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1 Step Compound?

20K views 44 replies 23 participants last post by  dave- 
#1 ·
In the past I have gone for a 2 stage polishing process, using a heavy cutting compound first and then refining it with a polish.

But now I have noticed there are compounds out there which do the compounding and polishing to a high gloss in one step. Products like Scholl S20 Black, Sonax EX04/06.

I need some advice on which one to go for. It needs to have good cut as I will be using it with hard paints.

Based on this, I dont think either Scholl S20 or Sonax 04/06 have enough cut.

I am looking at Menzerna Heavy cut compound 400. This looks ideal as it has a cut of 8/10 and also gloss of 8/10.

Question is, will the Menz leave the paintwork ready for LSP?

Menz reccomend to use the Final/Super Finish after the Heavy Cut Compound 400. These have a a gloss of 10/10.

Will I really notice the additional 2/10 gloss of the Final/Super Finish polishes?
 
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#2 ·
I have only a little experience with Sonax PF (similar to 0406 I understand) and my paint is admittedly soft, but from what I've read it can give excellent results on hard paints if the correct pad is chosen. The finish is exceptional, too.

I believe it's rated at 4/5 cut and 5/5 finish. Might be worth a whirl.


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#6 ·
I have only a little experience with Sonax PF (similar to 0406 I understand) and my paint is admittedly soft, but from what I've read it can give excellent results on hard paints if the correct pad is chosen. The finish is exceptional, too.

I believe it's rated at 4/5 cut and 5/5 finish. Might be worth a whirl.

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I believe you are referring to Sonax PF 05/05? If so, then this has a cut and gloss of 5/6. Trouble is I have not seem any reviews on this product and also not many retailers sell it.

Can't beat a 2 or even 3 stage polish there's just not a magical product that can heavily cut and finish perfectly, I've had some success with S20 black but it still leaves lots of the deeper marks in paint but does finish well. Still a great product for a single stage polish tho.

Gonz.
Thats what my worry about S20 is, it wont remove the deeper marks.

Is this on your own car or other people's cars? plus if it's yours then what colour is it as sometimes on light silver or white paint you can finish nearly LSP ready with Menzerna 400 depending on what cutting pad you choose, but why the hurry and why would you want to skip on the refining stage.
It is for my own cars. They are all different colours - silver, light blue, grey, etc.

In the past I have always done the two step. But like I said, some products like Menzerna refine to a high gloss anyway. It has 8/10 for gloss. Sonax PF 05/05 has 5/6 for gloss.

Will I notice much from refining further?
 
#45 ·
Can't beat a 2 or even 3 stage polish there's just not a magical product that can heavily cut and finish perfectly, I've had some success with S20 black but it still leaves lots of the deeper marks in paint but does finish well. Still a great product for a single stage polish tho.

Gonz.
This guy is right. One step works for swirls very well like the sonax but that's as good as it gets and your looking for a magic product that does not exist or everyone would use it
 
#4 ·
Have you considered a product like Glare? Fills instead of cutting. Knockout is the 'heavy' one, so would fill major defects and leave some gloss but if your paints in decent shape you could get away with just a micro finish or spider and then just choose your pad wisely.
Either something like that or CarPro Essense, has some cut and some fill and buckets of gloss. Pad choice again is what makes the difference
There are videos of people testing it on MF pads, cutting pads and polishing pads to see the difference.
So could be a decent idea for a once step



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#5 ·
Is this on your own car or other people's cars? plus if it's yours then what colour is it as sometimes on light silver or white paint you can finish nearly LSP ready with Menzerna 400 depending on what cutting pad you choose, but why the hurry and why would you want to skip on the refining stage.
 
#17 ·
I've no idea but will look when I get home.

I think I used it with a white pad last year, I know it didn't do anything for my swirls and not a lot of shine either.

Anyway, never used it since!

It says 4 and 6 in wee red boxes after "Finish", nearly the same as the link, without the French:D

https://www.detailersdomain.com/products/sonax-profiline-perfect-finish-4-6-250ml
I'd revisit this polish Mike. Suspect you need to up the pad a little. The polish has plenty of bite and finishes very well. For moderate swirls it's a nice product bud! :thumb:
 
#9 ·
depending on condition of paint, I have had fantastic results with sonax 04-06 on cg orange or green pads,

Or rupes yellow on rupes yellow pad

now these will remove swirls and marring and very fine scratches, for heavier rds they wont. but to expect a full correction with 1 pad and polish isn't feasible IMO

Once I ever run out of 04-06 id be temped to try the new version of scholl s20 and spider pads, but with 04-06 a little goes a long way its a great polish:buffer:
 
#15 ·
Why is everyone in a rush these days regarding paint correction. There is no perfect one step compound/polish and there never will be. If you have got the buzz from correcting paint whether it be from a Das6 or Rupes why then would you want to compromise on the finish. I guess the main argument will be time but if you don't want or aren't inclined to chase perfection then I would advise to get some glaze and jog on! And yes I've had a bad day but these things wind me up. :wall:
 
#16 ·
I think it's all about choice, your own expectations and what you can actually see. For whatever reason I can't, with the naked eye, see the difference between finishing with the Rupes yellow and the White on my silver car. Now that might be the paint, my eyes or the light source, I don't know.
 
#24 ·
I did the other half's MINI with Menz 2400, and thought it looked pretty good in terms of depth of shine and swirl removal. But after refining with ''4000'' (they've changed the names yet again recently) i could see an improvement in colour intensity and gloss.

I wouldn;t trust myself with FG400, its a heavy cut compound, which i wouldn;t imagine is going to achieve good clarity and depth. I suppose it depends how bad the paint is you are staring with, and then the decision whether you want 99% defect removal with compromised clarity, or leave a few deeper defects for good gloss/depth.

Any single stage polish will be a compromise
 
#26 ·
#34 ·
How do you know when you have exhausted the one stage. In other words when the polish has finished breaking down and you are no longer getting any cut?

Looking to use Scholl S3 gold for my first attempt at machine correction on a black Nissan pickup truck. Reviews are v.good & appears safe for a relative novice.
 
#35 ·
Hi guys,

Seems there's a bit of a confusion about some of the Sonax polishes. The Sonax EX 04/06 is not the same product as PerfectFinish, although it states to have the same cut and finish, relying on Sonax' scales. The PF is much more thick and gel-like in nature, and it clings more to the pads than EX does. The EX is focused for use on DA machines, while PF can do a bit of both. I would recommend the EX for lighter 1-steps on intermediate paints when it comes to hardness, it does a nice job on the harder ones as well, but if you have a lot of deeper marks, you'll have to get something with a bit more bite. The PerfectFinish works on most areas where the EX is limited when it comes to finishing.

I think it's key to ask what the car that the OP wants to work on, before starting to recommend a broad range of products. If, and only assuming from looking at nickname on here, you have an e60 BMW, I think you should consider the Menzerna 400 if you have deeper marks in the paint that need to be removed. On this paint, and many others, you will benefit from finishing the paint with a proper finishing product like the 3800. I've used the 400 on MF cutting pads with great effect on BMW paints, especially if you change the pads often during the process and remember to work the polish thoroughly.

If you're interested in having a look at Sonax ExCut 05/05, I've done a small video on it here:

Kind regards,

Ebbe
 
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