Need a New Polish that works a long time

[theamcguy]

I have been a long time Meguiars user (40+ years) Last night I was polishing my car and could not get either 205, 105 or Meguiars #2 to last longer than 2 passes in a 1' X 1' area. By the time I stopped the buffer and reached for a microfiber the polish had tried rock hard and was difficult to remove. Maybe it was the Flex I was using (used to use a Metabo) maybe Meguiars changed the formulation all I know is I was used to getting 4-5 passes in a 2' X 2' area, but even shrinking the area worked did not help. You can't polish if you can't work an area. So I need a polish that will stay workable in moderately high temps and humidity. It was 85 in the shop typical southern humidity paint cool to the touch.

[Setec Astronomy]

The Optimum polishes (lotion or spray) have a really long work time.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Try out SF4000 from Menzerna. I easily get six passes on foam pads and often times more without issue.

[aim4squirrels]

The OTC meguairs ultimate compound and ultimate polish has more work time at the sacrifice of some cut over the M105/205 combo.

Menzerna polishes and compound also have long work times in my experience.

[Desertnate]

I found Blackfire SRC polishes to have a good working time as well. I'll also second the Ultimate Compound and Polish recommendation.

[Dr_Pain]

Try out SF4000 from Menzerna. I easily get six passes on foam pads and often times more without issue.

I am a BIG fan of Menzerna. I do have the added "bonus" of working in constant high humidity but that Menzerna line of product never failed me

[allenk4]

It's not the M105 or M205

There is something going on with your technique

I live in LA and use M105 with no issues whatsoever

If you are within 2 hours of Irvine, I would suggest a trip down to Meguiar's HQ for the Thursday Night Open Garage. You can bring any vehicle you want; pull it into the Megs garage; use their products or your own (FLEX) and have the experts at Megs look over your shoulder and help determine what the issue is. Sign-up is on the Megs Forum. It's FREE!
Relaxed atmosphere, free pizza, great Coaching.

[Setec Astronomy]

If you are within 2 hours of Irvine, I would suggest a trip down to Meguiar's HQ for the Thursday Night Open Garage. You can bring any vehicle you want; pull it into the Megs garage; use their products or your own (FLEX) and have the experts at Megs look over your shoulder and help determine what the issue is. Sign-up is on the Megs Forum. It's FREE!
Relaxed atmosphere, free pizza, great Coaching.

Look at his member info, he's in NC...would be easier for him to drive to Autogeek!

[Niblick]

I've always found the optical range from CG to have a good work time. might be worth a try

[cardaddy]

Hey Bill!

Don't think we've met just yet, but I see we have a few things in common. First, I used to own one of those *rare* Alabama State Trooper Javelins. :) Not just ANY Javelin, but mine was a 401, slap stick auto, Dana positrack, that never had the holes drilled in the roof (for that huge bubblegum blue light). I traded a car (plus him giving me $100) with another guy to get the car, and it was a BEAST! It'd literally smoke the tires till you let off the gas. (Especially on those old 70 series bias ply tires.) :eek:

After I got it I had a car salesman call me for 6 months wanting to buy it.... finally caved in and sold it for a $1500 profit (which was HUGE in the mid 70's). I didn't realize at the time just HOW RARE it was, it was just another car to me (had 3 and 2 bikes and still living at home). :rolleyes: Then he sold it to a collector in NJ (I'm and Atlanta boy all my life) and he made $2500 profit on it! Fast forward 30 years and I caught one at a Barrett Jackson auction (I think), while they went on and on about how rare it was, especially being it wasn't a "patrol" car... and then it went on to bring well over $200K! :dunno:

The other thing we have in common is I owned a flatbed (only) towing business for 18 years. (No city/county work, specialized in hi-line, dealership and insurance company work mainly.)

And lastly... we've both been using Meguiar's stuff since the "old days". :laughing:

But you didn't come here to talk about past lives I'm sure. ;)

As the heat rises our good ol' 105 gets harder and harder to work with. Honestly... since 101 came out I really don't use 105 anymore. Mixing it with UC is the first thing that comes to mind.

First you need to make sure you're properly priming your pad. Assuming that is done correctly there are several options to get the most from 105.

If you go get some Megs Ultimate Compound and prime your pad with that, or at least mixed 50/50 with 105 that'll help a TON. Once the pad is primed you can then say use 2 dollops of 105 and 1 of UC. No big secret that UC will work much longer, but the cool part is it has almost as much cut as 105. I'd say if 105 has a "10 cut" that UC is an "8".

Another thing that works well is mineral oil, (baby oil is what I use). Don't need a huge bottle either as just a small drop works. I keep a small bottle on my cart, I dunno' about 5" tall or so. :dunno: You can take your finger and put a little on your pad and try that.

Also, once 105 is stuck on the paint (as you've found out) it is like freaking CEMENT! Take a little UC, and/or some of the mineral oil and rub it around on the dried/crusty 105 and do a quick working into the surface with your Flex on a low speed and it should remove fairly easily.

That's the easy way.

Of course you ALWAYS want to keep a spray bottle of distilled water on your cart as well. If the product is drying out, mist your pad, as well as the surface. Hit it ONE pass and wipe it off. The thing with 105 is it cuts so darned hard that it'll pick up abraded paint and dirt/contaminates on the first pass and by the time you go over it twice it really starts to dry out with that spent product building up both on the surface and in your pad.

Funny you posted this today though. I just got off the phone with Nick and was discussing how I really tried over the last 2+ years to try and move towards using only SMAT based products. I liked the idea that they cut hard, cut the first time, second time, and each and every time just like when you started. The problem is (as you know) the working time is something a bit different. Whilst the product will cut for as many passes as you care to use it, the WORKING TIME is shorter than the cutting time.

FWIW, you'd be well off to do 2 section passes, 3 tops and remove it. In cold weather it'll work longer, but the hotter it gets the quicker you need to remove it. It needs to be removed wet. Not 'wet wet' but as you can still see the film, and it'll still wipe with your finger it needs to be removed. It does NOT need to be "worked down" (which leads to more trouble than it's worth) like a DAT product (which always needs to be worked down).

But guess what?
In the order I did last night (and was talking to Nick about today) nothing but MORE Menzerna products. You want something that'll cut, right? Get FG400!!!!! I am still using Megs SMAT products for my heavy cutting (even 101 which is friggin' AWESOME, will work as long as you care to whenever you care to... and well worth the high price any day of the week) but have ended up using Menz 1000, 2500 & 4000 for where I needed to "finish down" on paints that were not rock hard, or where I wanted something that just made it easier for others around here to work with. (As in I don't have to look over their shoulders.)

Then I finally got some FG400. WOW! It really cuts (at least that first couple of passes) but what is amazing is that it'll finish down with a gloss that just doesn't seem possible.:props: Now I've got 400, 1000, 1500, 2500, 4000 & Sealing Wax.! :rolleyes:

Seemed weird at first, when you look at the Menzerna chart. What with all the different cuts (which I get) but the overlapping gloss factors where one has more cut AND MORE GLOSS then another has less cut and less gloss. Seemed a bit redundant (and is actually) but if you study the chart you'll see why I skipped SI-1500 and went with 1000 and 2500. :dblthumb2:

Although SI-1500 is probably the most popular product that guys use for AIO/single stage buffing processes. It will finish down pretty darned good. Just do 4~5 section passes at higher speed, pull the pad away and spritz it ever so slightly with water, slow the machine speed down a notch and speed up the arm speed just a hair and do 3~4 more section passes. You'll like it! (FWIW that works with every Menzerna product.)

The trick (with Menzerna, AND Meguiar's as well) is your pad selection. It's very possible to start with one pad for added cut, then finish with another with little to zero cut and you can end up getting what looks like a 2-step process with only a single compound/polish.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/autogeek/menzerna-chart-2013.jpg


I'll still be tried and true a Meguiar's guy till the end, but I've found that even in these days of excellent SMAT products that the room in my inventory where I tried to remove those old school DAT products not only didn't get smaller, but has actually INCREASED over the years. :laughing:

That being said, there are a lot of exciting things being said for the 3D/HD products as of late. Those are SMAT based (although it may be argued that "HD Adapt" is a hybrid). I've not tried it yet, but really want to.

Uhhhhh should someone want to reach out to me and send me a sample of HD Adapt I'd surely not complain. :D

[Mizzoutiger]

Try out SF4000 from Menzerna. I easily get six passes on foam pads and often times more without issue.
:iagree:

[swanicyouth]

You should switch out your M-1-0-whatever for something more Optimum.

[silverfox]

Once you go HD....well you know the rest...

[custmsprty]

Fg 400

Before:
http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/custmsprty/chevy1_zpsf327bf4d.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/custmsprty/media/chevy1_zpsf327bf4d.jpg.html)

After:
http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/custmsprty/chevy2_zpsec84cfd9.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/custmsprty/media/chevy2_zpsec84cfd9.jpg.html)

Before:
http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/custmsprty/chevy_zps943ff7f1.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/custmsprty/media/chevy_zps943ff7f1.jpg.html)

After:
http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/custmsprty/chevy3_zpsb610c0e0.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/custmsprty/media/chevy3_zpsb610c0e0.jpg.html)

Swirl free with FG400:

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/custmsprty/chevy2_zps5e1794ea.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/custmsprty/media/chevy2_zps5e1794ea.jpg.html)

[theamcguy]

Thank you for all the responses, especially cardaddy. One problem I found out today was my pad. I was using Lake Country low profile pads and could not get anything to work. In frustration I went back to my old pads Kompressor pads by Monello and boom everything started working just like old times. I have no idea where I got the Monello pads from and have just a few left. I did order some Lake Country Kompressor pads hope they are the same. The Lake Country low profile pads look great small 5" diameter and 7/8" inch thick but they load up way too fast and will not work with anything I tried them with. Thanks for all the help. Definitely will try some of the polishes mentioned because it ain't getting any cooler.