must be on the same wave length--I tried it mixed with IZ Extra over the weekend on some SS paint--worked great.



One thing we forgot to mention--IT'S CHEAP!! I buy the gallon, which is $27.
 
ebpcivicsi said:
Accumulator, we must be on the same wave length--I tried it mixed with IZ Extra over the weekend on some SS paint--worked great...
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Heh heh, it's funny how often you and I are in sych, especially considering how radically different our situations are (you being a pro who works on all sorts of nasty finishes).



The 1Z/EC mix poses a few questions for me due to the weird way that 1z stuff *by rotary* works best for me at low speeds (1Z told me this is because the abrasives break down too fast at "normal" rotary speeds). I tried it two ways: ~900...work it until the 1Z is probably broken down...turn up to ~1200 until the EC is broken down; start at 1200..work a bit..turn up to 1500. I didn't notice any huge difference between the corrective abilities of either one :nixweiss



At any rate, the worst of the marring I was working with these experiments is still there....I could feel it with my nail so I knew it was severe, but I was still surprised that the following didn't get it out better (maybe it was the orange pads). Heh heh, you said "two steps" right? Get a load of this! All but one pass were done with 1Z/H-T EC combo, orange pads (on both the Cyclo and rotary) used with a bit of pressure, especially with the Cyclo where I really leaned on it. I started with just the Cyclo, which worked great on all but the nasty marring. Here's the progression:



-Cyclo x 2, rotary x 2, straight EC rotary x 1 (@1500), 1Z/EC mix again by Cyclo. At this point I chickened out on further aggressive work and just hit it once with 1Z PP by Cyclo and called it done. Still bugs me as it's right on the driver's side of the hood, looks like somebody had some grit in their wool pad at the stealership. Any "hood reflection" photos will look pretty unimpressive :(
 
I've been using this stuff for a while.





I love it's cut, finishing clean properties, and ability to work for a long time when mixed with Optimum Car Polish.





I have yet to find a finish where I can't go from HTEC/OCP and a cutting pad on the rotary to a finishing polish and finish clean :).









Joe: Interesting comments on the pads. I use it exclusively on LC pads, more specifically, the orange. I have a 6" flat pad and a flexi backing plate...What are you trying it with?
 
G35stilez said:
I've been using this stuff for a while.





I love it's cut, finishing clean properties, and ability to work for a long time when mixed with Optimum Car Polish.





I have yet to find a finish where I can't go from HTEC/OCP and a cutting pad on the rotary to a finishing polish and finish clean :).









Joe: Interesting comments on the pads. I use it exclusively on LC pads, more specifically, the orange. I have a 6" flat pad and a flexi backing plate...What are you trying it with?
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The 6.5" LC orange pad with a flexi BP. I get mixed up when it comes to LC pads, but it is at least 6", orange, black velcro, and I purchased it through TOL. It is bigger than the Meguiars 6" pad--I just can't make it work. It just seems like even with the OP mix it reduces the working time and doesn't allow the polish to finish down(I understand that it has more cut and therefore might not finish as well as a polishing pad, but...). I ordered three though--I will give them another try.
 
ebpcivicsi- You might try the orange LC pad with the EC/1Z Ultra/Extra mix. That's what I used (even used the same backing plate you have). Not that I'm all that experienced with the rotary, but it seemed to work OK for me.
 
Notes - today confirmed my initial positive reaction to the HT product line. I had a black G35 (what else!?), '03, moderate swirls but luckily no really deep marring; just a lot of dealer washes. I decided to go with Heavy Cut (aka 357 magnum) on an orange LC pad, no mix, @1500 and I'll be damned if the finish wasn't LSP ready afterwards, on a black G35 of all things. I went over it with Smooth Cut (aka light cut) on a grey pad @1300, really slow passes just to make sure I got everything and in the end I had no marring or micromarring whatsoever; none of those little gashes so often associated with G35's, just a nice clear finish. Really impressed with HT right now. :)
 
wiat, I only find heavy cut and medium and light cut....where is the extreme cut???? I looked on topoftheline.com, did I miss it?



just got my rotary and looking to pick some up to practice with it
 
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