Some inital thoughts on Carpro new Clear Cut Compound

J

Justin at Final Inspection

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So when I saw this was released at SEMA I went ahead and grabbed a bottle of it and it showed up today. Now before I go and give my thoughts I just want to be clear that I was in the middle of correcting a 2008 Porsche 997 which has the typical softer paint there know for. But I figured I would tape off a section and see what's what!


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As you can see the directions are a bit different in that you start with light pressure and finish with heavy pressure.


For the test I grabbed my G21 and a fresh green Rupes pad, masked off and area and got to work.

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I started off on speed 2-3 for a couple passes and got the product spread out then slowly ramped up to speed 5 for the next few passes before stopping.

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Now here's where the soft Porsche paint I gave me an issue. I went to wipe off the residue and low and behold it was stuck on paint. A quick wipe with some prep wipe easily removed it though.

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As you can see above after wiping there was some hazing present. Which IMO is to be expected on softer paint with a medium cut pad. But it did cut fast with pretty much zero dusting.

So for the next test I stepped down to a Rupes yellow pad to see if it would finish better. And it did but had just a hint of haze. Again kind of to be expected on softer paint considering it's designed to cut 1000 grit sanding marks.

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So all in all so far here are my initial thoughts.


Absolutely ZERO ODOR! NONE ZIP ZERO

Very Gritty feel between my fingers. So I don't doubt it can cut 1000 grit

Pretty much zero dust


Still waiting to try on a harder paint to see if it wipes off like it supposed to. Or maybe I worked it too long. I do have a 2012 CTSV in black metallic coming this week so I will test again on that.
 
Thanks for the quick review. I was toying with the idea of ordering some of this since we needed to reorder a heavier compound. We've been considering switching to Menzerna or even to full Scholl, but this may be enough to keep us on the CarPro line. It sounds like it's a more than capable compound and worth having in the shop.
 
DetailedReflections said:
Thanks for the quick review. I was toying with the idea of ordering some of this since we needed to reorder a heavier compound. We've been considering switching to Menzerna or even to full Scholl, but this may be enough to keep us on the CarPro line. It sounds like it's a more than capable compound and worth having in the shop.
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Totally agree. I currently use M100 and Griots FCC. Although I really have been liking M100s cutting and price point. It just tends to dust a bit more that I like. But wipes nicely.

I hope to mess with Clear Cut some more towards the end of the week. The way I see it is you can never have too many compounds or polishes.
 
I agree. I'm always willing to at least try a new polish or compound. I always find uses for the "not favorite" ones. Even if it's a touch up for someone or something similar. We've been trying to settle on a polish/compound line that offers everything we need just to streamline a bit, we just haven't been able to make a final decision. The CarPro polishes we have seem to work pretty well, but they have moments where they don't buff off as easily as we'd like. Seems to be a common complaint among them. I can live with that, as long as they cut well which they seem to.

I'd be curious what happens with the ClearCut with a heavy cut pad. Sounds like it could correct quickly. Possibly even too quickly?
 
DetailedReflections said:
I agree. I'm always willing to at least try a new polish or compound. I always find uses for the "not favorite" ones. Even if it's a touch up for someone or something similar. We've been trying to settle on a polish/compound line that offers everything we need just to streamline a bit, we just haven't been able to make a final decision. The CarPro polishes we have seem to work pretty well, but they have moments where they don't buff off as easily as we'd like. Seems to be a common complaint among them. I can live with that, as long as they cut well which they seem to.

I'd be curious what happens with the ClearCut with a heavy cut pad. Sounds like it could correct quickly. Possibly even too quickly?
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Tried it a bit more on the Porsche with a BOSS microfiber cutting pad on the g21 and it cuts fast and actually left a better finish than with the foam.
 
Never liked fixer or reflect. Both are not forgiving; will stick to paint and not finish correctly. Too sensitive for my taste. I really have no desire to try this compound. Also, the backwards technique is just weird to me. However, some people may really like it.
 
WRAPT C5Z06 said:
Never liked fixer or reflect. Both are not forgiving; will stick to paint and not finish correctly. Too sensitive for my taste. I really have no desire to try this compound. Also. the backwards technique is just weird to me. However, some people may really like it.
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That's kind of how I feel about it but going to give it a fair shake.
 
Thanks Justin. This product also caught my interest and I like the claims of non dusting. Also, I expect any compound claiming to level 1000 grit marring will need a refining step but I evaluate first how effective it is at removing the marring and this looks good.

I would have to get used to the "backwards technique" like Wrapt said. The fact that it turns clear faster may help in that. I'd like to see what my increased pressure is doing.

I bounce between Menz 400 and Megs M100 too but on certain paints Car Pro might have a winner. I like having a few different heavier cut products.
 
WRAPT C5Z06 said:
...the backwards technique is just weird to me. However, some people may really like it.
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I agree, it does seem unintuitive. Since the product seems so aggressive maybe the vendor accepts that leaving behind haze and an imperfect surface is unavoidable in various situations, so ending a series of passes with firm pressure may result in a more consistent finish than trying to finesse it. Or perhaps that's just a bunch of bologna and folks may experience normal behavior out of starting with firm pressure and then finishing with a light touch. I'm interested to try out the product in the future. Griot's Fast Correcting Cream is still my favorite compound.
 
WRAPT C5Z06 said:
Never liked fixer or reflect. Both are not forgiving; will stick to paint and not finish correctly. Too sensitive for my taste. I really have no desire to try this compound. Also, the backwards technique is just weird to me. However, some people may really like it.
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I haven't used Fixer, but I have spent a lot of time with Reflect (and Essence). Initially I could not get decent results with Reflect to save my life. It would mar the finish almost every time and was a pain to use... I was using it like I would use M205.

After speaking with Corey, I found out my technique was my issue. Different products require different processes. After learning the proper process to use with Reflect (and Essence), we absolutely loved the product. I was able to polish a car quicker, use less product, and finish down perfectly in most instances. It is also one of the easiest polishes to wipe that I have ever used, when used properly.

I do still use M205 quite often, but my point is simply all it took for me to go from hate to love was a little coaching. I try to keep this in mind whenever I purchase a new product and am struggling to get the best results with it. Sometimes it is as easy as making a minor tweak to completely change the results.
 
Never had any issues with Fixer and Reflect on all types of pads,polishers and paints. CarPro’s abrasives work faster needing fewer passes resulting in massive time savings on a correction job.
 
zmcgovern45 said:
I haven't used Fixer, but I have spent a lot of time with Reflect (and Essence). Initially I could not get decent results with Reflect to save my life. It would mar the finish almost every time and was a pain to use... I was using it like I would use M205.

After speaking with Corey, I found out my technique was my issue. Different products require different processes. After learning the proper process to use with Reflect (and Essence), we absolutely loved the product. I was able to polish a car quicker, use less product, and finish down perfectly in most instances. It is also one of the easiest polishes to wipe that I have ever used, when used properly.

I do still use M205 quite often, but my point is simply all it took for me to go from hate to love was a little coaching. I try to keep this in mind whenever I purchase a new product and am struggling to get the best results with it. Sometimes it is as easy as making a minor tweak to completely change the results.
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Will you share the technique with reflect please? I have this and will use it in the spring and it would be helpfull with some coaching.

Have you tried with less product on the pad with clear cut compound?
 
nice!! I have some but have not had a chance to try it out yet. looks like it will be a good product
 
VitreousHumor said:
Please send to me as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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HUMP DIESEL said:
If you could send that PM my way, I would appreciate it. I have three tubes of Reflect that are just sitting. Would love to use it.

HUMP
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You can find my review, which includes my tips on how to use the product, on that other detailing site that I work for. If you need more assistance, don’t hesitate to PM me.
 
Zach is absolutely right about using the proper technique for a given product. No two women are the same...you don't treat them that way either, LOL.

I wonder how it compares to my best "rocks in a bottle" which is Shine Supply Chop Top?
 
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