Ultimate Compound

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Ultimate Compound

Thanks Mike,

Quick question.

In general what has been your experience with Honda paint, I've heard from several body shops that it's not the "best" when compared to say a foreign car's paint job.

Never had a problem with our Honda nor any of the Honda's that have come to Meguiar's Garage since 2002

Just follow the basics,

Evaluate the condition of the paint
Choose the right products to reach your goals
Use good technique

[LarryT63]

Re: Ultimate Compound

Thanks Mike,

Quick question.

In general what has been your experience with Honda paint, I've heard from several body shops that it's not the "best" when compared to say a foreign car's paint job.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Ultimate Compound

I just bought one bottle of Ultimate Compound at Walmart's.

I have the "thrashed" 2005 NBP Honda Element you helped me work on late last year. I'm wondering the steps I should take to start on it.

Here you go...

Wash and dry
Pretty much self explanatory.

Feel the paint to see if it needs to be clayed.
If it does then clay it. Compounding will remove above surface bonded contaminants too but claying is the most effective way to remove above surface bonded contaminants key word being effective. Plus you really only need to do the horizontal surfaces in most a cases so it doesn't take very long.

Compound the paint - Start by doing a Test Spot
Rub the paint out working a section about a foot squared. Work the section thoroughly and evenly for about a minute.



Wipe off the residue and inspect your results. If the paint looks good, this means if the swirls and scratches are removed to your expectations then simply repeat this over the entire car working one small section at a time and overlapping into the previous section each time you move on to new territory for Uniform Material Removal, (UMR) for a uniform appearance.

If the section doesn't look good the apply a second application and again, work the product for about a minute thoroughly and evenly over the paint.

If Ultimate Compound is removing the swirls and scratches to your expectations but leaving the paint with any kind of haze or dullness then this means you'll need to do second rub-out using a less aggressive product like SwirlX.

Some paints are more polishable than others but you really won't know till you do a test spot and inspect the results.


Polishing with a pure polish - Optional Step
After you rub the paint out and get it to where you like it you can polish with a pure polish as an optional step and then go to wax or you can go straight to wax.


Protect the paint
Apply a thin coat of your favorite wax or paint sealant, allow it to dry till it swipes clear and the remove the dried excess using a clean, plush premium quality microfiber polishing cloth.


Enjoy!
Afterwards, stand back and admire the results.

[LarryT63]

Re: Ultimate Compound

Hey Mike,

I just bought one bottle of Ultimate Compound at Walmart's.

I have the "thrashed" 2005 NBP Honda Element you helped me work on late last year. I'm wondering the steps I should take to start on it.

I.E.

Wash, clay bar it with quick detailer, Ultimate Compound (I'll be doing this by hand with a clean applicator{doing a test spot first}) and then wax?

Or could I skip the clay bar step?

thanks,

Larry

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Ultimate Compound

I'm still confused.

Read through my above reply and see if it answers your remaining questions, if not please feel encouraged to let me know where I can help...

We have another class this weekend and I'll do my best if a car presents itself worthy of a demo to capture great before and after shots.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Ultimate Compound

I'm confused. I saw Ultimate Compound demo at SEMA and the instructor stated that this compound is actually a 2-in-1 product. He stated that first it acts like a compound and can be seen as cloudy on the surface. Then, as you continue to hit it with the buffer, its particles breakdown into a polish which can be seen when the film turns clear.

We apologize for any miscommunication of information, sometimes when you have a lot of new products coming out it can be easy to have a small bit of confusion involved.

Our new Super Micro Abrasive Technology doesn't break down like the diminishing abrasives used in our other products but as you work the product the surface will turn clear as the product you're working dissipates.

He continued by saying that this is safe to use on all painted surfaces and will not scratch whatsoever. He also said that there's no need to use anything after, just go straight to wax.

This is correct with a caveat, used correctly the product in most cases won't scratch paint. Keep in mind the person using the product is responsible for using the product correctly and this means using a clean applicator pad either by hand or machine. We've had people use red shop rags to apply our products and then complain that the product put scratches into the paint when in fact it was the scratchy cloth red shop rags are made out of.

Also, some paints are more scratch-sensitive than others and that's why you ALWAYS want to test out ANY product before going over the entire car. From personal experience I've only come across one car, which is a way of saying one paint system, where Ultimate Compound left the paint looking hazy, (not scratched).

Here's the important point though, Ultimate Compound worked. We used it by hand to remove some kind of water spot or etching and it successfully removed the etching, (a deep defect), and left only some hazing on the paint. We then removed the haze using SwirlX

So with some paint types you may have to do a two step approach or just start out with the less aggressive product and work it longer or use more applications to remove the defects you're trying to remove. That's your choice.

Even back in the old days of archaic rubbing and polishing compounds you would often start out with a course rubbing compound to remove a paint imperfection and then follow that with a less aggressive polishing compound. That was the normal and accepted procedure.

With our new Ultimate Compound on most paint systems you can apply it, work it over the paint and amazingly wipe off the residue to see a crystal clear finish but paint systems are different and not all paints area as polishable as others, so do test first and be sure you're working clean, that is the car is clean and your applicator pads are clean.

I've read a variety of the posts on here and it appears (from how I read the postings) that Ultimate Compound may be more aggressive than the SEMA instructor stated and perhaps I may need to use a less aggressive product to finish things off before waxing. Is that correct?

Ultimate Compound is an aggressive product and it's a product that people have been requesting for years since clear coats came out. Until we introduced this product there hasn't been a product like it on the market.

Can't tell you how many thousands of people and actually hundreds of thousands of people have become so frustrated trying to remove swirls and scratches out of clear coat paints and either were disappointed because the product they used left the paint scoured looking or frustrated because it took so long and so many applications of a truly safe product to remove the defect.

New Ultimate Compound is aggressive but it's also safe and it is going to be the product all other aggressive hand and DA applied compounds are measured against. There's no need to be scared to use the product, just TEST FIRST before going over the entire car.

Again, some paint systems are easier to polish on than others but NOBODY knows until they go out into their garage and actually bring their hand or their machine down onto the finish and work a small section, wipe off the residue and inspect the results.

I test EVERY car I work on. No one ever gets so good at this craft that they just know how a products going to finish out when working on different cars.

If you like, you can always use a less aggressive product to start with and to test with, in fact we make two **New** products that are less aggressive than Ultimate Compound and for over 100 years and since this forum went live in January of 2004 we've been teaching people like a broken record,

"Use the least aggressive product to get the job done"


This means testing the least aggressive product FIRST and if it doesn't get the job done good enough r fast enough then substitute then next most aggressive product and see how it work.

Do this until you dial-in a recipe that works for your goals and in some cases this means purchasing a few products so you have some "Tools" in your tool box to work on your own car.

Check out this thread,

Aggressiveness Order for New Consumer Products - This will surprise you!

Most aggressive to least aggressive -->

I'd like to know what I'm getting into before I start my job this weekend with my newly purchased Ultimate Compound. I've traditionally been scared about using Compounds but was sold at SEMA that this is much less aggressive, safer and easier to use than traditional compounds.

I appreciate your clarification!

This is a safe product when used correctly. Last week I tested it out on a car I've never worked on before in front of 32 people and it worked great, in fact it gave us the best swirl removal results out of all the products we used and after using it we went straight to wax.

Check it out here...

first class for 2009

There's a certain amount of apprehension that goes with testing a product out on a car you've never worked on before in front of 30+ people but we do it ALL the time and we have confidence in the name on the bottle that the product inside will work as it's supposed to and it always does.

Things we can't control are a person's skill level and technique and how clean they work, that includes a clean car an clean, soft applicator pad of some type.

Just to note, a lot of people when trying to remove swirls tend to tackle too large of a section of paint at one time, when removing swirls out of a clear coat by hand you want to work a section about a foot squared and then after working this section to your satisfaction move onto a new section and overlap into the previous section.

You can't spread a product over half the hood on a car and think you're going to be able to effectively work the product over this large of a section just because your arms can reach this kind of distance area.


The below was also from the first class, done live before real people. Note that there is NO WAX applied to the paint in any of the after photos but the paint is clear and glossy as though it is waxed. That speaks volumes about how great this product works when correctly applied.

Note I used a simple, clean soft foam applicator pad to apply and work the Ultimate Compound over this scratch as did the owner when I turned the project over to him a few minutes later.

Scratch Removed using Ultimate Compound

The below pictures were taken during the first Saturday Class for 2009 and the thread for that class can be found by clicking the link below.

It's pretty common to pick up isolated, random scratches in your car's finish over time, especially if your car is a daily driver. Here's an example from one of our recent Saturday Detailing Classes here at Meguiar's where we used the new Ultimate Compound to remove about 98% of scratch right wear your eyes would see it everyday, right above the door handle.


Deep Scratch just above the door handle - Original resized to 800 pixels wide after cropping





These are all original shots, the photos have not been resized, the portion shown was cropped out of the original.

Before



After 3 applications of Ultimate Compound



After a few more applied by the owner


Also, those results were before any wax or any other product was applied. What you see is just the results of Ultimate Compound hand applied using a clean, soft foam applicator pad.

I've traditionally been scared about using Compounds but was sold at SEMA that this is much less aggressive, safer and easier to use than traditional compounds.

It's okay to be a little scared or at least concerned or apprehensive about trying out a new and aggressive product to your baby's paint but just use a little common sense and make sure your applicator pad is clean and soft and the paint is washed, dried and clean and you'll be okay.

If you're unsure as to how to physically move your hand with working with a hand-applied compound, paint cleaner or cleaner/polish let us know and we'll be happy to do our best to explain that with a keyboard.

By the way,

What are you working on?
What are you trying to accomplish?

[Murr1525]

Re: Ultimate Compound

Thank you for link Mike. I'm still confused. Is Ultimate Compound diminishing abrasive or micro abrasive? Will one typically have to use something milder after using Ultimate Compound or should I expect to go right into waxing? Sounds like from folk's postings Ultimate Compound is very aggressive yet demostrator at SEMA said it wasn't and that there's no risk of scratching. I would appreciate further clarification so I can size things up before commencnig my project. Thank you!

It is based on the Micro-Abrasives.

It is quite agressive, but it is not like sandpaper or an old fashioned compound, in that it doesnt leave smaller scratches behind. On some paints, it may leave a perect finish, on some it may need a mild follow up if you want perfection. But there will not be big sanding/compounding marks to remove. It will be pretty darn close to perfect at least.

[MaseratiGuy]

Re: Ultimate Compound

Thank you for link Mike. I'm still confused. Is Ultimate Compound diminishing abrasive or micro abrasive? Will one typically have to use something milder after using Ultimate Compound or should I expect to go right into waxing? Sounds like from folk's postings Ultimate Compound is very aggressive yet demostrator at SEMA said it wasn't and that there's no risk of scratching. I would appreciate further clarification so I can size things up before commencnig my project. Thank you!

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Ultimate Compound

Check out this thread for clarification on our new super micro abrasive technology.

What's the difference between Meguiar's Super Micro Abrasive technology and Meguiar's Diminishing Abrasive technology?



It pretty much shares everything that we can share and that needs to be shared, after that the focus needs to be kept on the performance and results of the product itself, not how it's made.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Ultimate Compound

Hang on... let me go over to Hot Topics for a thread on this topic...

[Ryan L.]

Re: Ultimate Compound

Are you sure about this? I thought it had the new micro-abrasives that aren't diminishing as we understand previous polishes.

Well yes that is true, but Mike Pennington also stated that "We can say, this new "style" of abrasives are very small and do not "breakdown" like OUR diminishing abrasive technology does."

So while it isn't like their (Meguiar's) diminishing abrasive, it might still be diminishing.

To be honest I don't know exactly how it works, and I'm sure we wont ever know, but saying that it is a 2 in 1 product can be looked at in many different aspects.

Ryan

[Alfisti]

Re: Ultimate Compound

it does have a form of diminishing abrasives. That means that it starts out with a heavier abrasive and diminishes down to a smooth

Are you sure about this? I thought it had the new micro-abrasives that aren't diminishing as we understand previous polishes.

[Ryan L.]

Re: Ultimate Compound

I'm confused. I saw Ultimate Compound demo at SEMA and the instructor stated that this compound is actually a 2-in-1 product. He stated that first it acts like a compound and can be seen as cloudy on the surface. Then, as you continue to hit it with the buffer, its particles breakdown into a polish which can be seen when the film turns clear. He continued by saying that this is safe to use on all painted surfaces and will not scratch whatsoever. He also said that there's no need to use anything after, just go straight to wax.

I've read a variety of the posts on here and it appears (from how I read the postings) that Ultimate Compound may be more aggressive than the SEMA instructor stated and perhaps I may need to use a less aggressive product to finish things off before waxing. Is that correct? I'd like to know what I'm getting into before I start my job this weekend with my newly purchased Ultimate Compound. I've traditonally been scared about using Compounds but was sold at SEMA that this is much less aggressive, safer and easier to use than traditional compounds.

I appreciate your clarification!

Well I can't say specifically that its a 2 in 1 product but it does have a form of diminishing abrasives. That means that it starts out with a heavier abrasive and diminishes down to a smooth abrasive. So I guess you can say it's a 2 in 1 product but it's not advertised like that.

Ultimate Compound will leave a great looking finish and most times you can just go straight to wax.

All depends on what your working on and working with.

Ryan

[MaseratiGuy]

Re: Ultimate Compound

I'm confused. I saw Ultimate Compound demo at SEMA and the instructor stated that this compound is actually a 2-in-1 product. He stated that first it acts like a compound and can be seen as cloudy on the surface. Then, as you continue to hit it with the buffer, its particles breakdown into a polish which can be seen when the film turns clear. He continued by saying that this is safe to use on all painted surfaces and will not scratch whatsoever. He also said that there's no need to use anything after, just go straight to wax.

I've read a variety of the posts on here and it appears (from how I read the postings) that Ultimate Compound may be more aggressive than the SEMA instructor stated and perhaps I may need to use a less aggressive product to finish things off before waxing. Is that correct? I'd like to know what I'm getting into before I start my job this weekend with my newly purchased Ultimate Compound. I've traditonally been scared about using Compounds but was sold at SEMA that this is much less aggressive, safer and easier to use than traditional compounds.

I appreciate your clarification!

[LarryT63]

Re: Ultimate Compound

thanks, I did read that a few weeks ago, I guess I just got anxious again!

thanks again Mike!