Question Regarding SMAT Polishes/Compounds ...

I have to admit that after 3 years of learning the proper ways of detailing, I haven't learned how to use SMAT polishes. All my corrections (1 and 2 steps) have been done with Menzerna and Optimum polishes.

I have used D301 with a foam pad, but I used it more like poliseal.

I understand the basic concepts of SMAT technology, but I don't fully understand how different the polishing technique is compared to non-diminising abrasives. The same thing goes with the KBM method. I understand the pad priming concept, but then I get lost after the first section.

I want to get better at this game and this lack of knowledge is holding me down.

Can anyone recommend some threads that can enlighten me?

 

yeah, im in the same boat, i got a sampler kit of the megs MF system to mess around with.... what makes it so different?

 

Non - diminishing abrasives or SMAT - They are so numerous in number and so small in size, that pressure dictates cut along with its application(be that pad or machine). Think of this as a drag slick tire, where traction equals friction and friction equates to material removal(or refinement). [but obviously we want our pads to spin so its not EXACTLY like a drag slick]. We prime the pads in full face primes because the finish left by these tiny tiny packages is so sharp that all we need to do to increase material removal or improvement(traction) is to increase the amount of contact(tire width and compound) and the pressure(weight transfer)

SMAT under x pressure and y application has the same amount of cut so really you need to only keep your pad clean of exhausted material so it can continue cutting or polishing - this is the reason we use sooooo little product after that initial prime.. because we know the abrasives just don't change so the only limiter really is their contact with the surface(pad cleaning etc.)

Another thing is due to their size, in my experience all the way back to M95 and M86 solo, even pressure is needed for consistent contact. With something like M105 or M95, lightening up(as we teach with diminishing abrasives) will only make the abrasives contact inconsistently which will actually equate to a mild "scoring" of the surface(which really equates to clarity, but something we may not be able to detect with human eyes).



So.. compared to diminishing abrasives, which are engineered to cut a certain amount and have a certain amount of lubrication to allow that certain size abrasives to continually self-refine(or break down as we commonly see), SMAT stuff is literally as long or as short as you want to polish and is only limited by their lubricants, hence the distilled water or QD use to extend them(because remember they don't change size..only run out of polishing lubricant).

Diminishing abrasives, the abrasive's size is what basically dictates how long you should polish(and the polish lubes are engineered to allow this "time") if you want optimal surface clarity for a given product. SMAT the polishing time is up to the person, and will be dicated by the surface and ultimately application of that SMAT product.

Examples of this on the Soft and Hard ends of paint hardness respectfully...
bearing in mind this is arbitrary and may not be exactly the same
Subaru STI with moderate surface imperfections - M105 on a polishing pad, medium pressure for ONE section pass leaves the paint defect free, but slightly hazy. A follow up of 2-3 section passes with M205 with same moderate pressure removes the haze(because the paint is so soft) and leaves the finish perfect.

Subaru STI #2 with minimal light swirls - M205 on a polishing pad for 3-4 section passes resulting in a perfect surface.

The paint dictates your choice and polishing time...because polishing time with SMAT, along with pressure equate to material removal(defects in our case)

Audi A8 with terrible defects - M105 on MF system, with heavy passes, slow with a lot of pressure - 2-4 "hits" comprised of 3-4 section passes.

The finish is so sharp with minimal haze because the paint is so hard, something like M105 on a finishing pad to follow up is a better same moderate pressure, but 3-4 section passes, where M205s abrasives are just not large enough to remove signifcant material in reasonable time on such hard paints.

Paint dictates the polishing time.


Cliffs:
-SMAT products have consistent cut that only vary with their application and pressure
- The user decides the polishing time as indicated by defect level and paint hardness.
- Moderate pressure is key with SMAT as the abrasives are much smaller that traditional "boulders" and require consistent contact for material removal or improvement.

 

If you want answers go here Buff Daddy Blog, the best resource for anything related to polishing and sanding,

 

im so used to Menz products Its almost become idiot proof...... but its a slower process, and the MF system seems more efficient. that is why ill mess with it on my suburban before using it on a clients car.......

 

Mike, that was an excellent explanation that must have taken you a while to write. Thanks.

 

Thanks Mike for the informative answer.

I still don't understand a few things:

1. How do you control the non-diminishing abbrasives from micro-marring the paint if constant pressure is required during all passes?

2. Do you have to prime the pad every time the pad is cleaned? I read somewhere the spraying qd is not recommended when using SMAT polishes with a DA polisher

3. I'm assuming that you need to change pads more often when using SMAT polishes because a lot of product is used ... is this the case?

 

Youre more than welcome Gianni, as long as it helps. Hopefully this color is decent enough to read

 

Thanks again Mike for answering all my concerns. I'll try my MF combo on my HL's hood. I'll keep you posted.