What is your goof proof pad/machine/polish combo for soft paint?
- Thread starter Scottwax
- Start date
imported_rydawg1
New member
Gen2 said:
Definately check out the video. It is very important to use pressure at first removing the swirls/holograms and then use no pressure burnishing the paint and you have a perfect finish with extreme gloss.
You can either put the product on the car or put it on the pad. I load the pad at first to make sure the pad stays moist. I will put a ribbon around the pad twice at first, then a stripe here and there when needed per section. You will get an oily spatter, but clean up is very easy. There is no dust.
I used Ultrafina yesterday on a single stage white Accord. My local English Paint Supply store had the Ultrafina pad in stock for #19, plus the Meguiars Speed Glaze I was nearly out of that I use on single stage paints.
Oddly enough, it was #80 that I was having some problems with-most likely due to it being 35 degrees and moderately oxidized singe stage paint. I was having buffer hop/grab problems, even spuring the pad with each panel. Anyway, Ultrafina did a really good job adding gloss and removing the occasional #80 residue spot as well.
Oddly enough, it was #80 that I was having some problems with-most likely due to it being 35 degrees and moderately oxidized singe stage paint. I was having buffer hop/grab problems, even spuring the pad with each panel. Anyway, Ultrafina did a really good job adding gloss and removing the occasional #80 residue spot as well.
imported_rydawg1
New member
Scottwax said:Sounds dirty! I like dirty.
:nervous2: Game off:LOLOL
Junebug
JAFO
Another convert to UltrafinaSE - and Scott at that! I better get that third mortgage and invest in 3M stock.......just kidding, glad you liked it Scott. I wish the weather would clear enough here for me to do a detail, nobody is interested with snow in the forecast.
imported_Totoland Mach
New member
Scottwax said:
Scott: I use a LOT of Ultrafina SE at the shop for black BMW's. I also use the 3M Ultrafina pad with a rotary. Overall, it works BUT slings oil residue on all adjacent panels as you are working with it. The sling wipes off, but gets everywhere: windows, seams, panels etc.
I've had good luck lately with the System One Polish X3 on the rotary and following that with Menzerna 106. I talked to Tom from System One and he recommends finishing using the X3 product and a Festool (which I also have).
I hear ya about some cars that drive you insane! You end up trying several combo's before finding a working solution.
Toto
wannafbody
wannafbody
ToTo- do you get sling when using Ultrafina with a PC?
Thomas Dekany
New member
I never get sling with SE. Once the pad is primed I use only a small amount. Works very well with the pc. No sling. Useing too much polish on the pc can sling. I think Toto is using too much. m2c.
imported_Totoland Mach
New member
I've never used Ultrafina SE with a pc...only a rotary. I followed the 3M training video and they even talk about oil sling in their video. I probably use too much, but I stayed with their instructional video. I've never attempted to try using less product with Ultrafina, but will give that a shot on the next black Bimmer.
raadkins16
New member
tedkany, what pad are you using on the PC with the Ultrafina?
imported_rydawg1
New member
Rickrack and I did a black Range Rover today that was a pain to polish out. Everything we put on it dusted crazy and was gumming up fast and easy. We tried a lot of different products before we came up with a game plan.
Even after 106, the paint was still very cloudy and hazy. After we wiped it clean with IPA, it started outgasing and fogging up again. Something was wrong with the paint or something was embedded into the paint from a drive through car wash, etc... Usually 106 finishes off superb on hard clears, but this paint was outgasing something. You wipe it clear, and 10 seconds it would fog up. Our garage was 70 and dry. So temp and humidity were perfect.
After the whole truck was compounded and polished, we both teamed up with Ultrafina via rotaries and worked it in till the haze went by by. We were both amazed at how friggen awesome UF worked on this truck and how insane the gloss was.
UF saved the day. The paint was so tempermental, we even had UF dust a tad on us. First time I had seen that. To cure the dust problem, we loaded our pads with a great amount to keep it wetter for longer. Problem solved and were smiling at each other as we were buffing, yelling, "this is amazing stuff".
Even if you don't have a 3M UF blue pad, a LC blue works superb.
Even after 106, the paint was still very cloudy and hazy. After we wiped it clean with IPA, it started outgasing and fogging up again. Something was wrong with the paint or something was embedded into the paint from a drive through car wash, etc... Usually 106 finishes off superb on hard clears, but this paint was outgasing something. You wipe it clear, and 10 seconds it would fog up. Our garage was 70 and dry. So temp and humidity were perfect.
After the whole truck was compounded and polished, we both teamed up with Ultrafina via rotaries and worked it in till the haze went by by. We were both amazed at how friggen awesome UF worked on this truck and how insane the gloss was.
UF saved the day. The paint was so tempermental, we even had UF dust a tad on us. First time I had seen that. To cure the dust problem, we loaded our pads with a great amount to keep it wetter for longer. Problem solved and were smiling at each other as we were buffing, yelling, "this is amazing stuff".
Even if you don't have a 3M UF blue pad, a LC blue works superb.
maesal
New member
rydawg said:
I solve this problem (in 1 panel of my car, quite strange) applying an AIO by hand after polishing.
Woob
New member
Where is it easy to grab Ultrafina SE combo, besides the usual paint & autobody shop?
Junebug
JAFO
Silva - try a Carquest "Paint" store - check their web site and search under paint stores.
can someone elaborate on what makes a paint soft or hard?
also, is there a place on here that is kinda like a dictionary for terms? clarity..... gumming.... want to know what some of the terminology means if i'm going to try and make the transition from decent car cleaner to great detailer.
also, is there a place on here that is kinda like a dictionary for terms? clarity..... gumming.... want to know what some of the terminology means if i'm going to try and make the transition from decent car cleaner to great detailer.
I'm not sure what exactly makes paint hard or soft, but all paints are different. Some factory paints are extremely soft and others are extremely hard. Some of the newer clearcoats even have ceramiclear, or scratch resistant clear, which is very hard and are best corrected with a polish specifically designed for these modern clearcoats.
You may want to check out the "secret decoder ring" to learn some of the terminology used often on this site.
Clarity, in terms of paint, is when the paint looks nice and clear. Usually after compounding, the paint will appear cloudy/hazy/foggy. A good polish will improve the clarity and remove the haziness leaving the paint looking very clear.
Gumming, in detailing terms, is basically when a product "clogs up" or packs together usually making it hard to spread or work. For example, when the motor in your car gets gummed up, it will usually bog down and not run properly.
Hopefully this makes sense?
You may want to check out the "secret decoder ring" to learn some of the terminology used often on this site.
Clarity, in terms of paint, is when the paint looks nice and clear. Usually after compounding, the paint will appear cloudy/hazy/foggy. A good polish will improve the clarity and remove the haziness leaving the paint looking very clear.
Gumming, in detailing terms, is basically when a product "clogs up" or packs together usually making it hard to spread or work. For example, when the motor in your car gets gummed up, it will usually bog down and not run properly.
Hopefully this makes sense?
I really liked that video as a demonstration, but I was upset about the practices that they are supporting for sanding.
I was annoyed at how they recommended their sanding, but not for removing orange peel. The more new cars that I work on, the more upset I get about the commonplace acceptance of orange peel on everything.
Working on older cars, you find that orange peel wasn't something that was accepted 15 years ago. All the german luxury cars were hand color sanded from the factory, and had finishes that were far superior to those that we see today; regardless of the increases in technology that we see in the modern painting and finishing process.
It is just bothersome that finishing programs don't even really support complete orange peel removal anymore, they are happy and complacent in simply removing sanding scratches instead.
Not to detract from the Ultrafina in any way, it is an amazing product. I just found it annoying that 3M seemed to be so supportive of what should seriously be seen as substandard paint finishing in its sanding process.
I was annoyed at how they recommended their sanding, but not for removing orange peel. The more new cars that I work on, the more upset I get about the commonplace acceptance of orange peel on everything.
Working on older cars, you find that orange peel wasn't something that was accepted 15 years ago. All the german luxury cars were hand color sanded from the factory, and had finishes that were far superior to those that we see today; regardless of the increases in technology that we see in the modern painting and finishing process.
It is just bothersome that finishing programs don't even really support complete orange peel removal anymore, they are happy and complacent in simply removing sanding scratches instead.
Not to detract from the Ultrafina in any way, it is an amazing product. I just found it annoying that 3M seemed to be so supportive of what should seriously be seen as substandard paint finishing in its sanding process.