Has Modern Compounds and Finishing Polishes Made Medium Cut Polishes Obsolet?

[Zubair]

Is the end near for medium cut polishes? Lets use Menzerna as an eg. FG400 cuts and finishes well and SF4000 cuts less but decently and finishes superb. One can see how they would complement each other.

FG400 Cut 9 Gloss 7
PF2500 Cut 5 Gloss 7
SF4000 Cut 4 Gloss 10

If one needed more cut than 4000 but not as aggressive as 400 they could just use 400 on a pad with less cut? Your thoughts?

[Setec Astronomy]

I don't know that medium cut polishes are obsolete, but for the most part the 3-step correction (compound, medium polish, fine polish) of yore is. Today it can easily be done with only two steps, as you have noted. This is mostly due to advances in abrasive technology, but partly also pad and machine technology/understanding.

[FUNX650]

IMHO:
"The Test Spot" can usually determine what type/category of abrasive product(s)...if any...are needed to "correct" the paint, faster than I can speculate on the demise of what someone may call a "medium polish".

Bob

[Zubair]

Correct Setec, no need for a medium polish to include in a multi step where a compound is used, one only needs 2 polishing steps with modern abrasives.

[Paul A.]

I have about half a shelf of those "middle" polishes i grab for certain jobs that can be corrected almost to perfection and don't need a compound (yet!). A good example is an older bottle of Menzerna 203 i have. I love that stuff for tweaking out some minor imperfections. I will ALWAYS use a finishing polish/pad combo to extract the most shine, gloss and pop after Menz 203. Another middle polish i loved was Menz SIP.

I do hear what you are saying, though. The gap between the newer compounds that finish down so well and a finish step needed to clean everything up has gotten smaller. Not only Menz 400 to 4000 or 4500 but the ubiquitous use of Meg's 105 and 205. To answer your question, i have tried Meg's 105 on both white and black LC foam pads and it still seems to cut too fast if i try to drop the cut with a softer pad. I resort to a more comfortable method and that's a middle polish.

My only point is that i continue to practice the age old "least aggressive" method and for softer paints or paints not torn up too bad i'll still stock my middle polishes. Let's just say i don't do too many 3 step cut, buff and polish jobs anymore. And i ain't complaining!

Good question though.

[Kamakaz1961]

I don't know that medium cut polishes are obsolete, but for the most part the 3-step correction (compound, medium polish, fine polish) of yore is. Today it can easily be done with only two steps, as you have noted. This is mostly due to advances in abrasive technology, but partly also pad and machine technology/understanding.

IMO 2-Step is the way I go. I use Menz FG400 and SF4500. I also think that DA technology as well as pads make correcting significantly faster and more effective.

The Flex 3401 VRG with Lake Country Hybrid Pads Orange, White and Black are a great example

[allenk4]

For harder paints, those Medium cut polishes, sometimes become the finishing polish

Finding a Customer who is willing to pay for that last 5-10% that a 3rd polishing step produces is not easy

[Garyhw48]

Is the end near for medium cut polishes? Lets use Menzerna as an eg. FG400 cuts and finishes well and SF4000 cuts less but decently and finishes superb. One can see how they would complement each other.

FG400 Cut 9 Gloss 7
PF2500 Cut 5 Gloss 7
SF4000 Cut 4 Gloss 10

If one needed more cut than 4000 but not as aggressive as 400 they could just use 400 on a pad with less cut? Your thoughts?

I have tested what you just said, with a Flex 3401 and PE14, and you are right. The pad is the key. I sanded a clear coat panel with 1500 and 3000 grit. Corrected the 1500 with the PE14 and FG400. Left a spot not totally corrected, switched to SF4000 and kept the same, cleaned, fast cutting pad. The 4000 finished the correction perfectly clear with high gloss.

Tried the same test with the 3401 and got the same results.

I used an aggressive pad on the wet 3000 DA cut with SF4500, and also got perfect results.

So far the medium cut has not been necessary at all, in my tests.

[Garyhw48]

I've been thinking about this tonight and the medium cut polishes would come into play when the principle of using the least aggressive product needed to get the results desired.

Mike Philips has told us many times to do test spots and use the least aggressive product necessary to get the job done.

This would be a good reason to use the medium cut products. Not abrading any more paint than is necessary.

[allenk4]

The above ^ should always be the goal

But sometimes the inverse....when you have to cut so hard with a wool pad that what is left behind would be more quickly corrected with a medium cut polish followed by a finishing polish

You can correct 1200 grit sanding marks with just about any combo out there in one polishing step...it could just take a lot longer