# Scholl s20 black



## zx96 (Jul 29, 2015)

Hi All,

I was recommended on another post (thank you  to that Scholl s20 black could be a good option for my needs.

The car is a sapphire black BMW E46 Coupe and I am a newbie who will be using this on a Das 6 Pro, I just want to improve some minor scratches and give the car a good shine- nothing special.

Is this good just to use on its own for my needs and then I will add a good wax?

My other big question is what pad should I use, will I need just one- someone mentioned a white hex pad should I buy this?

Thank you  Any tips on where it is cheapest to buy would also be great- clean my car out of stock which is where I am buying the Das 6 Pro..


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## Steampunk (Aug 11, 2011)

Hello,

Scholl Concepts S20 Black is a very nice polish with quite a versatile range; cutting performance is close to a compound, with finishing performance as good or better than most of the fine polishes on the market. Like pretty much all polishes, its cutting and finishing performance can be tweaked with pad selection and pressure to match various applications.

The question of whether it is suitable for your particular needs, and what pad to use it with, however, fall under the 'How Long is a Piece of String' category... In time, experience will help you to 'read' the paint, and narrow in on a potential pad/product combination before beginning the work. Even then, there will always be a margin of trial and error, conducting 'test spots' to see if your hypothesis about what pad/product you needed was correct. Right now, as a newbie, your margins of trial and error are simply bigger than they will one day become with practice. Without first-hand inspection, no one will honestly be able to make an accurate guess as to what you need. You need to buy a selection of pads, and a quality polish or two, and find out for yourself. Experienced detailers can help you with elements of the process such as understanding technique, but as always, personal enlightenment is a path walked alone.

If you would like to try the Scholl Concepts line to begin with, S20 Black isn't a bad place to start, although you may potentially need to step up to S3 XXL to achieve the results you want, or step down to one of the finer polishes in the line if S20 Black proves to be overkill on even your finest pad (However, this last possibility is somewhat less likely than the first.). The only downside being, it is currently only available in liter form, which is far more product than you will ever need just polishing your own car. This size also makes it more expensive. Something like S17+ will be slightly lower in cutting/finishing performance, but would be less expensive, as it is available in 250ml sizing. I am always loathe to recommend a strong compound to a beginning polisher, but if the paint proves tough, something like S3 XXL followed by S30+ (Both in 250ml sizes.) may serve you even better yet than a liter of S20 Black. Spautopia and Elite Car Care are both purveyors of Scholl Concepts, as is Ultimate Finish, and several others.

I would also advise purchasing three of each finishing pads, polishing pads, and compounding pads of some variety in order to give yourself options to adapt to the situations at hand. As you polish the car, the pads will load with spent polish, and need to be changed, hence the reason for duplication. Either Lake Country's Low-Profile Hydro-Tech pads (Labeled 'Rotary' by Polished Bliss, and available in their store.) or Meguiar's new DA Foam Discs (Again, low-profile. I would contact Meguiar's UK to find a stockist.) would be good options with your tool to fulfill this trio. I would purchase them in 140mm size to match a 125mm backing plate, and also potentially look at some Scholl Concepts Orange and Purple 85mm spot pads and a 75mm mini backing plate for tighter spots. This will give you a good place to begin.

Start with either S20 Black/S17+ or S30+ on the intermediate polishing pad you select, and work your way up from there as needed in order to achieve your goals. Polishing is an abrasive process, and you are removing paint; the ideal is never to remove more than necessary. If the vehicle has been polished or repaired before, paint depth may be low and or inconsistent, making polishing beyond a certain point hazardous (Again, where this point lies is a 'how long is a piece of string' question, due to the number of variables involved.). Knowing the history of the vehicle is crucial, or in lieu of this, paint depth readings and the knowledge to interpret them. Having the vehicle inspected by a professional detailer with a paint thickness gauge may be worth the nominal amount they would charge for such a service if you lack confidence in the health of the car's clearcoat.

Also, the best way to gain skill with paintwork correction is practice, and preferably on something which you are not afraid of potentially damaging, like a scrap panel. Reading guides from reputable detailers, like DaveKG, will also be of assistance, although since you are using Scholl details of the technique are different: http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=63859. Pad priming is a little different (As depicted below), and the working time is staged differently as I will explain:










Note: Multiple, shallow dot pattern spread evenly across surface - averaging about 12-dots - resulting from tapping the top of the bottle on the surface of the pad.

Technique:

(A) Speed 1 - Single pass, spreading polish over 18X18 inch area.
(B) Speed 3-5 - Multiple passes with moderate to high pressure (~5-10lbs.), working product until it begins to feel smooth under the pad after about 1-1/2 to 3 minutes, signalling the abrasives have broken down.
(C) Speed 3-5 - Similar number of passes with zero to light pressure, refining the finish.
(D) Speed 1-2 - Optional, for sensitive paints: one to two passes, refining the finish at low speed, gently lifting up on the machine to take gravitational weight off the pad.

After each 18"X18" section, clean the pad with an old, lint-free terrycloth cotton or short-pile microfiber towel, and proceed to next, re-priming with about 1/3 less product than before (Example: 8-dots instead of 12). Inspect pad frequently, and once polish caking becomes evident, replace with fresh pad.

There are popular videos demonstrating machine usage, although to be quite frank I would watch them with caution, as not all of the personalities sharing their opinions have the experience or logical approach of some of the more mature teachers on this site like DaveKG. Very few center around Scholl, and none I have seen so far demonstrate these products very well.

After polishing, I would inspect the surface with a gentle solvent like CarPro Eraser. This will remove any residual oils, allowing you to see your 'true' results, and leaving perfectly bare paint for ideal wax/sealant bonding. Follow up with an LSP (Last Step Protection) product of your choice.

Hopefully this helps... If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, and I or someone else on the forum will most likely be able to answer. Happy polishing. :buffer:

- Steampunk


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## Bigoggy (Sep 1, 2014)

I love s20 s17 is also very good.


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## sean ryan (May 10, 2015)

s20 Black is brilliant I've used it a few time's and got great result's but you need to use the scholl blue spider pad scholl recommend it that's the pad I use


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## zx96 (Jul 29, 2015)

Brilliant post! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this; it has answered so many of the questions I had posted elsewhere in one place! Brilliant!

I will take your advice and buy a full range of pads for me to experiment with.

I have decided to go with the 1kg of S20 black anyway, as it is only about £20 more than the S17 250g and everyone speaks so highly of it that I really want to try it.

I have also decided to buy the Scholl W6+ paint sealant to apply with a finishing pad afterwards and look forward to sharing my results..

Thanks once again, very helpful advice!



Steampunk said:


> Hello,
> 
> Scholl Concepts S20 Black is a very nice polish with quite a versatile range; cutting performance is close to a compound, with finishing performance as good or better than most of the fine polishes on the market. Like pretty much all polishes, its cutting and finishing performance can be tweaked with pad selection and pressure to match various applications.
> 
> ...


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## zx96 (Jul 29, 2015)

Change of plan!

Went with the 250ml Scholl S-17+ in the end because Clean your Car where I ordered most of my stuff had run out of the S20 Black!

Shame but as you say it has saved me a bit I can buy other products with if it doesn't give me the result I want. Plus I can polish my mums and sisters cars too with the S17 (which are not black)


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## sean ryan (May 10, 2015)

zx96 said:


> Change of plan!
> 
> Went with the 250ml Scholl S-17+ in the end because Clean your Car where I ordered most of my stuff had run out of the S20 Black!
> 
> Shame but as you say it has saved me a bit I can buy other products with if it doesn't give me the result I want. Plus I can polish my mums and sisters cars too with the S17 (which are not black)


Elite car care sell it :thumb:


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## Bigoggy (Sep 1, 2014)

Trust me you will like the s17


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## Radish293 (Mar 16, 2012)

I bought 250g of both s17 and s40. Pleased with the result achieved with both. I now need to replace both. I was thinking of S20 black with a combination of pad as 1Kg is only £6 more than replacing the others. Anyone with any ideas if this is a good idea.

Thanks


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## white91 (Feb 11, 2011)

Very interested in your findings, I have bought s17 but now think s20 would have been the better option?


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## Radish293 (Mar 16, 2012)

I went for th S20 a blue and orange spider pad 
Used it for the first time and found it a little difficult to get too grips with. I found the blue pad and working it a little longer was the best. It truly is a One step system better than S17 and S40 combo. 
Overall really pleased. Topped it off with a quick buff with AG SPR and EGP now gleaming


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