5" Hookit Trizact Foam Polishing Disc - P3000 (15)

For paint topcoat finishing, these unique Trizact Foam Blending discs are the perfect follow-up to wet sanding or traditional sanding discs, prior to final buffing or polishing.

These are blending discs that smooth rather than cut.
On newly painted surfaces, P3000 Trizact Foam Blending discs are typically used after previous surface leveling with 1200 to 1500 grit wet or dry sanding by hand or machine.

These P3000 Foam Blending discs are then followed by the 3M&trade Perfect-It™ three step buffing sequence: Compounding, Polishing, Ultrafine Polishing; see Related Products, below.

The sequence of products used can vary, depending on whether the paint is a light or dark color, with the more challenging darker colors generally requiring more steps such as P5000 Foam Discs and #3 Ultrafine Machine Polish.
See the technical discussion below, for more details on the preferred sequence of grits and products to use for finishing painted surfaces, as well as repairing any paint defects which may be present.

Trizact Foam Blending Discs are ideal for repairs, as they soften without leveling, so it's easier to match the surrounding finish - especially if it has any subtle orange peel texture.

• When working with Trizact Foam Discs, the black foam Hook-It Soft Interface Pad (MMM 5777) should always be used on top of your backup pad. See Related Products.
• Use these discs just slightly wet or damp for best results — too much water will impede the cutting process
• Priced by the box


Heavy on the technical side…

Topcoat Finishing Sequence -
On light colored paints, P3000 Foam Blending discs might be the final step before buffing with Perfect-It #1 Rubbing Compound, followed by Perfect-It #2 Machine Polish.
(Often the #3 Perfect-It Ultrafine Polish is not necessary on light colors.)

Darker colored paints present more of a challenge, as the remaining ultra-fine compounding swirl marks still tend to show.
Here you basically have two choices, depending on your preference for sanding or buffing:

If you prefer buffing... after blending with the P3000 Foam discs, you will move on to Perfect-It #1 Rubbing Compound, followed by Perfect-It 2 Machine Polish, and then Perfect-It 3 Ultrafine Machine Polish to finally remove the last of the swirl marks.

If you prefer sanding... and less time compounding with a heavy buffer, you can follow the P3000 Trizact Foam discs with P5000 Trizact Foam discs, thus minimizing, or even eliminating the first compounding step of the 3-step buffing sequence.
By the time you finish with the 5000 disc, you will already see reflective gloss, and thus will need only minimal compounding.
Follow the compounding with the #2 Machine Polish, and then the #3 Ultrafine Machine Polish.
If you choose to use the P5000 grit discs on lighter colors, you will be able to move directly to the number 2 Machine Polishing step.

When repairing defects - such as runs or sags - in new urethane paint jobs, hand sand with 1000 grit paper, followed by random orbital sanding with a 1200 or 1500 grit sanding disc such as the 3M 260L Film-Backed Finishing Discs.
Then use one of these 3000 grit Trizact Foam discs to soften and further refine the scratch pattern.


Trizact Abrasives -
Computer designed, 3M™ Trizact™ Abrasives are unique among abrasives in being constructed of sharp, precisely shaped, micro-pyramid structures which hold multiple layers of abrasive mineral particles.
These micro-pyramids are precisely and densely distributed, over the surface of the abrasive product, unlike the "sprinkled on" pattern of conventional abrasives.

As the points of these pyramid-like structures wear down, they expose fresh surfaces with new, sharp mineral — providing consistent performance.
This is in contrast to conventional abrasives, where the original "sharp" points simply wear down, leaving a dull, flat surface that produces uneven finishes.

The result of Trizact engineered construction and grain pattern is a product which:
• Is incredibly consistent in both structure and performance
• Has re-generating sharp edges — for products that last longer, run cooler, and cut faster - over the entire life of the product
• Has found an application niche in consistently producing very fine, finished surfaces