I can't seem to find the right polishes.. please help me?

[TS204891]

I am having a hard time finding a polish I like and more importantly one that works in the the hot florida weather. I am not going to give up but I can't afford to spent $20-$40 on a bottle of something that doesn't work. So far the ones I have tried unsuccessfully are Menzerna Intensive Polish, Optimum Polish, and Sonus Swirl Remover.

I used each of these with a PC.. but I bought a Makita Rotary this week and plan to learn to use it primarily (Don't worry I am going to practice on some test panels first). The Menzerna IP was a nightmare for me.. With my car cool to the touch and in my enclosed garage the polish practically started dusting as soon as I finished spreading it. I am being a little overdramatic but please don't tell me its because I used too much or too little or that I need to spray water or QD on the pad or I should add some Optimum to it... because I have tried everything. The sonus polish was very effective in removing the swirls but it also created a to much dust and I don't like shopping where it is sold. The Optimum polish was wonderful in that it didnt dust at all but it really didn't do anything as far as I could tell. I realize that its more of a finishing polish but it said that it could be used as a light compound or swirl remover if used with a more aggressive pad.. I tried multiple passes with the LC yellow, orange, green, and white pads and it didn't remove anything.

So I am really looking for..
1.) Which swirl remover does not create excessive dust and is most effective with a rotary? I really like what I have read about SystemOne.. but for now I would like to stick with the foam pads I already have.
2.) Which finishing polish and also glaze or sealant looks best on black?
3.) Which wax do you thing looks best on black with a reasonable length of durability?
4.) And please dont recommend anything over $50 like the Fuzion wax. I wish right. :)

For the waxes and sealants I have tried unsuccessfully Klasse AIO, Menzerna FMJ, and P21S Carnauba... and in my opinion they all look lousy on black and dont last more than a week or two.

If you actually read all of this I am sorry for taking so much of your time. I have searched and searched and searched and realize that these questions have been asked before but I wanted to be specific about what I have tried and if you reply thank you very very much for any advice or recommendations you can give me.

[RIDE3311]

I can't help you with what you are trying to figure out, but don't be sorry about having a long post because people who are new to detailing like me can always learn from replies to threads like this and that's one thing forums are supposed to be made for! :cheers:

[budman3]

What kind of vehicle are you working on? If you are going to a rotary, then the rest of the Optimum line is exactly what you are looking for - nice cut, easy to use, no dust, etc. The rotary obviously will remove more swirling than a PC especially so if you bump up to Hyper Compound or Compound. This was OHC with an orange light cut pad with a rotary:

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p39/kmford8/HPIM0426.jpg

Also, don't throw away your Menzerna, give it a try with a rotary first. It is a professional product designed to be used in specific weather and humidity, with a rotary polisher. Not using it to these specs may result in issues- such as dusting, drying up, hard to wipe off, etc. If your working on a Corvette, Audi or Mercedes, the clear coat is very hard and may require the Menz products designed for the scratch resistant clears. If that is the case, Menz Super Intensive Polish may work better than the IP (with a rotary).

Once you get the swirls out, you can use any final polish, Menz. Nano 106ff and Finishing Polish are popular, pricey but popular. A new glaze that I just tried out is Poorboy's Black Hole Glaze. It looks great on dark colors. You can top it with a sealant, like Duragloss 105 or Collinite (845, or paste) for very long durability with good looks. For in between details, pick up some Optimum Car wax or Duragloss Aqua wax, to boost the shine and protection.

Don't be sorry for making a long post ... be sorry that you'll have to read long responses from us :).

[TOGWT]

I would agree with the Optimum as a user neophyte friendly polish

Used for what they were formulated for and utilizing the correct foam / wool pads these polishes IMO are second to none. But these polishes were designed to work with high speed rotary polisher’s, utilizing friction to break-down the diminishing abrasives, while in the controlled temperature / humidity environment (working temp range 60 – 800F (15-260C) of a vehicle manufacturer’s paint shop finishing line. (Read not FL sun friendly, I only use them in an AC garage)

Alternative polishes - 3M™ Perfect-It™ 3000 Extra Cut Rubbing Compound, 06060
3M™ Perfect-It™ 3000 Ultrafina™ SE (US) 06068 / Ultrafina SE (UK) 50383

[richy]

I haven't tried it yet (although I have a bottle en route) but the system one is supposed to be good in hot weather. In fact I think they were demo'ng it at Detail Fest this year. Maybe someone who was there can chime in. I bought an air conditioner for my garage so the temp/humidity is not a concern.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/9755-c-unit-setup.html

[Themightytimmah]

System One is very weather-friendly. Good product via rotary, it doesn't have the cut to remove major defects in one pass, but it's a nice product to use.

3M Ultrafina SE is my go-to finishing polish these days. It's some hot stuff. For defect removal, I honestly just buff with IP or equivalent and wash the car after to get the sling, dust, etc off. I haven't found a fast cutting compound yet that doesn't dust at least a little bit.

[ZoranC]

You might want to give a try to some of polishes in Meguiar's Professional Line, like M80: Meguiars #80 Professional Speed Glaze is a gentle car polish that removes swirl marks & paint oxidation. Use Meguiars #80 Speed Glaze with your (http://www.autogeek.net/mg80.html)

It is very tolerant and inexpensive. Meguiar's was saving my day when conditions were not right for Menzerna. However, so was Optimum.

[jesselyons2002]

Yeah when I use IP with My PC. It would dust like crazy. But soon as I use it with the rotary. I got no dusting. I guess its just made for rotarys. Also S1 does dust.

[ScottB]

I like 106FF (Nano) for most finishing jobs. SIP is another great offering. I live in Florida too.

[TS204891]

Thank You all very much for the advice..

I am going to buy and try the Optimum Compound along with the Optimum Polish I already have. I am also going to try the Poorboys black hole glaze topped with Collinite #845.

I keep wanting to try the other Menzerna, Poorboys, and Meguiars polishes but figure with my humid conditions and now that I will be using a rotary that the Optimum is the best way to go.