Optimum Polish, correct usage? (pix inside)

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imported_fishbonezken

New member
Hi guys, I recently got hold of a bottle of Optimum Polish.

I have been using Meguiar's line of polish(M83,M80,M82) before this, and the Optimum Polish does not behave like any of them at all.



1) Do you first put a few pea-sized drops of polish on the pad(so little compared to a line of Meguiar's polish on a panel), place the pad on the panel and buff?

or place a tiny line of product on the panel and pick it up at 10 o'clock?



2) In the beginning, the OP will have a slightly whitish oily look to it?

When it has broken down, it is a colourless, transparent liquid film. Is that correct?

It took so much longer to get it from slightly whitish to colourless transparent when compared to Meguiar's polishes.



I took my test panel, rubbed some M85 Compound on the panel using a terry cloth towel.

It produced fine scratches like this.







Put a small pea-sized blob of OP on a primed pad.





Buffed until it turned into a colourless transparent liquid film. Like this. Speed was (600rpms -> 1200rpms -> 600rpms)





Result.





3) was that the correct technique and breakdown stage?



4) In this picture, has it broken down?





Humble apologies for so many questions asked.

would love to hear from you guys! thanks!
 
Thats exactly how i use it.





Sometimes after it has gone transparent i go another few passes at 600rpm with almost no pressure, i lift up on the machine a tad so that there is very little to no pressure.
 
Coupe said:
Thats exactly how i use it.





Sometimes after it has gone transparent i go another few passes at 600rpm with almost no pressure, i lift up on the machine a tad so that there is very little to no pressure.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks! what kind of finish do you expect after using OP when lifting up the machine?

do you do that to make it hologram and buffer mark free?

and then ready for the LSP?

thanks again :)
 
With any finishing polish ive found if i make a few quick passes at 600rpm and lift up a tad that i get no holograms. Some paints i dont have to do this at all and some paints are so soft it dosent matter if i do that or not.
 
Yes, the polish is in its finest state when it does the final burnishing of the paint. However, as you could already see, Optimum doesn't give lots of visual clues about its breakdown process (stays milky). It is not always necessary to work the Optimum to its clearest, finest state; just check your work somewhere in-between. It will finish out absolutely hologram free, and LSP-ready - even when you stop earlier than pictured.



The main benefit of the Optimums that they give you unparalelled lubrication and playtime - but that doesn't mean that you HAVE TO work it forever; it's just a nice option. When you take your time and finish it down like on the pictures, the polish will produce a deep, wet, wonderfully clear finish which can rival with the best finishing polishes.



Other plus is IMO, that the Optimums are the most user-friendly polishes for beginners with lots of safety cushion. It is not sensitive to product placement (on the pad or panel), and behaves very predictably even on contaminated substrates, causing NO machine hop, or gumming.
 
Ive tried stopping before its gone completely clear and i never get a great finish, thats why i work it till its almost totaly transluscent. Takes forever but i spend more time on my finishing work than my cutting work anyways.
 
Of course, they need a certain amount of time, but with my Menzerna and Riwax pads it works flawlessly when I stop just a bit earlier.



This factor can be a little pad-dependent.
 
I work it a little differently. I work it around and just make sure it generates a little heat. Then move on.



It can take a little longer to wipe than other products. I will do a few panels or the whole car then wipe, wipes off easy, or just cleanup with OCW.
 
The ease of removal is a good indication point. If it is more difficult to remove, you didn't work it in long enough.



True, giving it a little bit of heat (1800-2000 RPM) can accelerate the process, but it produces the finest finish in the recommended speed range (max. 1400-1500 RPM), with slow finishing passes (below 1000 RPM).
 
Thank you for the feedback!

even when I worked it to a transparent film, it is easy to shift, but takes a while to wipe it to a clean finish, unlike Meguiar's polishes.
 
Yes, the Meg's polishes are extremely easy to remove. Optimum needs a few more wipes with the towel, or you can remove the residue simply with OCW which will liquify it, making it easy to remove and add protection in one step.



Alternatively, you can go directly over the OP residue with Poli-Seal, which will absorb the residue and won't produce its own.
 
Bence i build up a little heat at 1000 to 1200 rpm. This gives me a guide on how fast to move.
 
Sorry for replying for Bence,

Ken yes its abolutely easy especially if you dilute ONR to Qd strength for wipe out. Cheaper solution than Megs Final Inspection.



But my experience different from Bence. I found out that if you had surface contaminants the polish tend to kind of wrap up the contaminants. If you continue to buff then the spot wil become bigger and bigger so you need to do some hand polishing again at the spot.

So better clay first.
 
Salty, paints react to heat differently. But the low-heat approach is always on the safe side.



Fishbonezken, basically any QD will do the job, but I'd recommend the OCW because it is a sprayable wax/sealant which means it is a more substantial liquid than a QD, providing more protection. Plain water won't provide the necessary lubrication which is absolutely essential, since you want to minimize the friction (aka abrasive action) between your towel and the surface. The QD-strength ONR mix will also work flawlessly.



Juyang, I haven't talked about surface contaminants... Not a word... I was talking about the residue of the Optimum polishes.
 
Bence, sorry for the comments, I know you mean the residue of the polish, but i am referring to this previous post before.

Bence said:
Other plus is IMO, that the Optimums are the most user-friendly polishes for beginners with lots of safety cushion. It is not sensitive to product placement (on the pad or panel), and behaves very predictably even on contaminated substrates, causing NO machine hop, or gumming.
Click to expand...





Maybe it is my wrong misinterpretation, but maybe thats what you mean with it behaves predictably.



But surely it was my experience before. If I have several contaminated spots on the panel, say maybe because of tar presence, when the pad hits the spots, Otimum polishes and compound will kind of wrap around the spots that will become bigger and bigger if you continue to pass the buffer around, unless you immediately solve the spot with hand polishing.

While if i use M83, this spot expanding wont happen, so i can just pass the pad and do the hand polishing for that spot later.



But nothing irritating there, both products need to be done with hand only difference is later or right on when buffing.

Or the better thing clay first.
 
Yep, that was a bit of confusion. I meant invisible contamination, not bonded, above surface contamination.



Sometimes you have a contaminated surface and you won't see or feel it. Old chemical buildup (wax, sealants, etc.) hides in the pores of the paint. These patches can trick you and they can gum up suddenly, or throw the machine around. Keep in mind that gumming and machine-fighting is not always a negative characteristics of a given polish, but it is likely such contamination. If you do a very thorough wipedown with Prepsol, straight APC or straight IPA, you can remove these, and the machine will run smoother, the polishes will work without gumming, etc.



The Optimums are working outstandingly when dealing with these conditions. They won't feel the contaminated patches, just glide over them without skipping, jumping or gumming.
 
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