Detailing thread- Q&A Welcome!

[ROB-80E]

How does detailing/polishing out in the sun work for you?

Personally, i refuse to do it, because the products dry too quick before i get a change to really work it into the paint. I also get a lot of polishing marks left over, ie, polish not rubbed off propperly (again from being baked onto the paint from the heat of the sun on the paint). Or are these things not an issue when you're using machines to do the ol "wax on", "wax off" as to say? I've always done mine by hand.

[vp920b]

How does detailing/polishing out in the sun work for you?

Personally, i refuse to do it, because the products dry too quick before i get a change to really work it into the paint. I also get a lot of polishing marks left over, ie, polish not rubbed off propperly (again from being baked onto the paint from the heat of the sun on the paint). Or are these things not an issue when you're using machines to do the ol "wax on", "wax off" as to say? I've always done mine by hand.

The products not too dry quickly. I know it supposed not to be in direct sun, but I need sun to look on the paint since it's white and hard to see (almost blind my eyes in the direct sun, hehe ).

Polishing marks, you can't let it dry. After it hazing, you need to rub it off. Try use microfibre towel or watch one of the videos that I posts on the first page.

Using machine is not an issue, but as I said before, I won't recommend doing it under the sun. Why I'm doing under the sun? To be honest, I need the heat. On saturday it was coldish-warm. And to clean up paint using machine, I need heat. I forgot where I read that thread, but heat is needed to cut paint and make swirls gone. And if the product is not fast enough too dry/haze, then your work will be longer and at last saturday I need to work faster than usual. But a DA won't make any heat or cut too much. It will only cut tiny of microns. So no problem. It will be a problem if I worked with Rotary polisher/buffer. That will make heat if you working too long.

Not recommend if it's on Summer on 30 degrees-40 degrees heat and working under the sun.

So that's my reasons why I need to work under the sun.

Cheers

[Kekotic]

Luckily it wasn't full sunlight all day, kept going in and out behind the clouds. Roof was getting decently hot towards the end though, glass cleaner on my sunroof brought up a bit of steam
The sun wasn't hot enough for the most part anyway as we started at 8.30am, only started getting hot enough to worry about after the Wax had been applied.

I would have preferred it in the shade but there wasn't enough room to do it like that, either way it came up great.


I definitely wouldn't *wash* a car in direct sunlight though, helllloooooo water spots.

[vp920b]

Hi all,

Already 2 weeks I was left Melbourne. But I still keep monitoring this forum.

Anyway I just did my Dad's car. It's BMW 523i 2007. A bit dull, the paint before, grey hazing, not pure black as I want to.

Straight to the point. Tools:
1. DAS-6 DA with Surburf Pad and LC Flat pad polish
2. UC
3. Swirl X
4. Mothers QD for wipe down before Sealant
5. Zaino Z5
6. Zaino Z2
7. SV Smaragd for bonnet and trunk only
8. Hot n Shine tyres
9. Zaino Agressive clay

Here's the pic before:


After UC+SwirlX:



After Sealant and SV Smaragd(SV for Hood and trunk only)










Thanks all

Comment appreciated.

[Kekotic]

Very nice Naldo!!!!
Amazing difference.

Love how you blanked out the plates of a car in another country

Need to figure out a date for my next detailing from you, maybe April?

[vp920b]

March or April should be OK.

As long as it's not my Exams week mate. I only worked on your car last October. I can't even take Gambit and my friends car. hahahhaa.

Cheers mate.

Naldo

[Kekotic]

Well you know how much I like to keep my car looking it's cleanest! I may even need it in March if our national meet ends up happening.

[austin]

Naldo, since you are the detailing god, i have a question or two.

The paint of my black liberty is pretty shocking. Swirl marks all over, fine scratches pretty much everywhere. Whats the go? Use some ultimate compound and swirl remover and get in on the action with a dual action buffer?

Or should i take it somewhere to get professionally done? it is VERY bad in terms of swirls/scratches.

cheers, tom

[ROB-80E]

I love where those pics were taken Naldo...not taking anything away from your work (we all know how good you are ) but where the car car is sitting works perfect to make it look oh so shiney! Well done mate.

Tom, the colour and condition of my car was/is the same (I'm half way through restoration)...and I can tell you now, Ultimate Compound works great. But yes, I found you really do need some mechanical help to get the fine scratches and swirls out. I also used Scratchx for any deeper scratches that were still visable. Personally i apply with a machine, and remove (buff off) by hand.

As for taking it somewhere, all depends on your financial status and or how much effort you are willing to put in. If you want it all knocked over in one day...take it somewhere and pay. However, if you're willing to put in elbow grease and you have some know how with detailing, go for it....at the end of the day it can be very rewarding. If you're like me, it may take you months to finish though.

[vp920b]

Hi Tom,

If you have dual action buffer, that should be more than enough.

Using Ultimate compound with Lake Country orange pad(Light cutting pad, since it's available at most online detailing website). You might need 2-3 pass if necessary. For finish up, take swirlX with Lake Country white pad(polish pad). If still not enough, go higher to ScratchX V2.

For wax, you can use Sealant such as NXT V2 or normal carnauba wax such as Gold Class Carnauba Plus. For me personally, give sealant for durability, then carnauba for looks and wetness.

Don't forget the 5 steps, Wash-Prep-Polish-Protection-Maintain.

For me personally, if you said the paint very dull/not in a good condition, for polish will be using 3 steps:

1. Ultimate Compound-Orange Pad-Dual Action in speed 5-6
2. Scratch X-Polish pad-Dual Action in speed 4-5
3. Swirl X-Finish pad-Dual Action in speed 4

I believe you paint will be much better mate.

Anyway, what's your Dual Action buffer brand? Is it Kestrel DAS-6?

Good luck.

Cheers. Naldo

[vp920b]

Just an update after I wax all the panel with SV Smaragd, looks wetter and nicer.





Water beading shot:



C&C welcome...

Thanks

[austin]

Good work Naldo, very nice.

I don't have a dual action buffer, altho i am considering getting one. Yeah im keen on the idea of meguiars stuff as jelwin gets me it rather cheap. How long would a restoration take? bare in mind the paint is scratched like there is no tomorrow haha

[vp920b]

From what you said, I think it's gonna take the whole day or make it 2 day, half and half.

Better work slowly rather than too fast but the result is not that good.

Cheers

Naldo

[bambi]

Ok, now that I have a black car...it's time for detailing 101. I've just spent about 3 hours working on my car, but I'm after some pointers. Keep in mind everything is being done by hand here. No machinery.
My Equipment:
1. Armor All Car Wash
2. Meguiars Swirl X
3. Meguiars Polish (some kind)
4. Meg's Wax (again, some kind)
5. various towels/microfibre cloths.

Today I worked on my car using the above equipment, in the below order:
Wash-dry-polish-swirl-wax.

The car came up looking really good, but I have a couple of questions.

SwirlX - How the hell do you use this stuff? I tried to apply some using a towel, then wipe it off, same way I polished. Only problem I found is that it seems a thicker substance, and was hard to get off, therefore, it left heaps more swirl marks than if I didn't use it. Once I found that, I stopped using it.

Polish - I rubbed some on, then wiped it off kinda quickly. Only worked in small areas at a time. Question is, are you supposed to really rub that stuff into the paintwork? How much pressure do you put on it?

Wax - How long should you let it set for, before rubbing it off?


Also, are there any other products I should be using? I was thinking of looking into Scratch X, to get rid of the spider-web effect on the car. How do you use this stuff and when?

Apologies for all the questions.

[vp920b]

Ok, now that I have a black car...it's time for detailing 101. I've just spent about 3 hours working on my car, but I'm after some pointers. Keep in mind everything is being done by hand here. No machinery.
My Equipment:
1. Armor All Car Wash
2. Meguiars Swirl X
3. Meguiars Polish (some kind)
4. Meg's Wax (again, some kind)
5. various towels/microfibre cloths.

Today I worked on my car using the above equipment, in the below order:
Wash-dry-polish-swirl-wax.

The car came up looking really good, but I have a couple of questions.

SwirlX - How the hell do you use this stuff? I tried to apply some using a towel, then wipe it off, same way I polished. Only problem I found is that it seems a thicker substance, and was hard to get off, therefore, it left heaps more swirl marks than if I didn't use it. Once I found that, I stopped using it.

Polish - I rubbed some on, then wiped it off kinda quickly. Only worked in small areas at a time. Question is, are you supposed to really rub that stuff into the paintwork? How much pressure do you put on it?

Wax - How long should you let it set for, before rubbing it off?


Also, are there any other products I should be using? I was thinking of looking into Scratch X, to get rid of the spider-web effect on the car. How do you use this stuff and when?

Apologies for all the questions.

Not at problem bambi.

Well, SwirlX is a polish and therefore pick one if you want to polish. Either SwirlX or your meg's polish(is that deep crystal stage 2?)

SwirlX, take an applicator pad, than rub it until it kinda hazing, but it will do a bit of hazing since it is a SMAT technology product, so never break down. When you think is enough(around 1 minute-2 minutes rubbing), then you wipe it off using microfibre towel.

Different from Deep Crystal 2 polish, where it's still using MAT technology, where you need to keep rubbing until break down(from thick to very thin), after it's thin then you wipe it off. As usual, don't give to much. Use product as necessary.

Anyway for polish product(DC 2, SwirlX, Scratch X.2, etc), do rub it using an applicator pad, until it's enough, around 1-2 minutes, then wipe it off. Do wipe it until it's gone, even it's a bit hard. Use microfibre towel, do matter what, because any other towel can make more holograms or even swirl.

Then for pressure, mild to medium pressure. Don't goo very hard, it can be resulting more holograms or swirl(what kind of towel for applied did you use?)

Wax, do a swipe test, if it still hazing, leave it, until when you swipe using a finger, you can see through a clear paint work, then wipe it down.

If you're still using hand, do use Ultimate compound. To be honest, I never use SwirlX because the cutting power is very weak therefore, using by hand almost no use at all(only helps a bit). Using a DA, much better and SwirlX use for a finishing. For a rotary, not recommend SwirlX, too fast dry on the paint.

If you're not sure, try to watch on page 1 video to give a clear explanation.

Cheers