I think it’s a medium cut compound, slightly more aggressive than the other compounds by 3M such as Extra Fine Plus/Ultrafina but not as much cut as say Fast Cut Plus (you can see the small guide on the label at the bottom?). I guess perhaps for bodyshops/motor trade as a one-stop solution to give the paint a quick lift and remove the majority of minor defects quickly and effectively?
It depends on the colour, how much time you’ve got and how much you want to spend but if you’ve removed all of the main defects Extra fine (yellow top) is good at removing swirls and minor scratches and can be worked down to a very good finish, and if you’re keen Ultrafina will leave an absolutely flawless finish - removing even the finest holograms, giving excellent gloss, and is very easy to work with.
Not sure what polisher you’ve got but they will work very well even on an entry level rotary with the corresponding 3M pads.
3M Perfect-it III Triple Polishing & Compounding Set , 3×1kg and 150mm pads | eBay
They do smaller (3”) spot pads that you can use with the spindle/backing plate and a reasonable cordless drill (variable speed up to ~ 2000 RPM) to get right into the majority of smaller areas - pillars, bumpers, around trim etc. They do a headlight restoration kit that comes with the correct backing plate which is reasonably priced.
If you want a small amount of any of the above polishes to try I can send you a sample if you like?
Am not a professional detailer but I find the 3M compounds so much nicer to use than stuff from years gone by - eg Farecla G3/G10. Much better working time, far less mess and a lot easier to clean up too
That was just one pass with EFP on a yellow pad on moderately swirled paint:
That was one pass of FCP to remove some light scratches on a panel and then one with the EFP:
And that was after a final pass with Ultrafina SE:
I can definitely recommend their products, can’t think of any that I’ve been disappointed with!
Will
