# 3M Polish and pads........it's a no brainer!!!



## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Recently I moved on to 3M polishes and kept my usual pads, but since I went the 3M Polish route I decided to go the full hog and use the 3M pads.

The combo works brilliantly, the best pad polish combo ever!!!!!! I still wet the pad and spin on the machine so just damp, I do not like dry pads!!!!

Even though I am not a lover of heavy compounding pads, I even enjoy using the 3M green pad. But only on really bad paint.

I have found that 3M FastCut with a yellow 3M pad will correct even the hardest of paints, 6 blobs on a door, work the polish then ramp up to about 1800rpm allows the polish to work and do it's stuff. After the polish has worked and dusted I then burnish the finish with the pad to get a great first finish. If not enough cut on the pad I will go wool or the Green 3M one.

Then use ExtraFine with another yelow pad then drop down to the blue and black pads with UltraFina.

The black 3M pad will get rid of those annoying holograms that seem to stay in black paint, and haunt you.

I am no way affilliated with 3M but over the last 6 months have found them so easy to work with and are not fussy on temperqture/humidity like Menzerna.

All in all a pleasure to work with.

So, all my old polishes will be used up or binned, the 3M route is the best I have found in years.

Happy Polishing!!!!!!:buffer:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Totally agree with you, I made the change about 3 months or so ago - the range just works, everytime. 

How do you get on with UF?


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

Make you do a few ipa wipedowns. They fill quite a lot.


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## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

JPC said:


> Make you do a few ipa wipedowns. They fill quite a lot.


Agreed.
Can mask due to their oils make up.
and FC+ on a DA well thats another matter.
Gordon.


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

RussZS said:


> Totally agree with you, I made the change about 3 months or so ago - the range just works, everytime.
> 
> How do you get on with UF?


Love it, can work it for ages and never dries out, cars are looking so much wetter when finished.


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

JPC said:


> Make you do a few ipa wipedowns. They fill quite a lot.


Oh yeah, litres of IPA in my lock up. Always IPA wipedown.


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## DE 1981 (Aug 17, 2007)

The drop back can be substantial but at least 2 IPA wipedowns gives a true picture if the finish. I love 3M products and pads been using them for years now.

I remember somebody describing them as to 'bodyshop' for their liking and claiming the pads were terrible-funny the things people say when trying to sell other stuff.

Only thing I'd say is I'm not a fan of the green compounding pad.

Gav


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

The green pad is a touch too hard, and can be a pig to control. Shame they don't do it in a waffle design.

I have an orange 3M compounding pad, which I think is an older pad positioned between Green and Yellow, thats a great pad with FCP

Does anyone know if this is still available?


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Yes I still prefer wool for compounding, love wool pads!!!


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## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

RussZS said:


> The green pad is a touch too hard, and can be a pig to control. Shame they don't do it in a waffle design.
> 
> I have an orange 3M compounding pad, which I think is an older pad positioned between Green and Yellow, thats a great pad with FCP
> 
> Does anyone know if this is still available?


Orange pad has been retired M8. In favour of the green.
But agree they do not last long, the aggressive abrasives in FC+ tare then to bits.
Got a few still kick around also. But running out of them also.


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## Incredible Detail (Sep 26, 2007)

You can get the orange pads here :

http://www.cartersconsumables.co.uk/133mm-orange-waffle-sponge-velcro-backed-p-561.html


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks both! 

Does anyone else use them?

Also, don't let any of them get wet, they begin to dissolve...


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## DAN: (Apr 18, 2010)

RussZS said:


> The green pad is a touch too hard, and can be a pig to control. Shame they don't do it in a waffle design.
> 
> I have an orange 3M compounding pad, which I think is an older pad positioned between Green and Yellow, thats a great pad with FCP
> 
> Does anyone know if this is still available?


think you mean from the finesse it range....

http://www.shop3m.com/60980107274.html

Love perfect-it III 3m Pads...high quality and perfect results. moved on to more advanced nano type polishes now such as megs 105\205 and gtechniq P1\P2 but still dig out a wool pad and fast cut plus to do any gritty work. (trusty mate is FCP lol)

just to add, you dont need to do IPA wipe downs using water based polishes such as Gtechniq P1


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## Razzzle (Jul 3, 2010)

doing a black veccy on the weekend and have just stocked up on some more 3m polish, used to use them with hex pads, and have also got a set of grren/yellow/blue pads.

Think it will be worth a black pad for the holograms then?

Daz.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

There's very little difference between blue and black - I have both, they feel identical?


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## DAN: (Apr 18, 2010)

Blue is best, dedicated finishing pad. Black is a gloss pad for glazing\application.


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## TCD (Jan 27, 2009)

I agree with you m8!!


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## Magic Detail (Jul 25, 2010)

Are you guys doing the IPA wipe down because this is an oil based polish? or because they contain fillers? Only, I read in a thread the other week, and from my own understanding of 3M polishes, that they do not contain fillers..


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

I don't think they are designed to fill but it's inevitable due to the carrier oils.


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## gally (May 25, 2008)

They definitely carry oils, you can see that without knowing before hand.

I had the pleasure of using them for around 6months. We had a trial a while back and were one of the first bodyshops to be offered the stuff.

It's just so simple, I would recommend them to anyone. 

I'm lucky in some ways that I don't do much corrective work due to time constraints and luckily I don't have to use the green pad as compound pads aren't my favourite to work with!

The yellow and blue combo and FC+ are just great, it really does make you feel like you can throw out some of the other polishes you have.

Thanks for the write up!


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

They are good polishes, but I still find I use Menz and Megs polishes just as much, I still love 3.02 - one of the best polishes ever


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## Refined Detail (Nov 27, 2006)

I still carry all 3 and did love them, now I'm starting to go off them predominantly down to how filling FC+ and UF in particular seem to be (EF doesn't seem to be so bad in general) Have now started using Scholl S17+ a lot and various Menzerna polishes.

Still use 3M pads for most things though (and wool when the going gets tough!)


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## Beau Technique (Jun 21, 2010)

When you get tired of 3M get some scholl mate, you wont trun back.
Im slowly converting people


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

I love Menz Pads and Polish, but after getting tired of their pads crumbling etc, I gave 3M a try as S3-DAVE uses them a lot! I do love the pads. I have some 3M sample polishes to give a try too (well, 250ml). See how I get on with that!

But as Clark has said, Menz 3.02 is possibly one of the best polishes ever! I love it!


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## Faysal (Oct 23, 2010)

Hey guys,

I want to purchase a 3M woolpad but seems like they have so many different wool pads and different 3M references number longpile shortpile one sided double sided etc...

If one of you guys owns a 3M woolpad please advice wich one is the best to work with please.

Cheers


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## MK1Campaign (Mar 27, 2007)

I use them at work but cant say im a fan. Far too oily and they hide defects easily. Mezerna every time for me.


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## David (Apr 6, 2006)

been a fan of FC+ and UF for a while, although a little oily, they do a good job in a good timescale


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## nickmak (May 29, 2010)

How does 3M work out for you guys in the cold? I find that the Menz polishes are really quite decent up to about 3-4 degrees...


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## romaniaSB (Dec 10, 2010)

from your experience, to cut better Menzerna S100 or 3M FC+ ?


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## Littler (Nov 8, 2010)

The 3M polish system is brilliant, it always has sorted any imperfection!

But have to agree with Clark Menz 3.02 needs to be among your kit!


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## Costello88 (Oct 14, 2010)

regarding to 1st post in this thread. 3M pads and compounds are made in pairs. It means they've got same colors. So green goes with FC+, black with black compound ( didn't bother to look for name of compound ), yellow with yellow Extra Fine Compound (80349), blue with blue Ultrafina SE Polish (50383). So the softest pad and least agressive compound is blue colour ....


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## romaniaSB (Dec 10, 2010)

I asked a simple question; there's no person that can answer to which cuts better and faster: FC + or Menzerna S100? I have to understand that if people with experience answer to this question they will not receive sponsorship anymore from the 3M and Menzerna ... if one of the products is less well defined.


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## Porta (Jan 3, 2007)

romaniaSB said:


> I asked a simple question; there's no person that can answer to which cuts better and faster: FC + or Menzerna S100? I have to understand that if people with experience answer to this question they will not receive sponsorship anymore from the 3M and Menzerna ... if one of the products is less well defined.


FC+, but I would not use Menzerna POS100. Menzerna Fast gloss(S500) is superior to POS100.


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## DetailMyCar (Apr 19, 2010)

caledonia said:


> Agreed.
> Can mask due to their oils make up.
> and FC+ on a DA well thats another matter.
> Gordon.


What do you mean about FC+ with a DA?

I have got the 3M pads for my DA machine, but didn't really get on with them - the SFX range seem to work better but as others have said they seem to break up fairly quickly and not last very well.....


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

Its annoying, I have had the full range of 3M polishes and pads sitting under my desk for about 6 months now, never used, I would give anything to have a garage at this time of year, I just want to see what the fuss is all about.


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## romaniaSB (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks for the reply even though I was expecting more considering that on this forum there are many people with experience in detailing. Perhaps they had their "reasons" not to answer to my questions but I appreciate that the administrators of this forum don’t delete any posts that could possibly disturb the others.
As in any industry, product advertising means money but have shown detailing the facts and must be disposed of poor-quality products.


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## dooka (Aug 1, 2006)

Been using 3M for years now, thanks to a healthy discount at Brown Brothers, great stuff, FC+ is superb stuff..


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## Black Squirrel (Feb 24, 2010)

qstix said:


> Been using 3M for years now, thanks to a healthy discount at Brown Brothers, great stuff, FC+ is superb stuff..


Any links to brown bros?


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## ashk (Aug 11, 2008)

Yep fantastic combinations ive only had the chance to use the kit a few times. Not entirely sure what the Rosa polish stuff is, LSP or Glaze anyone know?


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