I got to do some product testing on a showcar today with a very revealing finish (deep blue with blue and grey flake). I probably went through 15 pads just playing with various products on this car.
Nit-picking a bit here, I was dissapointed with the performanc of pb 2 and 2.5 with the PC -to the contrary of what other Autopians have posted, I've had better luck with these products using a rotary that with a PC. Also, I would certainly not call 2.5 a final finish product and PB2 would be a questionable final finish product on dark colors (also contrary to what I've read). To test the results, I worked at night with two 1000 watt halogen lights reflecting off the desired pannel. I was particularly dissapointed with PB 2 with the PC, though the finish was very glossy, some marring remained (it didn't matter how long I worked the product). The marring could be seen as hundreds of 1/8" marks that were in a PC movement pattern - ]the marring was not visible under regular or flourescent light and was even hard to see with the halogens, but still, it was there. This did not happen with OPP/OPC or IP. Maybe the abrasives in PB2 made an initial cut/scratch and then broke down too fast to erase the marks completely? I don't know.
I wonder if Poorboys uses larger abrasives as they go up the scale from 1 to 3? I know Menzerna simply uses more of their super-fine microabrasives in IP and then SuperGloss as opposed to using larger abrasives.
I also experimented with PB 2.5 and the PC. While the defect removal was okay, it left slight hazing, even when I worked the product longer than I would ordninarily be willing to do. IP and OPC removed equivalent defects, yet left a far better finish.
OPP and OPC excelled in every way - good defect removal without the hazing. I would say OPP is roughly equal to PB 2 and a 50/50 mixture of OPP and OPC is equal to PB 2.5.
In the future I'll probably save PBs for the rotary (where I've had excellent results) and break out the Optimum or Menzerna products when for the PC.
Nit-picking a bit here, I was dissapointed with the performanc of pb 2 and 2.5 with the PC -to the contrary of what other Autopians have posted, I've had better luck with these products using a rotary that with a PC. Also, I would certainly not call 2.5 a final finish product and PB2 would be a questionable final finish product on dark colors (also contrary to what I've read). To test the results, I worked at night with two 1000 watt halogen lights reflecting off the desired pannel. I was particularly dissapointed with PB 2 with the PC, though the finish was very glossy, some marring remained (it didn't matter how long I worked the product). The marring could be seen as hundreds of 1/8" marks that were in a PC movement pattern - ]the marring was not visible under regular or flourescent light and was even hard to see with the halogens, but still, it was there. This did not happen with OPP/OPC or IP. Maybe the abrasives in PB2 made an initial cut/scratch and then broke down too fast to erase the marks completely? I don't know.
I wonder if Poorboys uses larger abrasives as they go up the scale from 1 to 3? I know Menzerna simply uses more of their super-fine microabrasives in IP and then SuperGloss as opposed to using larger abrasives.
I also experimented with PB 2.5 and the PC. While the defect removal was okay, it left slight hazing, even when I worked the product longer than I would ordninarily be willing to do. IP and OPC removed equivalent defects, yet left a far better finish.
OPP and OPC excelled in every way - good defect removal without the hazing. I would say OPP is roughly equal to PB 2 and a 50/50 mixture of OPP and OPC is equal to PB 2.5.
In the future I'll probably save PBs for the rotary (where I've had excellent results) and break out the Optimum or Menzerna products when for the PC.
