Which complete line of polishes?

[Accumulator]

Gonzo- That was a good post to resurrect on this thread. While I usually tell people they don't need a zillion different products, sometimes you really *do* need something specific; seems like nothing else will do the job. And then you're lucky that you have a lot of stuff on hand.



It *was* funny about how the 1Z stuff behaved for you on that job...but now that I think about it I usually don't try to do much real correction with the PP, and I only use it with polishing pads. If it doesn't do it I just use Ultra and then use the PP to remove all the Ultra's micromarring.



I keep finding myself refining the pad/product combos I use, sorta in the direction of only using aggressive pads with aggressive products and generally doing more work with polishing pads.

 

[Gonzo]

Acc, me too. I use aggressive pads with aggressive polishes, but rather than "scrub" down the vehicle to begin with, I target problem areas only with the aggressive combos on an "as needed" basis. That is unless the vehicle looks like it has been gang-raped by the Brillo groupies.

 

[Lore]

Is there anything inherently wrong with using Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound and a Perfect-It III Rubbing Compound one after another? I never figured out what the difference between those two were.



I'm considering picking up a bottle of Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound Medium Cut 05973 to use as my most aggressive product but don't know if I should get Perfect-It III Rubbing Compound 05933 instead based on a recommendation from Accumulator.



Any thougts on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

 

[fertzguy]

www.waynestowels.com also has all the Einszett products in stock

 

[Gonzo]

Lore,

I cannot comment becuase I don't even own anything 3M, aside from some scotch tape.

 

[Accumulator]

Lore- Sounds like you've already had sufficient advice from me, but here's a little more



The PI-II line has carcinogenic abrasives, so wear a mask if you're doing much work with them.



I have not had great luck with the 3M Medium and Extra Cut RCs, too much hazing. And that was with a rotary, I wouldn't recommend them with a PC/Cyclo.



When I need something stronger than PI-III RC (05933) I use 1z Ultra/Extra polish. Another idea would be Hi-Temp Medium Cut, available from TOL, which is a bit milder than most such products. But IMO you're getting into the sort of correction that really oughta be done with a rotary or with a Cyclo using the new pad system.

 

[Eliot Ness]

Is there anything inherently wrong with using Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound and a Perfect-It III Rubbing Compound one after another? I never figured out what the difference between those two were.......

The PI III line is the newer version that not only dusts less, but also the dust is not supposed to be as unhealthy if inhaled. The PI II is a bit more aggressive but IMHO (between the PI II and III) the PI III RC would be what Iâ€â„¢d recommend. As a follow up to the RC use PI III MG (machine glaze), both are great polishes; easy to work, give great results, and contain no fillers.

 

[Lore]

Lore- Sounds like you've already had sufficient advice from me, but here's a little more



The PI-II line has carcinogenic abrasives, so wear a mask if you're doing much work with them.



I have not had great luck with the 3M Medium and Extra Cut RCs, too much hazing. And that was with a rotary, I wouldn't recommend them with a PC/Cyclo.



When I need something stronger than PI-III RC (05933) I use 1z Ultra/Extra polish. Another idea would be Hi-Temp Medium Cut, available from TOL, which is a bit milder than most such products. But IMO you're getting into the sort of correction that really oughta be done with a rotary or with a Cyclo using the new pad system.

Accumulator,



Thanks for the info. My friend has an old 92 LeBaron that is in pretty bad shape. I want to try my luck at restoring his paint and based on what I know of the car, I might need a harsher compound than just Menzerna's Intensive Polish. Hence my reaching out to 3M products.



I'll try to get PI-III RC 05933 from the 3M store. Good to know that it's less hazardous than PI-II. Makes me wonder what PI-3000 is like!



I don't own a rotary but do have a PC. You say that if I'm getting into that sort of correction that I should be doing it with a rotary or with a Cyclo - will a PC suffice? I was under the impression the PC is more or less like a Cyclo, especially if it's outfitted with a Cyclo pad (which I have).

 

[Lore]

The PI III line is the newer version that not only dusts less, but also the dust is not supposed to be as unhealthy if inhaled. The PI II is a bit more aggressive but IMHO (between the PI II and III) the PI III RC would be what Iâ€â„¢d recommend. As a follow up to the RC use PI III MG (machine glaze), both are great polishes; easy to work, give great results, and contain no fillers.

Thanks for the info! I just checked on the 3M store for PI-III and it doesn't look like they sell it online. I was looking forwards to the free shipping =)



Are you talking about 39012 for the Machine Glaze?

 

[Lore]

Hello everyone,



Just called 3M who told me that the Perfect-It III line is discontinued due to its VOC formulation and has been replaced by the Perfect-It 3000 line. That said, the Perfect-It II line _is_ still around (even though the MSDS says it's got more VOCs!).



I guess I won't be able to order the Perfect-It III line from anywhere anymore...

 

[Accumulator]

Lore- Well, sounds like we'll need to switch to the new stuff sooner or later anyhow. But I wonder if some places will still have the old PI-III stuff in stock. I've odered mine from HERE before.



As best I can remember, the 39012 is a smaller size bottle of 052937.



But I wouldn't be surprised if the new formulations work just fine. I don't think the changes will be nearly as significant with polishes as with LSPs.

 

[Accumulator]

I don't own a rotary but do have a PC. You say that if I'm getting into that sort of correction that I should be doing it with a rotary or with a Cyclo - will a PC suffice? I was under the impression the PC is more or less like a Cyclo, especially if it's outfitted with a Cyclo pad (which I have).

The Cyclo, *in my experience* will do things a PC won't do; it's not just that it does the same things faster.



But a PC can do a lot, especially when fitted with 4" pads. The smaller pads require more time, but the PC doesn't seem to bog down as much with them.



If the 3M stuff doesn't pan out, check with TOL for Hi-Temp's light and medium cut products. You'll still want a mild polish to use afterwards though.

 

[Bill D]

Wow, I'm glad you shared this news regarding the end of PI III. I sure wonder what, if any, difference in polishing ability the PI 3000 will have. I ought to find and start haunting paint and body supply stores that carry 3m Perfect It to see when the new product catalog comes out. Last time they never followed through after I requested one over the phone.

 

[Lore]

The Cyclo, *in my experience* will do things a PC won't do; it's not just that it does the same things faster.



But a PC can do a lot, especially when fitted with 4" pads. The smaller pads require more time, but the PC doesn't seem to bog down as much with them.



If the 3M stuff doesn't pan out, check with TOL for Hi-Temp's light and medium cut products. You'll still want a mild polish to use afterwards though.

Thanks again for your response!



I have Menzerna's Intensive Polish and Final Polish II. I also have a small bottle of 3M's Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound left from an earlier purchase. However, in order to detail my buddy's car I think I'll need more Perfect-It II than the 4 oz I have left. (I think the PI-II is slightly more abrasive than the Menzerna IP. Please correct me if I'm wrong!)

 

[Lore]

Wow, I'm glad you shared this news regarding the end of PI III. I sure wonder what, if any, difference in polishing ability the PI 3000 will have. I ought to find and start haunting paint and body supply stores that carry 3m Perfect It to see when the new product catalog comes out. Last time they never followed through after I requested one over the phone.

Hi Bill,



I'm not sure why PI-II is still around when it seems to be more hazardous to your health than PI-III. But I'm sure PI-3000 is probably the best thing to buy if you're needing refills of stuff right now. I can't find it anywhere yet, but the guy did say that any Napa auto store should have some.



Thanks.

 

[Accumulator]

I'm not sure why PI-II is still around when it seems to be more hazardous to your health than PI-III...

Heh heh, hazards to the environment seem to be a bigger deal than hazards to the people who populate said environment, huh?



And yes, as best I can tell (haven't tried the IP), the PI-II RC would be a step up in aggressiveness.



I'm sorta a fanatic about not using too much product, but I don't think the 4 oz. would be enough either. But I'd get something other than the PI-II stuff even if you have to look a little harder to find it.

 

[Lore]

But I'd get something other than the PI-II stuff even if you have to look a little harder to find it.

I assume you're referring to TOL's Hi-Temp product offerings? Or do you mean something like PI-III / PI-3000?



I just need something a little stronger than that of Menzerna's Intensive Polish just in case my friend's car needs it. Don't want to get caught without all the chemicals that I need!

 

[Accumulator]

I assume you're referring to TOL's Hi-Temp product offerings? Or do you mean something like PI-III / PI-3000?

Either/or between the Hi-Temp and the PI-3000. I'm wondering what I'll do when I run out of PI-III stuff and need something new and at this moment I'd pretty much toss a coin between those two routes. I'm a big fan of finding something that works for you and sticking with it. Of course that's a problem when that something gets discontinued

 

[Lore]

Either/or between the Hi-Temp and the PI-3000. I'm wondering what I'll do when I run out of PI-III stuff and need something new and at this moment I'd pretty much toss a coin between those two routes. I'm a big fan of finding something that works for you and sticking with it. Of course that's a problem when that something gets discontinued

Hey thanks again for your prompt response. This forum is fantastic. I would love to see the list of products in your inventory and the order in which you use them... that would be very helpful to a detailing newbie (but enthusiast) like myself.



I noticed the Hi Temp stuff seems fairly inexpensive -- can you attest to its quality, or are you speaking on general terms?



How does Hi Temp's Light Cut and Medium Cut compare to Menzerna's Final Polish and Intensive Polish, respectively? If you've used Hi Temp before you should contribute your findings to the Additions/Corrections thread , which you've contributed to before!

 

[Accumulator]

Hey thanks again for your prompt response...

Heh heh, I'm getting over a cold and thus unable to engage in my usual activities. At least I'm doing something that's possibly productive with these posts.

I would love to see the list of products in your inventory and the order in which you use them... that would be very helpful to a detailing newbie (but enthusiast) like myself.

That would be one *long* list as I've tried a lot of stuff over the years and I seldom throw anything away.



Generally I do most work with either 3M PI-III PC and MG (05933 and 05937) or the 1Z line (Ultra Polish, Paint Polish, and the "pro" version of their Metallic Polish). I'll occasionally use FP (version I) or Griot's Machine Polish #3 when I need something extra mild but still abrasive.

I noticed the Hi Temp stuff seems fairly inexpensive -- can you attest to its quality, or are you speaking on general terms?



How does Hi Temp's Light Cut and Medium Cut compare to Menzerna's Final Polish and Intensive Polish, respectively?

Since I haven't used the Menzerna IP I can't really compare them except with regard to what others (whose opinions I respect) have posted.



But I have used the Hi-Temp Light Cut back in the day and it worked fine. About the same as the PI-III RC but maybe not quiet as fine a finish (more need for follow-up). That *is* from memory and it's been years since I used it. No real reason why I quit, I just tried other stuff and never reordered it. So it'll probably be a bit more aggressive than the IP.



I haven't used the Medium cut but again, people whose opinions I value say it works well so I'm comfortable recommending it. It's about as aggressive as you can go without needing a rotary (and it's made for use by rotary/PC/hand, which is rare for an aggressive product).



Don't let the prices of Hi-Temp (or PRO brand or ValueGuard from AutoInt) products put you off, they make good stuff that plenty of pros rely on every day.



Not exactly all the info you were after, but hopefully of some use.