Compounds and glazes

C

chevy_power427

Just wondering, and trying to see if there's anything out there new in this field, I like to try new stuff once in a while, sometimes, there's updated and improved products. I currently use Presta Ultra cutting creme for polishing. I use it with their recommended black wool pad. I would like to know what you guys use. I used it for many years, I used 3M before, it was okay, but cleaning up afterwards was much more difficult is it ever dried up. So far I like Presta products, but they have many different compounds and glazes, I never tried any of the other ones.
 
Chemical Guys sample 4pk is well worth giving a try along with their pad spray. Shine turned me on to it and I will not be looking back.
 
I checked them out, I can't order straight from them, they don't do international orders, i'm in Canada.
 
chevy_power427;n83687 said:
I checked them out, I can't order straight from them, they don't do international orders, i'm in Canada.
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There's a Chemical Guys Canadian website, I'm almost sure you can get the stuff from them.
 
ok rather than making a new thread ill add to this one. what is everyone using for compound? i now totally refuse to buy 3m compound anymore. the $hit sux. the perfect-it and perfect-it ex compounds make you think they are working great but they have so much scratch fillers in them its ridiculous. i can get a black panel looking like a flawless mirror then take it outside for an hour to sit in the sun, bring it back in and it doesnt look like i even put a buffer on it. all the da scratches come back and are still there. i have to keep going back wasting time. i am looking for something aggressive that gives you a what you see is what you get finish. i know shine likes chemical guys. i see their coarse stuff is v32. anyone else have any input on some others? i have tried presta super cut and ultra cutting cream they are good with no fillers but they are old school type compounds. they have a heavy grit but old style, slow cutting abrasives.
 
Jim, had the same issue with the auto parts store grade meguiars products years ago. Hate having a product make it look like you don't know how to colorsand & buff. 3-m owns meguiars now, so hmmmm?
I know there are better 2 & 3 step products, but ever try Meguiars diamond cut? It starts out cutting more aggressive, then turns into a polishing compound as it wears. I particularly like it for occasional quick maintenance . Not the fastest cutting for a really course surface or the absolute finest final cut, But it can give you decent results quicker & doesn't have all this filler crap in it. At least not the bottles I got last winter or in previous years......
Just a thought.
Also just to mention, our local finishmaster chain store says they are now selling more of their smart brand label products of stuff than the name brands now. Haven't tried any of their compounds on car paint yet, but their smart label panel adhesive seems just as good as the 8115 for around 10 bucks a cartridge less. So chainstore house brands may be worth a try.
 
Give Menzerna compounds a try.

Pricey but I think you will only buff once.

Try the HC300, that's their fastest cut. From there you can jump to SG400, this is a compound that makes short work of 2500-3000 trizac but finishes very well.

From there their polishes are the 2500 and 3500 for the deepest gloss and no swirls.

This morning I helped a friend with a Camry 1/4 panel and door. Gave it a quick pass with the bufflex green and went to town with the SG400 and orange chemical guys pad, one single step and it was good enough for the Toyota dealership.

They work different than 3M in the sense that you can work them way longer and have less dusting, but you better have a lot of microfiber towels to clean the residue to check between steps, that's the only thing I don't like about the products.
 
jorge the 300 was one that i was looking at as well as the chemical guys v32. we have a finishmaster but not local. prob 1hr away. i have not tried the diamond cut but i was using the ultracut 105 some years back but that is 3m's perfect it compound relabeled. exact same stuff. one i tried some years back was the wizards mystic cut compound and i remember that being pretty good but i dont recall if i had issues with scratches coming back.

so is the 300 a pretty fast cutting compound? does it leave a nice glossy surface ready for polish with no deep swirl marks?
 
Jim C said:
jorge the 300 was one that i was looking at as well as the chemical guys v32. we have a finishmaster but not local. prob 1hr away. i have not tried the diamond cut but i was using the ultracut 105 some years back but that is 3m's perfect it compound relabeled. exact same stuff. one i tried some years back was the wizards mystic cut compound and i remember that being pretty good but i dont recall if i had issues with scratches coming back.

so is the 300 a pretty fast cutting compound? does it leave a nice glossy surface ready for polish with no deep swirl marks?
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About the 300...... It cuts fast, but I don't think it finishes as nicely as the SG400 or the 3M one. Me I don't sweat it because I start my first cut with the 300 and then I switch to the SG400 and that one leaves a very nice finish to follow up with polishing. I don't mind the 300/400 step bc I don't need to switch pads and to me it speeds up the process in the end.

The SG400 I can use it as a single step just by switching pads, compound and then softer polishing on light colors, even medium dark metallics I can get away with, but this is for collision work. Your quality demands higher standards for sure.

I buffed a complete Dodge Ram, black base with 6 weeks old universal clear. For that one I did the full 3 steps thing and it came out very nice.
 
I will give chemical guys a try as well. I long swore off 3M buffing products. I use Wizards Products Mystic Cut. Mystic Cut has been out a couple of years before I used Wizards Finish Cut and Leveling compounds before Mystic. Probably been using them 10+ years. They work well but again some fillers, not as bad as 3M or Mequiars but some. I usually clean the panel with windex when I'm done to get rid of all that crap and see the surface.
 
all good info guys...thank you.

i do clean the paint with windex, 700 or sometimes 710 and it does help but even still, put it out in the sun to get hot for a bit and it really shows you what you got. when i buff though i want to see what the final result is otherwise your just doing shit over and over again or you give someone their parts back and they looked great but they come back and say its all dull and something is wrong. i know that $hit was dead nuts when i gave it to them. drives me crazy.

shine, are you buying the cg compounds in the 16oz bottles? i have seen videos of it on their website in quarts and gallons but i emailed them and they said no. 16oz bottles for the large size sounds like they are just gearing it for the car owner and not professionals. kinda weird. even quarts would be ok but ill be damned if i can find it in that. on another note, last time i ordered from them they gave me a spray bottle of this blue pad cleaner.....holy crap does that stuff work. no detergent i have ever tried cuts old compound like that stuff.

jorge, yes i would rather start with something coarse and do a 3 step as long as the coarse isnt such a heavy grit that it leaves circular scratches in the clear as deep as the sanding scratches im trying to take out. then you still have to work the crap out of the paint with step 2 so kinda wasted effort. the presta super cut is like that. might be good on a hard oem clear but semi fresh universal its definitely a no go.
 
I just bought a bunch on detailing and polishing stuff and the store demoed some Sonax for me and they sword it is the best. I told them I use Chemical Guys compounds and they said give this a try it the best they found and said it leaves no residue behind which when they demoed it with a Flex3401 it didn't have any splatter haze or residue. They insisted I take a couple sample bottles, one is a heavier cuter that finishes out at a mediun glaze and the other is lighter cutter that finishes out as a final glaze. I figure I would give it a try since it was free.

Jim if you like I could send you one of each of the samples to try, let me know if you want to give it a whirl.
 
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Don't forget to use the spray pad conditioner before applying the compound to your foam pad it really helps.
 
[QUOTE="Jim C, post: 52213, member:


jorge, yes i would rather start with something coarse and do a 3 step as long as the coarse isnt such a heavy grit that it leaves circular scratches in the clear as deep as the sanding scratches im trying to take out. then you still have to work the crap out of the paint with step 2 so kinda wasted effort. the presta super cut is like that. might be good on a hard oem clear but semi fresh universal its definitely a no go.[/QUOTE]

The 300 is definitely worth a try, it cuts fast but not so aggressively and considering that you're very good at sanding all the way to 3000/5000 you may even skip the HC300 and go for the SG400.

The 400 finishes nicely before the second step. You can get the Menzerna stuff in 8oz bottles to try out. Their best sellers are sold in gallon sizes as well.
 
i really appreciate everyone's input. it will prob save me from wasting a bunch of money going through a bunch of products that dont work.

jorge, i do work all my stuff out to 3000/5000 but you know there is always that spot or area that gets a little less sanding and you dont get all the scratches from the previous grit so i always like to start my compounding out with a compound that can take out the coarsest grit i start with which is usually 1000. for 95% of the panel i dont need it but the heavy cut stuff always makes quick work of it and i hate to overwork the paint. makes too much heat and you lose the gloss in the clear by putting a texture in it. i think ill get a small bottle of 300 to try out.

datec i have seen the sonax stuff but always overlook it. maybe i should look into it. i appreciate the offer but i dont want to take your stuff lol.
 
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