Menz SIP & IP

Discussion in 'Compounds, Polishes, Paint Cleaners, and Glazes' started by ShinySideUp, Apr 4, 2008.

  1. ShinySideUp

    ShinySideUp Two Bucket System Washer

    If I understand correctly, the difference is SIP works better with harder clear coats and IP works better with soft clear coats?. Menz gives them the same cut/gloss specs but says IP is for repaired coating and SIP is for OEM. With the same specs on each, is there really a big difference?.
  2. Dave KG

    Dave KG Jedi Nuba

    The difference, I find, is in the use and not the overall cut... IP I find a little less abrasive than SIP, but there's really not much in it.

    The difference in working them is quite notable though.

    SIP uses a strong abrasive in that it is harder to break down - it responds better to pressure on it, and the polish itself is better lubed to work throughout the entire polishing set to break it down.

    IP uses a more brittle abrasive which is given too much pressure, it can "shatter" and break down under the pressure rather than breaking down through cutting... so I find it responds better if you use only light or no pressure at the start of the polishing set to allow the abrasive to break down by cutting, and then nearer then end increase the pressure - this gets the best out of the cut available to you. This brittle abrasive makes the polish easier to break down by hand so IMHO it also makes a very useful hand polish that the SIP is less good at. IP is also dryer and some QD on hand to keep the polish wet wouldn't go a miss, and this also helps keep the dust down too as IP is prone to dusting and drying out especially on hot days.
  3. ShinySideUp

    ShinySideUp Two Bucket System Washer

    Dave-Excellent advice thank you.So use a QD to mist the pad rather than just plain water?
  4. Dave KG

    Dave KG Jedi Nuba

    I use whatever is nearest to me... typically that is QD as I use it for checking every section I polish just to make sure any polish residue that may be left behind is masking anything...

    Just a little spritz on the pad along with the polish and work away, if it is drying quickly, dont be worried about shutting down the machine, spritzing the pad again, and then continuing to polish...

    I will copy across a technique I use with old IP and also Power Gloss, a slow cut method which I personally find works very well...
  5. Dave KG

    Dave KG Jedi Nuba

    Slow Cut Technique for Menzerna PO91L Intensive Polish and S34A Power Gloss

    This has been developped for a Dual Action polisher, but the general ideas can happily be applied to rotary polishing as well.


    Apply a spray of water to the pad to wet it, and then apply some polish (PGC or IP depending on swirl severity) to the pad.

    Work on a very small area at a time - I would go for roughly 1' square, nothing more. Dab the machine around this area to apply the polish.

    Turn the PC on at speed 3. Support the weight of the machine - I tend to hold it with the handly on for this method, one hand underneth the back of the PC to hold it up and the other on the handle to guide direction without applying weight to the machine. Any hold is good though, so long as there is no weight over the head of the PC - try to support the machine's weight. Move the PC slowly across the area in overlapping strokes, at a speed of around 1/2" per second - very slowly. You should get around five, six passes before the polish starts to go clear and look like its drying and ready to buff off...

    Rather than buff off the residue, I spray the pad with some more water and repeat the above step. Speed 3, no weight, very slow passes. The polish hazes up again and you have more work time... Make more slow passes until the polish begins to go clear again.

    After two hits at speed 3, I then spray the pad with water and move onto speed 5, again no weight and no pressure and make slow passes by moving the PC at about 1/2" per second.

    Finally, spray the pad with water again, and move to speed 6 and this time apply pressure to the PC for a final single pass over the area at about 1" per second. The polish will likely be pretty clear after this stage, so buff off the residue. If you examine the pad, I found that it actually looked quite clean after this, very little white polish left there.

    If you've used PGC, you will induce micromarring with this method, but this can be easily removed using IP and either the fast or slow-cut technqiues.
  6. ShinySideUp

    ShinySideUp Two Bucket System Washer

    Excellent write up. Thanks Dave :applause:
  7. Strokin04

    Strokin04 Birth of a Detailer

    Yeah thanks Dave, some real useful tips!!!!
  8. jake_b

    jake_b Obsessive Detailer

    this is very informative Dave. thank you so much..:applause:
  9. Usjdmtuner

    Usjdmtuner Wax on..Wax off

    yes very informative... wow so if i was to calculate the time to polish a regular size car, it would take all day to polish.. any information and steps if using ROTARY? thanks dave...


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