Newbie Menzerna Questions?

J

jdonnell

New member
I just used Menzerna SF4500 polish and Power-Lock sealant. Results are spectacular! I had a couple questions though:

1) How long should I wait to put a top coat of wax over the sealant? Power Lock bottle says wait 3 hours before applying a 2nd coat of Power Lock. I assume I need to wait 3 hours for wax??

2) the SF4500 polish seemed a little hard to remove (I did clay before applying). There's no instructions on the bottle or their website. Does this polish need to be removed before drying to make it easier, or better to let it dry. Both seemed similar to me so maybe I was using too much product.

Thanks
 
There are as many opinions on this as there are products out there..

I personally do not ever let the compound dry and dust all over the place - especially since I use only Rotary Power...

The finer compounds have things in them that allow you to polish down for a long time to help break down and burnish the paint to a really high level.

If you dont let it dry hard on the surface, it will always be easier to remove..

Drying and curing are 2 different things... I have also used Menzerna PowerLock for years and loved it. I always had better success with it if it had time to cure, so if the bottle says wait 3 hours, and its not freezing cold and damp where you are when this is happening, then check how it feels after hour -2...

Does the microfiber drag over it when you lightly wipe it or does the paint surface feel smoother and slicker as the microfiber moves across it after hour-2 ?

Nothing is ever set in stone in Detailing... A zillion variables... we need to be flexible, and more than anything, innovative..

Good luck with this ! Bet your vehicle looks great !!!
Dan F
 
Imho
wait 3 hours or so then do a second coat
wait a day or longer to cure and then wax

just my opinion
 
jdonnell said:
2) the SF4500 polish seemed a little hard to remove (I did clay before applying). There's no instructions on the bottle or their website. Does this polish need to be removed before drying to make it easier, or better to let it dry. Both seemed similar to me so maybe I was using too much product.
Click to expand...

I use SF2500 and SF4500 and never let it dry. Polish isn't a like a wax or a sealant that needs to "haze" so that a thin layer of protection stays on the paint. Polish such as SF4500 is actually a super-fine compound meant to prepare the paint, and therefore you want to remove all of the polish so your paint is perfectly clean before you apply your sealant.

So, IMO, you should wipe off the SF4500 right after polishing without delay. In my experience it comes of quite easily with very little dusting.
 
I concluded I used too much SF4500 and that is why it was somewhat difficult to get off. Now I wonder from 1953hogan's comments about SF4500 being a compound, if I should switch back over to BF polish. I chose SF4500 from the Menzerna website because it was fine / less abrasive and for paint in good condition. But I did wonder about ingrediants containing aluminum.
 
A few drops per pad is all you need. Wipe off immediately after you are done. Wait at least 12 hours before applying a wax. :rockon
 
From the expert himself!:autopia:

I admire you professional guys that put in all that labor, especially in the summertime. I can barely do my 3 cars every 6 months or so. Not sure which is worse either, all the time and effort to detail a car, or trying to explain to my neighbors why I don't just run it through local car wash and wax.

My PC backing plate seemed to develop a wobble. Time to visit the Autopia store again.

Thanks!
 
jdonnell said:
I concluded I used too much SF4500 and that is why it was somewhat difficult to get off. Now I wonder from 1953hogan's comments about SF4500 being a compound, if I should switch back over to BF polish. I chose SF4500 from the Menzerna website because it was fine / less abrasive and for paint in good condition. But I did wonder about ingrediants containing aluminum.
Click to expand...

When I said it was a compound I didn't mean it should be compared to actual compounds used for aggressive correction. I was just trying to differentiate SF4500 from a sealant which it isn't, and explain why it should be wiped off right away.

Not to worry. SF4500 is a polish and a very good one and I see no reason to switch back to BF unless you actually prefer it.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
 
jdonnell said:
I concluded I used too much SF4500 and that is why it was somewhat difficult to get off. Now I wonder from 1953hogan's comments about SF4500 being a compound, if I should switch back over to BF polish. I chose SF4500 from the Menzerna website because it was fine / less abrasive and for paint in good condition. But I did wonder about ingrediants containing aluminum.
Click to expand...

Use very little and work in small sections. Clean your pad after each section or the SF4500 will gum up in the middle of the pad. If you keep your pad clean on the fly and use small amounts of product and work in small sections, this polish works amazing. It took me a few panels to dial it in the first time I used it. Only gets easier after that.

Which BF polish were you using before?
 
Before I have only used BF Gloss Enhancing Polish + BFWD Sealant and liked them both, but with great sales I wanted to try the Menzerna. It's close but I think I like the Menzerna better.
 
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