Cutting compounds

Jim C said:
you can really do everything you need to do with a yellow and black hl pad and the sonax. large flat areas like roofs and hoods i still like to use wool though.
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Good to know, hoods have been my main issue. Some of these newer hood panels are so frickin flimsy, its like like trying to buff on a trampoline.
May have to stick to wool on them for the the initial cutting, as you know the foam can create some heat which accentuates the problem.
 
Ordered cutmax qt. I'm not a 4 drops on pad guy either. For me, extra material on pad works much better then conditioner. Used cg's conditioner & v32 i had today. The v32 is nice (sample pack) but i prefer extra compound & water bottle not conditioner which smells like cinnamon banana fertilizer to me lol.
What should i use for swirls? Got a bottle of 3m swirl remover somewhere. M205 i learned turns to concrete splatter.
And the white hex pad actually got sanding scratches out better then yellow cause i was able to apply some pressure. 1 handed buffer operation supporting myself with other. Small Flex pe8 & 5"? pad.
 
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Shhhhhittt. I applied WAX carnauba paste liquid mix with White hl once or twice ut oh.
Maybe that's why scratches vanished compared to yellow.
I like orange cut black polish though. All good really. Nice to have.
I'm foreseeing happy camper with cutmax, orange white black hl pads. uvc.
 
Sonax arrived in perfect time. I'll buff door before reinstalling mirror shortly.
Has lotion feel. Rubbed some with fingers to feel grit, rinsed hand and had to use soap a couple times. Similar to sunblock.
Guessing it'll have long work time, self lubed & low dust.
V32 is definitely thicker. Was neat no splatter really.

UPDATE-lotion feel sonax went away after makeing room in bottle to shake up.
Shake that bottle. Again.
 
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I just went over door with sonax. Yesterday used V32.
Jury still out, V32 cut very good & is certainly more gritty when rubbed in fingers then sonax.
I'm also using soft (too soft) white hl pad, not orange or yellow.
After lunch i'll hit it with 3m swirl remover & black pad.
Another thought- sonax might be high speed whereas i'm turning slow. Guessing gritty works ok slow.

Door- screwed up so tried running whole panel. Notice bottom. Yes i sanded my a off correcting it.
gm black saphire.

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Gave it another quick sonax buff (worked good), then used blue pad with V36 at faster rpm.
Ain't perfect but understand- i had to block my mess with 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, quick 3000 all by hand.
Lotion feel in sonax was from not shaking bottle enough at 1st. Full bottle. Feels better with more grit now.
No complaints, V stuff is good too.

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I just bought the Sonax cut max and like it much better than the V32
The sonax keeps the panel lubed much better than V32
Just keep working the sonax at higher speeds like the instructions say, the grits break down and start polishing the panel. I am still compounding panels but will probably skip V32&V34 and go with V36 and finish with V38
Would love to try Sonax polish but since I have all this CG compound and polish I will use it up before trying some.
 
with a yellow or orange foam pad i usually spin around 1400. wool is faster, maybe around 2000. the days of the gritty compounds that break down are over. those kinds of compounds are more old school. presta ultra cutting creme for instance. while its a good compound, the newer tech ones that feel more like lotion are much nicer. they cut fast without the grit and leaves a glossier swirl free finish that takes very little polishing.
 
The CG 32 and 34 are gritty. They work pretty good but I think they need the 4steps to get rid of the grit swirl marks. I'll have to try the Sonax stuff.
Hexalogic pads
yellow for 32
orange for 34
white for 36
black for 38
 
good lord thats alot of steps lol. typically with newer style compounds its just a compound step which leaves no swirls then a quick polish just to give a deep shine and your done.
 
Cut max’s finish is pretty amazing considering it’s a fairly heavy cutting compound, I have been using mostly 3 and 4” size pads so I am spinning them a little faster than 1400 probably more like 1800.
 
I just a did a light color car and did 32,34,36 and it was perfect. The 4 steps are for a black car and I'm not totally happy with the finish under florescent lights. Awesome outside.

I really liked the 3m compounds with white foam and black foam until the all the fillers wash out and gets hazy. That was easy but not good enough.
 
I ordered $18 (so cheap) laser tachometer. Just for fun to see buffer rpms I use. Apps avail for iphone but I only got ipad with no photo flash.
if I can get a piece of reflective tape on Caddy harmonic balancer, i'll check laser thing against tach.
I used v32 & 4" orange yesterday on window frame. Worked.
I also see water bottle I'm used to spraying panel with to rebuff compound once more before removal isn't really needed with this newer stuff.
M105 needed it. Cutmax & v32 didn't.
 
Got my $18 delivered rpm checker. Works. Just ordered another for gift.
My polisher slowest is 1280rpm, 2 is 1600, 3 is 2100 give/take.
So i'm good with rpms. I use 3 lightly for final. No pressure really on any.
 
Used the Cutmax on a front clip 1st part the week. Purposely only to 2000 to see the difference from the 3m EX.
Sonax cuts abit faster, definitely lasts & stays wet a lot longer. Amazing how much cleaner and dust free everything ends up compared the mess 3m makes. Its worth it over the 3m for that reason alone even with a wool pad. It also polishes out real nice. Shame I just bought a new gallon of the 3m ex about a month ago. Be looking into more Sonax. Just my.02
 
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