Menzerna Polish for Every Job...

Radarryan

Radarryan

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Since I decided I would help my neighbor's out with their cars over the coming months, I figured that I needed more polishes than the finishing polishes that I used on my and my families cars.

I really like Menzerna polishes ever since I used SF4500 on my soft black Porsche paint. I was figuring that I would pick up the following polishes:

FG400 Fast Gloss
SI1500 Super Intensive
PF2500 Power Finish
SF4000 Super Finish

I already have SF4500 but really I figured that is only reserved for two steps with very, very soft paint or a jeweling process. I was planning on using my favorite pads, Lake Country HydroTech pads.

I know I can always go the M105/M205 route but sometimes I like DAT polishes over SMAT because I know when they're fully broken down. I was thinking about SONAX Perfect Finish but the filling ability is making me think twice since I would probably (almost 100%) be applying coatings after. I hate to have a coating fail because of the "super fillers" that many have talked about.

I am open to other suggestions for polishes and compounds, but Menzerna really, at least in my opinion, steps itself apart from the others.

Thank you for all of your feedback and happy detailing!
 
Radarryan said:
I was figuring that I would pick up the following polishes:

FG400 Fast Gloss
SI1500 Super Intensive
PF2500 Power Finish
SF4000 Super Finish

I am open to other suggestions for polishes and compounds, but Menzerna really, at least in my opinion, steps itself apart from the others.

Thank you for all of your feedback and happy detailing!
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You have a nice list of products. IMO, I would order every one you have listed. I would also think twice about using SPF for coatings because of its filling abilities. I have limited use with it from a sample and it worked very well but after seeing threads and hearing about the "filling abilities" of it I never decided to purchase it.

I prefer Menzerna as well and you cant go wrong with with this new set up. Together with the closed cell design pads such as the hydrotechs maximizes the ability of the DAT technology and produces stellar results.

Again, I am a Menzerna fan so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

:)
 
smack said:
You have a nice list of products. IMO, I would order every one you have listed. I would also think twice about using SPF for coatings because of its filling abilities. I have limited use with it from a sample and it worked very well but after seeing threads and hearing about the "filling abilities" of it I never decided to purchase it.

I prefer Menzerna as well and you cant go wrong with with this new set up. Together with the closed cell design pads such as the hydrotechs maximizes the ability of the DAT technology and produces stellar results.

Again, I am a Menzerna fan so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

:)
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Thanks, Mike for your quick response! It must be early over there in Germany (since it's late here in Dallas lol). I'm glad that you share my concern about using SONAX PF with coatings - I was about to pull the trigger on it before thinking twice. I think that pretty much 100% of the work I will be doing will end with coatings because that's really all I'm telling my neighbor's about. Since I am still in cancer treatment, I can only manage few cars at a time (while still making sure mine would win any concours :) ) but right now my polish collection is:
Optimum Finish
Meguiar's M205
Menzerna SF4500
Samples of Wolfgang TSR 3.0, Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish, and Wolfgang Uber Polish

I am a big Menzerna fan which is why I have all Menzerna in the cart now. Just wanting to get the forum's opinion on the polishes and if they think any would be superior - price being secondary to function.
 
I would skip the 1500 since you have FG400. Finish down with 4000 as needed. PF2500 is a great 1 step polish on light colors.
 
I have, and have used a lot of:

FG400 - cutting (and finishes down really well, especially on light colored cars) - depending on the job you could sometimes go straight to LSP

PF2500 - as mentioned an awesome one-step

SF4000 - to finish with on harder paints after FG400

SF4500 - to really eek out every last bit of gloss. Also awesome for soft paints.

So far I haven't come across a need for any other of their polishes in between these....

Flat pads (as opposed to a CCS type pad) will work better for a DAT based polish as it will prevent the re-introduction of fresh polish (as can happen with the CCS type pads) near the end of the buffing cycle, which could lead to micro-marring.
 
lawrenceSA said:
I have, and have used a lot of:

FG400 - cutting (and finishes down really well, especially on light colored cars) - depending on the job you could sometimes go straight to LSP

PF2500 - as mentioned an awesome one-step

SF4000 - to finish with on harder paints after FG400

SF4500 - to really eek out every last bit of gloss. Also awesome for soft paints.

So far I haven't come across a need for any other of their polishes in between these....

Flat pads (as opposed to a CCS type pad) will work better for a DAT based polish as it will prevent the re-introduction of fresh polish (as can happen with the CCS type pads) near the end of the buffing cycle, which could lead to micro-marring.
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Thank you, Lawrence. I appreciate your feedback. It seems based on the phenomenal finishing ability of FG400, it kind of makes the need for SI1500 obsolete. My only thinking in getting both was to save as much clear as possible for those that don't need all the cut of FG400. Maybe it is really too minuscule to tell, though.

Are there any other polishes or brands that you tend to favor in your work?
 
Radarryan said:
Thanks, Mike for your quick response! It must be early over there in Germany (since it's late here in Dallas lol). I'm glad that you share my concern about using SONAX PF with coatings - I was about to pull the trigger on it before thinking twice. I think that pretty much 100% of the work I will be doing will end with coatings because that's really all I'm telling my neighbor's about. Since I am still in cancer treatment, I can only manage few cars at a time (while still making sure mine would win any concours :) ) but right now my polish collection is:
Optimum Finish
Meguiar's M205
Menzerna SF4500
Samples of Wolfgang TSR 3.0, Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish, and Wolfgang Uber Polish

I am a big Menzerna fan which is why I have all Menzerna in the cart now. Just wanting to get the forum's opinion on the polishes and if they think any would be superior - price being secondary to function.
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Sure thing buddy. I am 7 hours ahead of you. Don't bother with SPF. Stick with SF4000 to finish with.

You know with the Germans price is never a concern when making quality products. Ie, you get what you pay for.

BTW, what's going on with the cancer?
 
Go with the 400/4000 for 2 steps and 2500 for 1.

99% of your bases covered.
 
Radarryan said:
Thank you, Lawrence. I appreciate your feedback. It seems based on the phenomenal finishing ability of FG400, it kind of makes the need for SI1500 obsolete. My only thinking in getting both was to save as much clear as possible for those that don't need all the cut of FG400. Maybe it is really too minuscule to tell, though.

Are there any other polishes or brands that you tend to favor in your work?
Click to expand...

Well over here in South Africa we are VERY limited in terms of access to detailing products. We have one online store that really only has Menz stuff so I was kind of forced into using it, but am glad I was- I like their products, have gotten used to them, and feel comfortable knowing what to expect from them.

Sure we could purchase from AG, but once you factor in the shipping costs and the Rand/$ exchange rate, it is almost impossible to get stock here at a realistic price....

I have tried the over-the-counter Megs stuff (like UC and UP) and use them from time to time, depending on the job - for example I did a really quick 'tidy up' on a mate's wife's car just before she sold it. They only wanted a quick clean up, not a full on detail, and so I elected to use UC/UP as you can stop working at any point (SMAT) and do not necessarily need to take as long waiting for the DAT polish to properly break down. I also like them for under door handles.

I have not tried M105 or M205

I have played around with some Scholls S3 Gold, but not enough to decided if I would add it to my 'go-to aresenal' yet.

I am very keen to try out the whole MF system though and am looking at getting some for some testing soon.

Mike always says, find something you use and use it often, so I use the Menzerna stuff....and it works, for me.
 
smack said:
BTW, what's going on with the cancer?
Click to expand...

When I was in my last year of grad school, I knew I was getting sick but I had big interviews at Goldman Sachs, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Morgan Stanley, etc. and had to get through the interviews before I allowed myself to go to student health.

When I got there I was taken immideatley by ambulance to the hospital with a completely collapsed left lung, heart pushed to the right of my body, and right lung starting to collapse. Scans showed tumors in my left plural cavity, chest, and right shoulder. I was critically airlifted from New Orleans (where I was attending school) to Dallas where I was raised and my parents still live (and where I'm at now).

Further tests showed advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. Started chemotherapy hours after I got my diagnosis. Second opinion at MD Anderson in Houston and a clot was discovered in my heart. Spent 10 months there receiving consolidation chemotherapy. Since September of 2012 I have been in maintenance therapy, which is scheduled to last for about 16 more months. Thankfully, I have been in remission since November 2011.

The 2013 911 was a gift from my parents to help get my mind off of treatment and into my passion - cars and detailing. I am thankful everyday for the opportunities they have afford to me and the modern medicine. I still have chemo every day, but slowly I am getting my strength back (I still detail my cars and my families - even if it takes me a week to polish my 911) and I am finishing up my degree too. Tulane, the school I was at, has been wonderful working with me in anyway I need.

It is a hellish road, very difficult, and unfortunately most that have what I have don't make it, but I am on the road to recovery, and even though there are many bumps along the way, I am traveling forward, thankful each day.

God bless and happy detailing!
 
Rsurfer said:
I would skip the 1500 since you have FG400. Finish down with 4000 as needed. PF2500 is a great 1 step polish on light colors.
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^This is exactly what I was going to say.

Radarryan said:
When I was in my last year of grad school, I knew I was getting sick but I had big interviews at Goldman Sachs, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Morgan Stanley, etc. and had to get through the interviews before I allowed myself to go to student health.

When I got there I was taken immideatley by ambulance to the hospital with a completely collapsed left lung, heart pushed to the right of my body, and right lung starting to collapse. Scans showed tumors in my left plural cavity, chest, and right shoulder. I was critically airlifted from New Orleans (where I was attending school) to Dallas where I was raised and my parents still live (and where I'm at now).

Further tests showed advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. Started chemotherapy hours after I got my diagnosis. Second opinion at MD Anderson in Houston and a clot was discovered in my heart. Spent 10 months there receiving consolidation chemotherapy. Since September of 2012 I have been in maintenance therapy, which is scheduled to last for about 16 more months. Thankfully, I have been in remission since November 2011.

The 2013 911 was a gift from my parents to help get my mind off of treatment and into my passion - cars and detailing. I am thankful everyday for the opportunities they have afford to me and the modern medicine. I still have chemo every day, but slowly I am getting my strength back (I still detail my cars and my families - even if it takes me a week to polish my 911) and I am finishing up my degree too. Tulane, the school I was at, has been wonderful working with me in anyway I need.

It is a hellish road, very difficult, and unfortunately most that have what I have don't make it, but I am on the road to recovery, and even though there are many bumps along the way, I am traveling forward, thankful each day.

God bless and happy detailing!
Click to expand...

^Wow! - Very, very happy to hear you are doing better! :dblthumb2: I can't imagine how hard all of that has to be. It's great that you can speak about it with such a positive attitude, it really shows what type of person you are if you can get through something like that and still live life to the fullest!
 
zmcgovern45 said:
^Wow! - Very, very happy to hear you are doing better! :dblthumb2: I can't imagine how hard all of that has to be. It's great that you can speak about it with such a positive attitude, it really shows what type of person you are if you can get through something like that and still live life to the fullest!
Click to expand...

Thank you, Zach! Also, thank you for all the questions you have answered via my threads and private message. I highly respect your work and your opinion - which is why I ask it so much lol

Thank you for your feedback and your continued help and support!
 
Feed back please from the evening crowd?

Would these polishes get me through just about any situation, barring serious correction (needing wet sanding or a rotary polisher) with Lake Country Hydro Tech pads (those are my favorite currently).

I am open to any and all opinions!
 
Radarryan said:
Feed back please from the evening crowd?

Would these polishes get me through just about any situation, barring serious correction (needing wet sanding or a rotary polisher) with Lake Country Hydro Tech pads (those are my favorite currently).

I am open to any and all opinions!
Click to expand...

Well I have used Menzerna polishes to correct almost all of the work I have posted. The exceptions would probably have been Megs UC/UP on the odd car.

I do ALL of my work with a Dual Action machine and have corrected everything from soft Subaru paint, to ceramic cleared Mercs and Audi's and a lot in between, all with only FG400, PF25000, SF4000 and SF4500, on various foam pads.

I can't see why, for the most part, you should not be able to use this range on most cars....
 
lawrenceSA said:
Well I have used Menzerna polishes to correct almost all of the work I have posted. The exceptions would probably have been Megs UC/UP on the odd car.

I do ALL of my work with a Dual Action machine and have corrected everything from soft Subaru paint, to ceramic cleared Mercs and Audi's and a lot in between, all with only FG400, PF25000, SF4000 and SF4500, on various foam pads.

I can't see why, for the most part, you should not be able to use this range on most cars....
Click to expand...

Thanks, Lawrence! This was just the answer I was looking for. Confirmation that I was making the right decision. I think that given these polishes, I can switch between pads and really attack anything that they could throw at me.

Happy detailing!
 
Radarryan said:
Feed back please from the evening crowd?

Would these polishes get me through just about any situation, barring serious correction (needing wet sanding or a rotary polisher) with Lake Country Hydro Tech pads (those are my favorite currently).

I am open to any and all opinions!
Click to expand...

You should definitely be able to find a combo within those choices to work on most vehicles. Barring super unique hard to work with paint or needing even more cut (of which I'd try microfiber pads) you should be good to go :props:
 
I would agree with others that you could skip the 1500. Anything heavy should go down well with 400/4000. Middle of the road defects should go down with 2500/4500. 2500 isn't bad on its own either...I think it finishes down similar to 400 which is a 7 on the gloss scale. The link below might be helpful. Good graphic in here that shows how the polishes overlap in cut and gloss.
http://www.menzerna.com/fileadmin/user_upload/PDF/Automotivebrochure_E.pdf
 
Radarryan said:
When I was in my last year of grad school, I knew I was getting sick but I had big interviews at Goldman Sachs, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Morgan Stanley, etc. and had to get through the interviews before I allowed myself to go to student health.

When I got there I was taken immideatley by ambulance to the hospital with a completely collapsed left lung, heart pushed to the right of my body, and right lung starting to collapse. Scans showed tumors in my left plural cavity, chest, and right shoulder. I was critically airlifted from New Orleans (where I was attending school) to Dallas where I was raised and my parents still live (and where I'm at now).

Further tests showed advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. Started chemotherapy hours after I got my diagnosis. Second opinion at MD Anderson in Houston and a clot was discovered in my heart. Spent 10 months there receiving consolidation chemotherapy. Since September of 2012 I have been in maintenance therapy, which is scheduled to last for about 16 more months. Thankfully, I have been in remission since November 2011.

The 2013 911 was a gift from my parents to help get my mind off of treatment and into my passion - cars and detailing. I am thankful everyday for the opportunities they have afford to me and the modern medicine. I still have chemo every day, but slowly I am getting my strength back (I still detail my cars and my families - even if it takes me a week to polish my 911) and I am finishing up my degree too. Tulane, the school I was at, has been wonderful working with me in anyway I need.

It is a hellish road, very difficult, and unfortunately most that have what I have don't make it, but I am on the road to recovery, and even though there are many bumps along the way, I am traveling forward, thankful each day.

God bless and happy detailing!
Click to expand...

Wow Ryan, what a story. Thanks for sharing.

I cant fathom the thought of battling cancer. My prayers are with you. Keep a positive outlook on life and a star in your heart.
 
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