Menzerna Polishing Instructions

Hey guys young detailer here. I am doing a paint correction on my black Chevy Truck. I purchased Menzerna Power Finish and 85RD especially for this job. I started out with a orange lc pad with pf and it was doing good then I must be using my porter cable improperly because I introduced some marring or swirls. I tried to follow up with 85rd and it didnt take out my F up. Guys tell me how to use this stuff with what pad. I have all the pads but I have never used this stuff and black is such a pita to work with. Shed some light on how to break it down properly and what that looks like and which pad combo to use AND correct speeds. All your help is appreciated!

 

I'm sure someone will be along with more specifics. Until then, there's tons of polishing videos on YouTube from a variety of sources illustrating technique and materials as well as instructional materials on most Forums and vendor sites.

Basics... make sure your pad and finish is clean. Picking up contaminents is a sure way to induce more than you're correcting. Did you clay? Unless the vehicle has been recently clayed you should do that before polishing to remove imbedded contaminents. Keeping the pad flat against the surface?

Pick a test spot on your hood, door or wherever no larger than 2' x 2' and work that area until you get the result you're looking for. Then duplicate that on the rest of the vehicle. It's a learning process and you have to learn to walk before you run.

TL

 

If you introduced swirls, especially resembling a circular pattern, it probably means you didn't break the polish down enough. IIRC, PO85RD really doesn't have any cut, it is dependent upon the pad. When you say you were doing well, do you mean that you started off finishing the polish down properly but then took a turn for the worse? When you break the polish down, it will be clear.

 

i never had problem.

what size pad you using?
how long did it take till polish broke down (usualy takes me 2-3 min i think)
work on small area
did you notice that polish dried out too fast?
what speeds you using for power finish on PC?

 

Yes I clayed the whole vehicle.

The power finish seem to get dry and turned to dust. Am i polishing too long? I was pretty tired when I was working on it lastnight. I will give it a try now and see what I can do Thanks for all the help!

 

ok lets hit the basics. pay more attention to the size of the area your working on. since youre new to this, make sure you work in areas that are NO more than 2'X2'. what size pads are you using for that area? if you're using larger pads, and only using pea drops of polish, well you might as well be buffing with a dry pad (assuming the pads are not primed properly). there are no dumb questions around here when it comes to correction. the thing that im thinking though it this, if you have the means to do so, try including a "middle step" to your process on your truck. not all cars/paints will react great to the orange/sip and 85RD combo. if you can, try a middle step of powerfinish and a green pad in between the two or something along those lines.

 

Im using 6.5" pads. I tried some perfect it cutting compound on a green pad then following up with a white pad with 85rd. It turned out alright. 3m seems hard to get off. I was thinking using the 3m first then follow up with pf on a white pad and finishing with a 85 on a black pad?

 

your problem is humidity. had same problem on supra that me and my friend finished detailing. he had to buy dehumidifyer to solve the problem. it dries out too fast then there is your problem. are you doing it outside or inside?

id recomend switching to smaller pad. 4" would be the best, i used 5.5" and i didnt like it so went back to 4. less polish is used and A LOT easier to work with

 

Indoors but i got a propane heater going in here. Its been very humid too. I dont think I was using enough product. Im using the 3m on green pad, pf on a orange pad, then finishing with a white with 85rd. Sound ok? the results look alright good. Should i use a white with the pf and use a black with 85rd?

 

Lots of polishes will behave differently on different paints. You can have your "usual" go-to combo of polish and pad, but there are NO absolutes when it comes to polishing. Yes, try the different pads with those products and see how it does. Do not be afraid to experiment. Make sure your pad is primed well (soak it, wring it out and spin it up on your rotary or fling the water out of it by hand if using a pc). The problem most people have with Menzerna is using too much and not using it long enough. That does not seem to be your issue. I'm guessing too dry a pad and possibly not enough product. Let us know how it works for you. Here is a great article on priming pads.

 

I was having the same issues as you when i started using my rotary...i kept getting swirls and ended up making it look worse than before. Ended up being a conbo of my MFs and over working the polish which lead to dry buffing. Just keep playing around with conbos and it will come to ya.

 

The 3m is really hard to get off. i have to apply alot of pressure with my mf to buff off but that introduces small scratches. I tried taking it off half a$$ and then buffing over with pf and it seems to work good and then it all comes off very easy. Is that ok or is it a big NO NO??

 

If the polish is hard to remove it could be one of two things, 1. have not worked it long enough , or 2. worked it too long. Most of the time it is #1 as when broken down it is nice and oily and should be removed pretty easily.

Try using a QD to help remove the polish, just give it a little spray then wipe off the residue. This is what I do most of the time, using Megs Final Inspection QD.

 

A spray bottle with water will do the same thing for you. Lightly mist the area and wipe off, turning the mf as you go.

 

Thanks guys I think I am getting it! Its getting warmer in here so I believe that's helping. Its look good! not absolutely flawless but the average eye wouldn't catch it. I guess i gotta draw the line of my cod somewhere lol

 

I thought about it but in my mind I like to think the extra lubrication from FI help lower the changes of marring, and as it is body shop safe it leaves nothing behind so you get true results. Cheaper than the Menz stuff, which I use after all polishing has been done. Also FI is cheap by the gallon and can get it local.

 

Carlos had some good videos for polishing here on the site...check it out and compare to what you are doing, but remember, there are more ways to do it than just one. I'd stay away from youtube..any asshole can post something there. I have one but it's just to illustrate how quickly you can work with M105 and that's not what you're going to do with Menz.

 

Another question! When wiping off the polish it seems to slightly smudge. Its broke down and if i tried to removal completely with my mf it would leave little scratchs so I left the very faint smudge and tomorrow after all paint correction is finished it will get double bucket washed. Is this ok to do?

 

try using IPA to wipedown the areas after polishing them. get a spray bottle and make a 50/50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water and them spritz the area then wipe it down. you should be doing that anyways to check the true correction you are achieving. the reason is that the IPA removes all the polish residue that might still linger and possibly fill in a imperfections and cause you to overlook them.

 

Hey Richy,

THis article doesn't seem to be linking properly for me. It just takes me to the DB home screen. Is it just me?