how to use 3M SMR for dark cars properly?

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sharingan625

New member
i heard that this product have some filler/oil in it. im planning to use this product to hide some minor swirls by hand.



now how do i work this product? do i work this product in until it disappears? or do i apply it and let it haze and wipe it off like wax?



also, could i layer this product for better filling?



and finally, what can i top this with? i have NXT and Gold Class at hand. or any OTC product you recommend?



thank you.
 
3M what you are saying is I'm sure is a glaze like you said dark cars and no it can't be layered, its best to use a machine like a PC or rotary using 3m dark glaze, just read what the instructions say in the back of the bottle. 3m dark glaze is good stuff for darker paints, Polish out your scratches first, glazing over them is not that good of a ideal.

There is a lot of good stuff on detailing tips on the front page of Autopia.org
 
sharingan625 said:
what can i top this with? i have NXT and Gold Class at hand. or any OTC product you recommend?
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I'd wonder if the cleaners in those waxes, mild as they might be, could compromise the fillers from the SMR/dark. Dunno...I'm not saying they will, but merely that they might. I'd probably top the SMR/dark with Collinite 476S paste. No cleaners, low solvent content, great durability (which should help the fillers last a long time). Not OTC at that many places (try boating/marine shops) but worth ordering if you have to (I get mine straight from Collinite.
 
thank you guys for the replies.



so i should use something with no cleaners right?



as for the application of SMR, what's the best way to do it for filling purpose?



thank you.
 
How long does the fillers last if the car stays outside 24/7? I'm interested in this also because my mom's Camry has a ton of swirls left over from the repaint and I can only remove so much of it with my PC. Plus it is so time consuming. I want her car to look good but seeing that I'm so busy with my senior year in high school I don't have time to spend hours trying to fix it. Also will UPP adhere to the glaze?
 
i've used 3M SMR for dark followed with 3M show car paste wax with awesome results. long lasting wax too. just apply really thin.... it doens't like to be applied thick.
 
Sorry I have to be the moron to ask the stupid question, but what can I say. Every forum I go to, people keep using these random numbers and codes. Where can I find out what these stand for and what products they are refeering to? I am trying to get into this whole detailing thing and do it right for once, and I need to learn the lingo spoken. LOL Thanks
 
sharingan625 said:
so i should use something with no cleaners right?



as for the application of SMR, what's the best way to do it for filling purpose?
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Yep, no cleaners lest you undo what you're trying to accomplish. Just use it the regular way- work it long enough to break down the (very mild) abrasives, wipe it off while it's still just barely wet. I'd apply with foam or MF, wipe off with soft plush MF. The fillers will stick/remain pretty much the same no matter what you do and it's mild enough stuff that it probably won't cause any problems even if you do let it dry a bit too much.



Been forever since I used it, but I don't remember there being anything tricky about it.
 
thx.



i wil try this tonight. i really need to do something about this swirl.



only thing i can do for now is hiding it until i get my PC or some workspace.



here is a pic of what im dealing with. sorry about the bad pic. crappy camera, but you get the idea.



DSC00923.JPG
 
Looking at the pic, I can't help but think that something like 1Z Paint Polish would work pretty well even by hand. You could do one or two panels after every wash until you got it done. Wouldn't be perfect, but IMO it'd be a better use of your time/effort than the 3M SMR/dark. Top the PP with wax and it'd be pretty good.



Other similar approaches would be Meg's #80 topped with one of their "pure polishes" (#3/#5/#7/#81/Deep Crystal #2) then topped with wax.



Seriously, I think you could make an incredible improvement with either of the above approaches, far better than what the SMR would do.
 
3M SMR is very mild. If your swirls are moderate I would recommend using a machine or else your arm will fall off! You also might need a more aggressive product on your first pass.



There are some oils left over in the product that will fill some minor swirling temporarily. Your best bet though is to try to remove them with abrasive products as filling them in is kind of a catch 22.



For a quick temporary cleanup, I always thought 3M imperial hand glaze had some nice filling properties but the results dont last long at all.
 
DETAILKING said:
3M SMR is very mild. If your swirls are moderate I would recommend using a machine or else your arm will fall off! You also might need a more aggressive product on your first pass.



There are some oils left over in the product that will fill some minor swirling temporarily. Your best bet though is to try to remove them with abrasive products as filling them in is kind of a catch 22.



For a quick temporary cleanup, I always thought 3M imperial hand glaze had some nice filling properties but the results dont last long at all.
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How many washes will resist the fillers with 3M IHG moreless?
 
maesal said:
How many washes will resist the fillers with 3M IHG moreless?
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Unless you seal them in with a wax they'll only last until the *first* wash. I've used untopped IHG on fresh repaints and I always have to reapply after every wash. Even a really hard rain can compromise it.



FWIW, I'd rather use one of the Meg's "pure polishes". I did a side-by-side with #5 and IHG and my IHG has stayed on the shelf ever since; the #5 looked better, felt slicker, and was more user-friendly. And #5 isn't generally considered to be the best of the pure polishes either. Best thing I can say about IHG is that it works ~OK and is commonly available.
 
Accumulator said:
Unless you seal them in with a wax they'll only last until the *first* wash. I've used untopped IHG on fresh repaints and I always have to reapply after every wash. Even a really hard rain can compromise it.



FWIW, I'd rather use one of the Meg's "pure polishes". I did a side-by-side with #5 and IHG and my IHG has stayed on the shelf ever since; the #5 looked better, felt slicker, and was more user-friendly. And #5 isn't generally considered to be the best of the pure polishes either. Best thing I can say about IHG is that it works ~OK and is commonly available.
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Thanks Accumulator,

but if you make this process:

1.- glaze (IHG, VM...)

2.- sealant (EX-P)

3.- wax (P21S)

The fillers will resist more than 1 wash, no? This is the real question...
 
Yeah, that would last (presumably) as long as the other products last on top of the glaze.



But a few things to note:



VM behaves differently from IHG as the VM also has cleaners, *VERY* mild abrasives, and is longer lasting. I wouldn't consider them equivalent products (not to split hairs...these really are pretty different IMO), the VM is sorta like a cleaner wax in many ways and that's not a criticism.



Some stuff won't bond to glazes, dunno about the EX-P, haven't used it. I'd generally expect stuff to bond to VM better than to IHG.
 
Accumulator said:
Yeah, that would last (presumably) as long as the other products last on top of the glaze.



But a few things to note:



VM behaves differently from IHG as the VM also has cleaners, *VERY* mild abrasives, and is longer lasting. I wouldn't consider them equivalent products (not to split hairs...these really are pretty different IMO), the VM is sorta like a cleaner wax in many ways and that's not a criticism.



Some stuff won't bond to glazes, dunno about the EX-P, haven't used it. I'd generally expect stuff to bond to VM better than to IHG.
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Thanks again, I'll try VM, EX-P and P21S and I'll post in Click and Brag.

Regards !!
 
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