I use to bash on optimum but...

Bence said:
PRB, there is something fishy, because one of the biggest advantages of Optimum is to run cooler and physically easier than other products. I used #80 (which is a pretty well lubricated product) with a dying rotary and the machine run uneven and was extremely hot. Then I decided this is not the day of the Megs, so I switched to OP on the same pad, and wonder of wonders, the machine was running evenly and was barely warm. And as a plus, I got wonderful results.
Click to expand...



agreed. i've used different polishes/compounds and Optimum is very user friendly and gives excellent results... :up
 
OP is all i use with my rotary, IMO there is nothing better for rotary work, i wouldnt use it with a PC though.



Infinite work time, lets the rotary glide, no dust at all, can work much larger areas, inexpensive, no hidding or filling, always get a flawless finish and you can change up pads for more or less cutting action.



What more can you ask for?
 
Alfisti said:
And like Optimum polishes, is very pad dependant. #83-like correction with a yellow cutting pad, and #80 like finish with white polishing pad.
Click to expand...



So Powerpolish is safe to use with a yellow pad? I used it with an orange pad and it is very user friendly. I would like to try Optimum but I may just stick with the MPP
 
Reflectionz said:
the w8000 is the yellow polishing right? thats weird.. doesnt grab for me at all. i usually go very slow 1000rpms- for bumpers.. and i like using the purple lc wool pads because it doesnt heat up at much. are you sure that the paint was fully cured on the bumper? does it still feel somewhat rubbery?
Click to expand...



Yes, that is Meguiar's polishing pad.



I have a great deal of experience with Meguiar's and 3M products. I've sampled and tested many, many other lines as well.



The paint was most definitely cured. When I said previously repainted, it was only to emphasize that it was non-factory finish. My co-worker bought the car in January and hasn't had any paint work done. The paint feels as it should and responded well to the other products I used on it.



My problem definitely isn't inexperience with the tools or techniques. It's inexperience with Optimum Polish.
 
Bence said:
PRB, there is something fishy, because one of the biggest advantages of Optimum is to run cooler and physically easier than other products.
Click to expand...



This is the first time I've ever heard that about Optimum Polish.



On several forums, I've seen people say it will get warm. In each case I've used the product with rotary or Cyclo, it has developed greater warmth than any other product I've used. My work is always out of the sun and on a cool surface. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong unless it's pad selection.



I must note that warmth from a mild polish used on a Cyclo struck me as very out of the ordinary.



The product isn't clumping nor is it disappearing on me as I use it. It just seems to make the pad a bit more resistant to turning smoothly.



My pad is primed with product, much as it would be with any other product. I've run it on entire vehicles with this similar feel and temperature change.



This leads me to one of three conclusions:



1. Need to use a different type of foam pad



2. My bottle of product has gone bad



3. These are characteristics of Optimum and I need to adjust to them.
 
Strange. These are definitely not the characteristics of Optimum Polish. For me Menzerna work areas definitely get hotter than the Optimum surfaces. And pretty much Optimum is the only polish which is always in total harmony with the machine. The rotary just rests on my open palms, it needs no gripping, grabbing, fighting; and just glides on the surface.



On the other end of the scale, I could mention a misbehaving 3.02. You have to fight the machine like Yoda did with Count Dooku.



How long did you shake the polish before application?
 
I have to try the OP. The 3.02 is not very complicated to use. If you spread it @ ~700-1000 rpm with some pressure and then you work it @ ~1500 rpm until it goes clear and just before slow down to ~1000 rpm you'll achieve amazing results.
 
Mario, yes, when it decides to cooperate it is a dream to use. But when it decides to be a b!tch, then it just PITA. And it doesn't need a big change in conditions; sometimes it is enough to go over a different panel and it is tricky, but when you switch back to the previous one, it is smooooth again. Or enough to work with it a few hours later when the humidity changes and it is a whore once again.



Luckily for me it is 90% perfect but the remaining 10% is bitter enough. But no such probs with any of the Optimum polishes.
 
Bence said:
Strange. These are definitely not the characteristics of Optimum Polish. For me Menzerna work areas definitely get hotter than the Optimum surfaces. And pretty much Optimum is the only polish which is always in total harmony with the machine. The rotary just rests on my open palms, it needs no gripping, grabbing, fighting; and just glides on the surface.



On the other end of the scale, I could mention a misbehaving 3.02. You have to fight the machine like Yoda did with Count Dooku.

How long did you shake the polish before application?
Click to expand...



That was so friggen funny Bence:grinno: :woot:



It can sometimes act up, but the whole key is to work the area at 600 rpm to break down the polish evenly for a minute. It does do a beating on my rotary and even my Metabo keeps shutting down like a piece of toy that it is. I ate up my gears in my Hitachi in 2 months from all the binding it does every now and then. It's a good thing my arms are like steel.



3.02 is still my favorite polish though, but it needs a real rotary to work it.
 
When we first saw that episode, and the fight began, I said somewhat loudly in the cinema: "We didn't know until this point which race Yoda belonged to, but now it is absolutely clear that he is a Gummi Bear..." We laughed so hard & loud that we missed basically the whole fight scene. :D
 
Bence said:
Strange. These are definitely not the characteristics of Optimum Polish. For me Menzerna work areas definitely get hotter than the Optimum surfaces. ?
Click to expand...



Haven't used a single Menzerna product yet, so I can't compare there



All I know is that *my* OP gets hot, not warm. This happens identically on vehicles from various manufacturers on both factory and aftermarket finishes.



Bence said:
And pretty much Optimum is the only polish which is always in total harmony with the machine. The rotary just rests on my open palms, it needs no gripping, grabbing, fighting; and just glides on the surface.
Click to expand...



This is is truly the opposite of my Optimum Polish experience. My DeWalt doesn't bog down, but I have to keep a solid grip on the machine to keep the pad from hopping or going in the wrong direction. I can definitely feel it giving the machine much more resistance than any other products I currently use.





Bence said:
How long did you shake the polish before application?
Click to expand...



I carried the bottle upside down from my house to my garage and left it that way while I masked my work area. I shook the bottle for approximately 60 seconds before running it the first time.



During the process I also closed the flip lid and shook it for approx 10 seconds. Did this 3-4 times in total.



I've read about shaking OP very well before use. Unless it's gone bad, I'm certain I've shaken it more than enough.



My bottle of OP is the "New Formula" with the gold sticker. It is a thicker liquid. It's thick enough that when applied to a side panel, it will not run or drip off. It is much thicker than Meguiar's M80 Speed Glaze, for example. I would compare it in consistency to Meguiars M83 DACP. Does this sound normal?
 
The consistency sounds normal. The shaking was enough. But the behavior is definitely not normal, as the DeWalt is a pretty heavy machine so it should run calmly, smoothly.



I'd recommend you to sign up to optimumforums.org and ask for a replacement bottle. Where did you purchase your polish?
 
sometimes some products just work better with certain pads. Experiment with different pads and see if it makes a difference.
 
I agree with Bence and wannafbody.



I would contact Optimum and get a replacement bottle. It does sound like you got a bad bottle. OP works very smoothly and easy and does run very cool. It's one of the only polishes that will not shut down my Metabo into limp mode. I used it today on an older work truck and it worked nice and smooth. It's nowhere near the crystal clear Menzerna shine, but it does give a nice deep glow. I wished SIP worked this smooth always.



Pads do make a difference and I find OP to work better with open cell pads.
 
Thanks for the advice, everyone.



Going to try contacting Optimum tomorrow to see what pad they recommend and if there's a way to exchange bottles of product



I'll make a note to report what I learn when I learn it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top